Midnight
Midnight wondered if they were to find sweet water or alkali . Sweet , likely , since it was in the hills ; Midnight was sure he hoped so . The best of these wells in the plains were salt and brackish . Privately , Midnight preferred the Forest Reserve . It was a pleasant , soft life in these pinewood pastures . Even if it was pretty dull for a good cow-horse after the Free Range , it was easier on old bones . And though Midnight was not insensible to the compliment Pete had paid him by picking him from the bunch for these long excursions to the Southland deserts , he missed the bunch .