That it had been "hands off the Quirt" he did not know, but attributed the Quirt's immunity to careful habits and the fact that they had never come to the point where their interests actually clashed with the Sawtooth.
It never occurred to him therefore that he was slated for an accident that day if the details could be conveniently arranged.
It was a long trail to Sugar Spring, and from there up Spirit Canyon the climb was so tedious and steep that Brit took a full hour for the trip, resting the team often because they were soft from the new grass diet and sweated easily.

They lost none of their spirit, however, and when the road was steepest nagged at each other with head-shakings and bared teeth, and ducked against each other in pretended fright at every unusual rock or bush.
At the top he was forced to drive a full half mile beyond the piled posts to a flat large enough to turn around.

All this took time, especially since Caroline, the brown mare, would rather travel ten miles straight ahead than go backward ten feet.

Brit was obliged to "take it out of her" with the rein ends and his full repertoire of opprobrious epithets before he could cramp the wagon and head them down the trail again.
At the post pile he unhitched the team for safety's sake and tied them to trees, where he fed them a little grain in nose bags.

He was absorbed now in his work and thought no more about the Sawtooth.