He hurried down the last slope, galloped along the creek-bottom, crossed the ford in a couple of leaps and pulled up beside the group that surrounded Silver.
"What's been taking place here ?" he demanded curiously, skipping the usual greetings.
"Hell," said the Native Son succinctly, glancing up at him.
"Old Silver looked over the fence into Kingdom Come," Weary enlarged the statement a little.

"Tried to take a drink with a nose bag on.

I guess he'll come through all right." "What ails the Kid ?" Andy demanded, glancing toward the house whence issued a fresh outburst of shrieks.
The Happy Family looked at one another and then at the White House.
"Aw, some folks hain't got a lick of sense when it comes to kids," Big Medicine accused gruffly.
"The Kid," Weary explained, "put the nose bag on Silver and then left the stable door open." "They ain't--spanking him for it, are they ?" Andy demanded belligerently.

"By gracious, how'd a kid know any better?
Little bit of a tad like that--" "Aw, they don't never spank the Kid!" Slim defended the parents loyally.
"By golly, they's been times when I would-a spanked him, if it'd been me.

Countess says it's plumb ridiculous the way that Kid runs over 'em--rough shod.