He--" "I've ridden him twice, and he didn't," Mary V stopped quivering her lips long enough to retort.

"I don't see why people want to be so mean to me, when I am trying my best to help about those horse thieves, and when I know things no other person on this ranch suspects, and if they did, they would simply be stunned at knowing there is a thief on their own pay roll.

And when I just want Jake so I can hel-lp--and Tango is getting so lazy I simply _can't_ get anywhere with him in a month--" Mary V did it.
She actually was crying real tears, that slipped down her cheeks and made little dark spots on her blue kimono.
Bill Hayden looked at Sudden with harassed eyes.

Sudden looked at Bill, and smoothed Mary V's hair--figuratively speaking; in reality he drew his fingers over a silk-and-lace cap.
"H--well, it's up to your dad.

You can ride Jake if he's willin' to take the chance of you getting your neck broke.