aa MARY MAMY OHARA W NU FEATURES THE STORY THUS FAR Flick aS colt long overdue Is born on goose bar r ranch anch high in the ken 1 ic Flick as 12 year old owner Is startled to see that the foal is white and so a throwback to the albino the wild white stallion stallion that is Flick as grandsire next morning colonel harris and charles sargent a millionaire horse breeder are house guests the colonel has brought his mare to be bred by banner rob mclaughlins ins stallion colonel harris sargent and BI cLaughlin ride out to mag bring back bach banner the big red horse sees them at a distance and runs over to his master banner then turns to drive the mare harris is riding into his band the confused mare obeys banner CHAPTER V taggert and her rider were lost in the group group of mares which closed up when banner gave the command he circled them rapidly head down teeth bared mane tossing over his eyes rob took a whistle out of his pocket and blew it the stallion and all the mares halted and looked at him rob turned and began becan to trot back toward the ranch he held one arm high come on banner bring em in he broke into a gallop charley following close the stallion wheeled and began the roundup round up of his mares rob spurred his horse to a faster pace saying id just as soon keep ahead of them but it was impossible long before they had bad reached the bottom of the slope slop e the band of of mares with the mhd stallion driving them and harris hopelessly caught in the midst of them were abreast of rob and charley leaping gullies plunging down hills sliding the drops crowding in each other A spirit of wild tun fun infected the band they broke 0 out ut sideways kicking and bucking th the e lead mare kept her place neck stretched out and jealously crowding any mare who challenged her the colts were three or four months old now and had had many such runs they were fleet and sure footed leaped the ravines tossed their heads squealed and played rob and charley caught sight of harriss white face and the sound of a single profane shout as he swept past them leaning back like a steeplechaser steeple chaser he kept his seat and his knee grip allowing his body t to 0 whip from side to side any guidance or control of his mount was out of the question and he did not attempt it merely held the reins and let her go charley sargent chuckled even an artilleryman dont often take part in such a charge as that the mares disappeared over the crest of a rise and then for a few moments all that rob and charley could see was a cloud of dust above the mountainside howard and ken had the gates to the pasture open the mares knew the way As banner got them close he be slowed up they made the turn presently the stable sergeant and the colonels orderly burst into exclamatory and profane speech which expressed their admiration mi ration and astonishment astonishment at the sight of the red stallion bringing the band of mares and colts at a headlong gallop down through the pasture and into the corral gus closed the gates only then did the two soldiers see that their colonel was in the band he was dismounting from taggert straightening his hat with a hand that trembled slightly his face was very white gus took the mares bridle some ride he remarked brushing himself off for he was covered with dust and foam and bits of 0 gravel the orderly presented himself and saluted wheres the mare asked harris lie he might have saved himself the question for banner was already rearing and pawing at the gate of the eastern corral the men opened the gate and the stallion went in charley and rob rode down to the corral with innocent faces and the colonel met them impassive thoughtful as ever his eyeglasses neatly on the bridge of his nose you yelled something as you passed us said rob 1 I quite catch it the colonel grinned you may not have heard just as well you but you knew what I 1 was saying all right however its over now and its all right its all right he turned away grinning quite an experience I 1 have missed it makes you feel good now mort dont it said charley to be standing here in the corral all sate safe and sound and on your own two legs nice sunshine dinner comin up dinner comin up in more ways than one to judge by the look of him grinned rob 1 I must have been asleep at the switch when I 1 let you two h hand and me that mare ken and howard arrived at a gallop and flung themselves off their horses the sergeant and orderly were blanketing the mare again and banner was put back with his own mares by tim gus and tim filled the feed boxes which stood on the ground near the corral fence with oats and the mares and colts began to feed there was nipping and kicking and some scrimmages rob supervised the process his harsh voice quelling the disturbances he had banners share of oats a generous half bucketful in his hand and the stallion would put his head in cautiously his eyes looking up over the edge into robs face then withdraw it and chew the oats turning his head to watch the mares then dip it in again and take another mouthful the process of covering his eyes and nose upon which depended the safety of his mares outraged his every instinct and he shook all over only his trust of rob made it possible at last rob dropped the bucket and told tim to open the corral gates all he said to banner there any more he gently raised his arms and advanced toward the mares as it were pushing them before him take em back banner he said to the stallion the band drifted slowly out through the gates and began to graze on the long lush grass beside the little stream What ll they do now asked harris hang around the corral for a while grazing and thinking about oats then work up through the pasture to the county road gate its open go through it and on up to the range again Banner 11 ll hold them together tim keep a lookout look out when all gone through the county road gate close it yes sir ken saw his mother approaching now is the time he thought everything ery thing over and everybody here together the men grouped around the trailer loading the colonels mare the sergeant and orderly got into the front seat of the carand cara and drove away with her the men stood watching a moment dad said ken well son ive got a surprise for you sure enough ive been saving it since last night everyone turned to look at him he had their attention at last its in the stable he added come and see it he seized his fathers arm and urged him through the corral gate suddenly rob guessed not Flick as colt he asked ken nodded beaming his blue eyes shining with excitement yep rob explained to the others Z I 1 banner was already rearing and pawing at the gate kens saddle mare should have foaled coaled in the spring ashes been up here in the pasture all summer like sitting bull waiting for the event ev ent swelling up like a balloon it m must be fourteen months you wait here said ken excitedly when they were all in the corral ill bring them out in the stable in a moment the stable door opened blicka trotted out then for a space nothing blicka turned and looked back and still nothing at last an angry little squeal was heard and ken appeared shoving the white foal before him absolute silence greeted this apparition pari tion robs jaw dropped his eyes popped nell was the first to speak why kennie she exclaimed a white colt charley sargent found his tongue and with delight in his eyes looked at rob 1 I suppose this is an example of banners true breeding I 1 remember you said one sorrel after the other as like as peas in the pod he turned to mort harris and said sadly 1 I sure do sympathize most deeply with your bad luck mort your mare harris gave a howl and turned and looked in the direction the car and trailer had gone then seized his head and pretended to tear his hair ken was caught in one of those agonizing moments of life where extravagant hopes and deep despair were somehow reconciled by wish ful thinking also he was trying with all his wits to think of a way to suggest to them that this was a happy event alad alsoc he was on the watch for anything his mother would say for from out of her first words the colt would be named also he must keep his guilty secret he a beauty he cried happily and a white horse is good luck you know everybody knows that robs face was convulsed he took his hat off and wiped his forehead my gosh ken he began but there was nothing to say blicka again for her baby it started to run toward her saw highboy standing against the fence with reins loosely thrown over a post and ran to him instead and tried to nurse on him A shout of amusement and incredulity rose from the spectators highboy annoyed moved away from the foal turned around and butted it gently the foal stood bleating then it A ran to cigarette and tried to nurse on her blicka called it unavailingly when it passed near its mother it seemed to recognize no difference in her from the others nells face showed horror why it know its own mother the foal surged about the corral A white horse is good luck repeated ken desperately gus said so everybody knows that rob found words at last A throwback he exclaimed disgustedly he looked at ken one of those blasting looks which ken could not meet somehow it was his fault nell was studying the foal it did not look like the goose bar colts A newborn foal of pure breed is built on the perpendicular its little back so short that all four legs seem to be in a close group underneath it and the neck continues the perpendicular line carried straight up to a small inquiring head like a sea horses but this foal was built on the horizontal like a full grown horse it had a repellent look of and maturity with its heavy neck and the big knobby head on the end of it the large mouth with thick rather loose black lips the short uneven legs why she exclaimed in a shocked voice its a goblin the blood rushed to kens head and made him dizzy he went to the corral fence and took hold of the rails to steady himself no one spoke for a moment goblin she had named it goblin shouted howard goblin goblin goblin but ken was not licked yet he turned to his mother he would pretend it was just a word he would pretend that she named it mother would you think of a name tor for him he pleaded something about his being white and and about his going to be a wonderful race horse race horse the exclamation was a chorus suddenly kens face flamed he looked at his father you said there might be one gentle conj one in the lot and have a race horse and blicka did get gentle I 1 gentled her As gentle as a kitten you said that too and then because of her bad leg she be a racehorse and it had to be her colt instead of her and here he is and hes a horse colt and hes big and strong and hes got her blood and her speed and the speed and spirit of all the albinos colts and his mother will teach him manners because she is gentle so he can be schooled and trained for a race horse he wont be hard to handle even it if he has got a white goat from the albino t f R 7 the albino was his great g d sire explained nell to sargent and banners his sire drawled sargent now what about all robs theor theories s of line breedin he bred blicka back to her own sire and look what he got but rob was looking at his small son standing there red in the face and with fire in his eye fighting for his foal and the anger went out of his heart and a silent cheer was there instead good for you son name him mother insisted ken desperately give him a name that will be right for a big winner of races and something about his being white cottage cheese yelled howard derisively and then mincing about delicately or cream puff pearl of the harem ME N gent booley cow exclaimed howard and cantered awkwardly across the corral somebody stop that guy or hell go on forever said rob making a pass at howard howard ducked but fell into the arms of sargent who grabbed him and clapped his hand over his mouth nell had not spoken ken watched her mother he urged her go on mother sargent let go of howard who casting a glance at his father decided he had gone tar far enough there was an ache in nells heart she looked at the foal that stubbornness born ness the mulish head that stupidity trying to nurse on every horse in sight not knowing his own mother and its anger it ran across the corral head down kicking out with one hind leg it seemed full of hatred mother insisted ken in despair nell raised her eyes and saw up behind the line of the green hill a great thunderhead pushing up into the dark blue of the sky it was so dazzling white it half blinded her there she said calmly dosee see that A thunderhead and its 1 white well call him thunder ken and a fine enough name tor for any race horse no one spoke the silence was like a cool shadow on a hot dusty day ken stood quiet feeling weak the name was so beautiful thunderhead de he looked at the great cloud and turned away so that the others could not see his face thunderhead that would carry the colt to glory with that name what horse could fail the colt still making little rushes about the corral kicking and bleating came up against the group of people by the fence he had bad no fear of them an ordinary colt would have veered away but colonel harris got it by the neck and was nipped and let it loose nell put out her hand the qa aJ 1 tr careened against her and for a moment its face was hidden and there was darkness that welcome and familiar darkness of all the long months inside its mother he pressed closer and stood quiet TO BE CONTINUED 4