To Jeff's challenge he made no reply whatever.

The group around Jeff shooed Smoky gently toward the other side of the corral, thereby convincing themselves of the limp in his right hind foot.

While not so pronounced as to be crippling, it certainly was no asset to a running horse, and the wise ones conferred together in undertones.
"That there kid's a born fool," Dave Truman stated positively.

"The horse can't run.

He's got the look of a speedy little animal--but shucks! The kid don't know anything about running horses.