Page:Laughing Boy-1929.djvu/137

CHAPTER X I “gE first time Laughing Boy rode away to Natahnetinn with the horses, he rebelled against 2 need to leave their tiny valley, and against =e prospect of recurring trips, some of several zzvs’ duration. But very shortly he found that, => matter how much in love, a man needs both —me to himself, alone, and in general periods of =:ing away from the sphere which is permeated >= the influence of a woman. He had a use for —:se days alone. After all, at the end of a day == sun always set, and it was less than half the me that a strayed animal, a bit of trading, or the ~ z==d of moving his herd kept him away overnight. Here he could ride the range and sing. Here it +z: that he thought of the best designs for his | =-er. It was beautiful, too, watching the long- E — cd ponies in the good grass, or coming down . — water. Then there was the trading, meat and . ——-k to a Navajo — patience, bluff, deception, ze-erration. It was so pleasant to sit down with | z—>her Indian for a long morning of smokes, gos- | s— and business, learning all the news and driving | 3 zse bargain. Very few of his people ever came