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Show MY MY\FRIEND MY FRIEND \ FRIEND . { . \ : -Y Y ? : - - bFLICKAI , * S ' , FLIC FLICY FLICKA K . " 6 < ' - . / ' - \ : . " ' ' 1fI 1iVL.t1fI \ Y"d Yd " 1i-VL\.t\ 1iVL.t 1i VL .t t \ ' , ; ! ! A I 1n , MARY OHARA O'HARA ' S &ri ri & $ j I " ki . _ TIIE TOE THE STORY SO FAR Ten year old oldKen oldKen oilKen Ken McLauifhIla McLaughlin can ride any horse on onhis onMs onIlls his Ms family farolly 5 s W Wyoming ) omlns ranch t nch bnt but he hewants hewants hewants wants a colt ot of his o 0 vn en n His father a aretired aretired a.retired aretired . retired army offlcer ofllcer refuses to give rive him himone himone himone one until nnUI his school scbool grades Improve and andbe andbe andbe be learns to take responsibility responslbmty Ken smother s smother smother mother tries to protect him Wm from the theItern thestern theitem Itern stern discipline of at hlo hia hl < father and the thefoul theyoutlfal theyouti foul youtlfal ! fu tul ! bull builying bull ) ) Ing Ins ot of his olarr odpr older ! brother brotherOoward brotherHoward brothernoward Ooward Howard who always manages to do dothings dothings dothings things right When Captain lIIeLauChlln McLaughlin lIIeLauChllnlearns McLaughlinlearns McLaughllnlearns learns that tbat Ken has bu : not been promoted promotedthe promotedthe promotedthe the colt seems seem . farther tartber away tlian than ever everBut everBut everBut But Nell convinces Kens Ken s father that tbe the tbecoU thecolt thecolt coU colt may be Jost just what wbat Ken Kea needs toteacb toteach to toleach leach teacb teach him to take rcsponsiblllt responslblUt responsibiilli responsibiilliNow } ) Now contlnne contlnoe continue with the storyCHAPTER story storyCHAPTER CHAPTER IVWhen IV IVWhen When l > . ken .en en hen and Howard reached reachedthe reachedthe reachedthe the corrals eorrals _ prepara preparatons preparat tons ons v . were ere almost al almost almost most completed Doc H cks eks s x feet feettwo feettwo feettwo two and built like Ilke a Hereford steer steernever steernever steernever never wasted time tune A day s work workoften workoften workoften often meant three or tour four such jobs jobsas jobsas jobsas as this tlus with perhaps a hundred hundredmiles hundredmiles hundredmiles miles of Wyoming roads to cover in inhis inhis inhis his high powered dusty black car carpiled carpiled carpiled piled full of boxes and satchels In Instruments instruments instruments struments serums bottles lanats lariats lanatshalters lariatshalters lariatshalters halters The big vet &nd nd aid ald & } McLaugh McLaughlin McLaugh1m McLaughtin 1m tin were talking talkmg together a at t the thesame thesame thesame same t me that they kept an eye on onwhat onwhat onwhat what was going gomg on Tim mendmg mending mendmgthe mendingthe mendingthe the fence of the little httle round corral corralwhere corralvi corralv v . where here the gelding geldmg v . v.as vas was . as to be done doneDoc doneDoc doneDoc Doc s assistant bring brmg ng the lanat lariat lanatfrom lariatfrom lariatfrom from the car Gus tending tendmg the fire firewluch firewhich flrewhich wluch which had been built just lust outside outsidethe outsidethe outsidethe the fenceThe fenceThe fence fenceThe The boys went clo'e cloe clo.e close ' . to their fa father fathey father ther they and stood listening hstemng and Mc McLaughlm McLaughlin MeLaughim Laughlm Laughlin s hand dropped to Ken s sshoulder sshoulder sshoulder shoulder in a natural casual manner manner man manner ner It was an Important excitmg exciting excitmgday excitingday excitingday day- day - No It s more of that black grease greaseI I want sa d McLaughhn McLaughlm McLaughlin I 1 ve ye got gotthe gotthe gotthe the can in tl ti e a stable come on I 111show 11 11show 11show show you- you youThey youThey you - They walked oft Howard v.ent vent v.entover ventover . v.entover ventover . over to Gus and looked at Does Doesblack Doc s sblack sblack black leather bag where it stood on onthe onthe onthe the grass beside the feed box boc bo " v.hlch vhlch which v.hlchGus whichGus . vhichGus Gus had upturned and covered wlth with witha wltha a piece of Nell s clean wh te to sheet sheetIn sheetIn sheetIn In that bag were the instruments instruments-Ken instruments Ken . - . Ken climbed chmbed the corral fence and andsat andat andsat sat at watching watcbmg the two year oldsKen oldsKen olds oldsKen Ken felt the singing smgmg sp nt nit of themthe them themthe themthe the young hearts the tree free over overfio overfib overflo fio fib ving vmg power and his lus hands tight tightened tightened tightened ened on the rail of the fence A Achok Achok Achok chok ng filled h s throat throatI I ve ye got one too he muttered mutteredOh mutteredOh mutteredOh Oh you beautles-m beautles m beauties-in beauties in beauties - in a year my myyearling myyearling myyearling yearling will be like hke you- you youLongmg youLonging you - - Longing Longmg to be closer to them he heslipped heslipped heslipped slipped down from the fence and andran andran andran ran to h b s fatherDad fatherDad father fatherDad Dad can I bring brmg them inDon in inDon ' Don t have to bring brmg them in insaid insaid Insaid said his father falher All I have to do is isshow isshow isshow show em a bucket and they U 11 come comein comeIn comein in of themselves Go get me a buck bucket bucket bucket et of oatsCommg oatsComing oats oatsComing Coming Commg back with the bucket Ken Kenpaused Kenpaused Kenpaused paused to watch Doc Doe Hicks opemng opening opemnghis openinghis openinghis his bag laying laymg out some IDstru instru IDstruments instruments instruments ments on the clean wh te to sheet sheet.Howard sheetHoward . . Howard was kneeling beside him himabsorbed himabsorbed himabsorbed absorbed looking lookmg at every IDstru instru IDstrument instrument instrument ment Howard liked hked th ngs 1 1 ke he that thatinstruments thatInstruments thatinstruments instruments doctor stuff-Doc stuff Doc stuff-Doe Doe stuff - Doc toolt took tooka toolta a jar out of his bag filled it full of ofalcobol ofalcohol ofalcohol alcobol alcohol and put a pair ol of surg Burg calscissors cal calsCissors calscissors sCissors in m it and a small sharp sharpkn sharpIn sharpknfe,1 sharpknfe1 kn In fe fer fet feWhat , What s s that ' asked HowardI HowardScalpel Howard HowardScalpel r t I Scalpel answered Doc Helooked He Hei i looked at the boys gnnn grmn grinn ng in lus his lusrough histough hisrough rough tough way How d you 1 ke to be bedomg bedoing bedoing domg doing if it itU ? , I U 1 I Id d like hke Lice It sa d Howard prompt promptly promptly lY I Id d like to be a veti vetHow vet How bout you7 you7y ' i < you > r rKen , y Ken didn t answer- answer answerThe - _ The color was wasfad waslad wasfad fad lad ng from his face He tried to tolook tolook toi 'look look ' scornfulRob scornfulRob scornful scornfulRob It Rob opened the gate and stood stoodcall stoodcall stoodcall call ng the stallions He shook the thebucket thebucket theibucket bucket and whistled bis his trilling whls whis whlstle whistie whistie tle tie It carried to the colts and sev sevjeral several several eral of them ratfed rayed their heads from fromtheir fromtheir fromtheir their grazing and looked at h m mThey mThey mThey jeral They all looked standing still sun fae'ling facing fac fae /'ling 'ling ling / ' . . Ing him One started to walk slowlytoward slov slowly . Iy IyVi Vi Vito | toward toard to\\ to \ \ ard him then the others In a amoment amoment { moment they v . were ere all cantermg cantering cantermgbearing canteringbearing canteringJbearing bearing down on him'McLauIhln him hun himT'McLaufchIn T'McLaufchIn TMcLaufchIn 'McLauIhln McLauIhln ' McLaubhl , n fed them first letI.each letyreach let I-.each I.each I .each each yreach : , - . each one d p his mouth into the thepi theptjibucket pi bucket and have a taste of the oats oatsa oatsSjtben 11 a then en let one through and closed theate the ibueket ! fiate ate The other colts stood thererowd thererowd there ' jprowd rowd ng and push ng now and thenick then , ( > ycickng Ick ng at each other othertF4 otherl tF4 ! , f'i fi ' Bill . was v.as vas ready with the Idnat ldrlat lariat lariatw lariatBiU IdnatBlUs t w Bill BiU BlUs s eyes . were v.ere vere as keen and andleady ' isteady ( as a marksman taking takmg aim aimas llteadY aimlas as he stood in the middle v . wh h rling rung rlingJ rlinge J rlingJuhe rungjthe jthe e loop of h s lariat lanat Suddenly itnaked it itynaked ; : ' . ynaked naked out along the ground bothorefeet both " , . orctect orefeet ot of the colt tell fell in iD it He Heent Heant Herent ent ant down with a cra craih crash < h and TIm TImas Timas Timras as kneeling on his head before beforee e could move McLaughl nand nandus n and andus andius us tied bed . his h.ls hls feet Doc went in v.lth vlth with withis . withIs 15 is knife and the colt screamed and andled andfled ' led to struggle It was over in a aute ao aute alinute alinutejg ute uteoil o uteThey oilThey jg oil They loosed him hum and he got to his hiset hisL 4et eet et They opened the gate Into the theIg ther theIg 4 the\i the i \ r ilg Ig corral and the coV colt coil , trotted inere ina inere in intanglng a ere and acid stood by the fence head headanging odd headodd , /tanglng tanglng / anging nging down blood streamingOne streamingOne streaming streamingSl Sl One after the other came in prane pranc praneg prancg prancJjig g was thrown and castrated thenoved thena then thenlen a oved into the other corral The Theen Theen len en worked more and more quietlyoe quietlycc quietly y < Boc oe cc s joshing joslung ceased McLaughlln McLaughlin s sce st sy st t ( y ce cc looked angry and strainedKen strainedd strained strainedwasn d Ken had to hold on to the fence fencewasn "d d fence"d " wasn wasa t only the blood and theIt the theItt + It itt Itt ! ng nft It it was urn a the * I * way . . . . . . . the * i- i i1A - colts coltsod coltsq --1A- 1A - - 1Aood - q , ood od when itwas It was over They crowd crowd1 crowdinto Into a bunch In the corner of o1 thecorral the thecorral theB corraladd eoniLl corral arid add stood motionless andI and I shocked one or two oil olt oft alone by bythemseh bythemseh bythemseli themseh esBetween esBetween es esBetween Between operat ons McLaughllO McLaughlin McLaughllOwent McLaughlinwent McLaughhnwent went to them with a bucket of oats oatsand oatsand oatsand and offered it . with V.lth Vlth gentleords gentle cordsWell \ words \\ords ords cords wordsWell ordsWell Well old boy pretty prelty tough isn i.n in Im . t tit tit tit it- it itA itA - A few of the colts lifted lilted their theirheads theirheads theirheads heads at the familiar voice d pped ppedtheIr ppedtheir ppedtheir theIr muzzles into the bucket but butmost butmost butmost most of them stood quiet and would wouldnot wouldnot wouldnot not move McLaughlin patted pattcd them themstroked themstroked themstroked stroked the r necks comforted comfortedthem comfortedthem comfortedthem comfortedthemKen them theml themhen l > . Ken .en en hen felt himself going gomg He slid sliddown sliddown sliddown down the fence and stood w th his hisface hisface hisface face " gamst "lgamst lgamst igamst it it , , , hang ng onLook onLook on onLook Look at the k d said Bill and andMcLaughl andMcLaughln andMcLaughl McLaughl McLaughln n turned and in m two twostrides twostrides twostrides strides v . was as beside KenHere KenHere Ken KenHere Here here- here herehe here - he had him by the theshoulder theshoulder theshoulder theshoulderKen shoulder shoulderKen Ken fought him lum oIT off furious sob sobbmg sobbmg sobbmg bmg- bmg - bmgWhy Why son- son sonKen sonKen son - Ken broke hroke away a\\ay a ay \ from h s father fatherducYed fatherducl fatherducked ducYed ducl ed through the bars of the thefence thefence thefence fence " ind "lnd lnd vanished vamshed around the sta stable stable stable ble He ran a long way up the thehill thehill thehill hill and into the pines and threw threwhunself threwhimself threwhimself hunself himself face down on the groundHe groundHe ground groundHe He was th nking nklOg of his own colt- colt colt colta - - a y } ) ear from no v-v.hen vv.hen v v.hen vhen v-when when v - . when they would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be gelding geldmg it-he it he it - - he saw It suddenly suddenlyas as clearly as It if It v . was as there before beforehim beforehim beforehim him a bright golden sorrel IJ1.e IJ1e like IJ1.eBannerhe likeBanncrhe likeBanner . Banner-he Banner he Banncr-he Banncr - he saw the blood rumung running rumungdown runningdown runningdown down its legs- legs legsAfter legsAfter legs - Alter After a long time he heard a car carstart carstart carstart start ng The eng i e p eked cked up It Itwas itwas itwas was climbing clImbmg the h II 11 beh nd the thehouse thehouse thehouse house the sound faded away Doc DocHicks DocHicks DocHicks Hicks was goneKen goneKen gone goneKen Ken pounded with the toe of hIs hIsboot hisboot hisboot boot on the earthHe earthHe earth earthHe He heard a match struck close closeby closeby closeby by and raised his head to see his I CS CSr r _ _ Y r rr rv r v 1 ve ye got one too Ken mutteredfather muttered ] father standing standmg there 1 ght ng his hisp hisp hisppe hisppeMcLaughlln p pe peMcLaughlm peMcLaughlin McLaughlln McLaughlm McLaughlin sat down beside hisboy hisboy his | boy and puffed at his p pe He put putout putout out an arm and drew Ken agamst against agamsthim againsthim againsthim againsthimKennie him himKenme himKennie Kenme- Kenme Kennie- Kennie Kennie - KennieOh KenmeOh Oh my colt Dad-my Dad my Dad - my colt- colt coltHIs coltHis colt - His father s arm held him tighter tighterand tighterand tighterand and Ken pressed against agamst it crymg crying crymgbitterlY cryingbitterly cryingbitterly cryingbitterlyAt bitterlY bitterlyAt At dinner dl1Jner McLaughlln McLaughlm McLaughlin said the thefirst thefirst thefirst first thing thmg he was going gomg to do was to toget toget toget get Rocket into the corrals and andInto andinto andinto Into the chute cut the piece of rope ropeoff ropeoft ropeoft off oft her neck then drive her out of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Stable Pasture and out onto the therange therange therange range with the other brood maresUnll maresUnt mares maresUnl Unll Unl Unt 1 I get that done said he heI heI heI I can t turn the gelded colts mto into mtothe intothe intothe the Stable Pasture-she Pasture she Pasture - she d get m xed xedup xedup , up with them and I d have a heck heckof heckof : of a time cult cutt ng her Iler , out againHow againHow again againHow How long v . will ill you keep the colts coltsin coltsin coltsin in the Stable Pasture9 Pasture ? ' asked Nell NellAbout NellAbout NellL About a week I ve ye got to keep keepmy keepmy keepmy my eye on them They U 11 have to tobe tobe tobe be exercised da ly After that theycan they theycan theycan can go out onto the range w th the theothers theothers theothers others You boys can g ve ye them a ahard ahard ahard hard run every day Ride em lIke lIkehell likehell likehell hell Th s is your chance to whoop whoopit it up and yell and act 1 I ke cov cowboys cowboysWhy cowboysWhy . boys boysWhy Why ? asked Howard HowardIt HowardIf If there should be an infected one oneamongst oneamongst oneamongst amongst them-v.h themv.h them v.h vh them-wh wh them - . wh ch eh is always pos possiblehe posslblehe posBible sible-he sible he slble-he slble - - he d just stand around till tiU he hedies hedies hedies dies Make h m run That causes causesdra causesdra causesdra dra nage of the wound stirs up CJr cu CJrculat cuculat circulat culat on on- on onIf . - . If they re left len alone they 11 B 11stand Bstand Ustand stand around and mope and won t teat teat teat eat enough to keep up their theirstrength theirstrength theirstrength theirstrengthKen strength strengthKen Ken hadn t wanted his d nner nnerNell nnerNell nnerNell Nell was looking lookmg at him |