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Show MY MY\FRIEND MY FRIEND \ FItIEND FRIEND FRIENDFL " . = ' \ fLICKAtJ FL FLICKA IC < ! .1 1 111 ) . , HMARYO'HARA HMARYOHARA MARY O.HARA OHARA Ol-IARA Ol IARA ' . - J C " I I1 \1 1 \ " ' . Tir Till T5IE ! : STOnT STORY STORV 10 80 50 F&R FR FAR FAB & . Tea Ten ! .ear-oJG .earoJG .ear ear oJG year-ola year ola yearolakin , . y .earoJGKeo r-K r K - - - Keo kin M McLaublin McLugblla McI . * , ihllB cum eaa can rid rice . aay allJ any ' borae bore rr . oa on onhi 1111 hl hi . family famUy s . 'yomlo yomlo WyomIng " ' Wy laf , raneb ranch r c but .e e he hewants . awt .e.aate * .aate aate wants . * a fit colt coil of ( bl hi Us . OWIl own wa Oi Bis lila . iKtacr 'ather ather father ' a areUred aretired aretlrca reUred retired army ar y omcer omeer cr * refill rerule refuse * * . 0 to & * .Iye Iye give givebin . .Iyebl.m IT ITaim aim bl.m blm bin . , one on . unW neW aul his al hi * . eebocll seInol eh I grades ( , rade races . improve improve.ad Improveand ir .ad ad and R . he k b . Iff learn . 10 to ! tall take . r.pon.Ibility rpon.Ibility rponIbility r.pon.IbilityKen . r . .pon.lbW pon.lbW ponlbW . . lbultjKea " Ken . mother frr trie IrIS trie . to protect * tect him Win from from&h fromlb tr * &h h lb & Ur . . itcrB .tera tera .rn rn . cu.dpUn cudpUn dl.cipUn dlcipUn ,41 41 , , . cl llM . of I hi Ms ills . ' lather 'ather ather aaj and &be be lbs &beouthful lbsyouthful & ( hrwtaful * youthful , outhful ltuUyfn bullying Uylaf . o of ( ' bI Ms di . older r r brother brotherOowar4 brotherHoward brethcrn Oowar4 Howard w.r wr . . . wbo who wh * . Uways always . .yl yl . me manages _ aaafs . , . to 0 & 40 de 40tbJn dething * tbJn tklao thing , . , richt rl.bt rlbt rIght . . . NeD Nefi N n ceBTlaes coavlnce convInces * . her lieI ' baa- baa bus- bus baaband busband h - - band a that dI lb Ur . colt e lt 1D&7 1D7 may ay & be k * Just ta.t tat . .bat bat wbal wbalKen . whatKM .batKen Ken need needs e s . .0 0 so . ID in ! sslto .plte plte spite . of t fr the fact that thatb thatbe Uiath b be * . has baa Kt DOt not * beea been sir promoted * tee KB Itea Ken * Is II tohav 0 to & 0b tobay b bay . . . a . cwlt eolt colt . . Bat flat fe b * . la Is k&Tlax kTlax having bavla & . a . fcxr4 bard fcxr4iag bardtIm bardUm tIm Um " - . - ----iag iag ehooslng cbooelll - - - - , , one oneNow Now ' C eoaUnue coetIne UB with th the story .tory tory . - - - - - - - - CIIAPTER ChAPTER V VThere There were two miles of ot windingroad windIng windIngroad windingroad road with a fine ftne tine hard packed surfaceof surface of reddish decomposed granite thena then a sharp turn under the big sign thatsaid that thatsaId thatsaid saId GOOSE BAR RANCH , and outonto out outonto outonto onto the Lincoln HighwayDad Highway HighwayDad HighwayDad Dad began KenYes Ken KenYes KenYes Yes ? I hste hate the gelding geldingI . I do too son SOil but It s i got to be bedone bedone bedone bedoneKen done doneKen Ken sat thinking about It Espe Especlally Espedaily Espedally clally daily about the ( h * race horses that thatwere thatwere thatwere were gelded and still stili were big and andpowerful andpowerful andpowerful powerful . still .Ull Ull ran racesIlls raceshis races racesHis His Ills spirits were rising He lelt felt leltthat feltthat feltthat that he was catching catchlni something of ofhis ofhis ofhis his father lather s . atHtude atiftude ntbftude about It IL . . He Hecould Hecould Hecould could even think back to what hap hap- happened happened happened . - - pened In the morning without sharp sharpstinging sharpstinging sharpstinging stinging feelings leeUngJl in the palms ot of othis ofhis ofhis his hands All th the , same- same sameDad same - - Dad I ve ye vedecided yedecided vedecided decided to take a Oily filly instead of a ahorse ahorse ahorse horse coltMcLaughlin coltMcLaughlin colt coltMcLaughlln McLaughlln McLaughlin laughed 0 K But Butdon Butdon Butdon don t take It too seriously KenKen KenKen Ken KenKen Ken sat thinking about his colt coltlie coltHe coltHe lie He had a week to choose He would wouldride wouldride wouldride ride up to the Saddle Back every everyday everyday everyday day look over the yearlings- yearlings yearlingsSomething yearlingsSomething yearling - * - Something I want to say flay to you youKen youKen youKen youKenKen Ken KenKen Ken looked up The man to-man to man tomanway tomanway to-manway to manway - - way his father lather spoke fJpoke to him made madehim madehim madehim him feel thcv they were almost friends friendsIt It s a this Ken I m in giving you a acolt acolt acolt colt Any colt you want . . And yet yetI . . , I m not satisfied with the perform performance performance performance ance you ve ye given this spring You Youknow Youknow Youknow know that Maybe you think it a . afunny tunny funny I g ve ye you the colt when what whatyou whatyou whatyou you deserve-for deserve for deserve - - for ' flunking l'Iunking lIunking all your yourexams yourexams yourexams exams and IInd pullinc pullirlg pulling that . stunt .tunt tunt yester yesterdayIs yesterdayis yesterday day-Is day Is - Is a good biding hiding bidingKen bidingKen hidingKen Ken s face lace sobered and he lookedstraight looked looked.tralght lookedstraight .tralght tralght straight . ahead aheadMcLauthlln aheadMcLaughlin aheadMcLaughlin McLauthlln McLaughlin continued I don twant t twant twant want you to think I m in letting youoff you youoff youoff off I m not . . I 1 haven t gone soft softdon s01t- s01t soft- soft s01tdon softdon - - don t get that Into your head Iexpect I 1 Iexpect 1expect expect just JUJlt as much of or you as Iever I Iever Iever ever did And this Isn iso t I any re reward re- re reward reward - - ward because you haven t won areward arewardWhat a areward areward reward rewardWhat What is I . It ? It s a n 1\ 1 a \ partnership 1partnership I m going toneed to toneed toneed need the help of both of 01 you boysand boys boysand boysand and you have to be he trained so you Uknow 11 11know 11know know how to give It You re goingto going goingto goingto to train the yearling I 11 II give you youa a little help just with the first break breaklog breaking reak reakIng Ing log but you 11 Ii train her and she 11 11train 11train IItrain train you I want you to make a agood agood agood good pony out of her I want her herto herto herto to make a man out ofyou of 01 you Get me ? Yes sir Ken locked lo < ( ked up with a s awide swide awide wide smile llghtLng lIghtLng lighting hla his hi * faceBut faceBut face faceBut But that s a . not allsaid all said his la fa lather father fathcr ther You ve ye got other duties You Youcan Youcan Youcan can give some time to your colt-not colt not coltnotall coltnotall colt - notall all your time You ve ye got two of ofthese ofthese ofthese these foals to halter break- break breakYes breakYes break breakYes - Yes sirYou sirYou sir sirYou You ve ye got to help exercise tour four tourhorses fourhorses fourhorses horses tor lor for the Rodeo Rooeo run the geld gelded gelded gelded ed colts every day for lor half halt haltan an hour hourfor hourfor hourfor for this whole week help with all allthe allthe allthe the ranch work the way you always alwaysdo alwaysdo alwaysdo do I don t want to find tind you welch welchIng welching welching Ing on work because you re oft oftplaymg of offplaying ! playmg playing with your colt- colt coltNo coltNo colt coltNo - No sir'ThIs sirThis sir sirThis ' This 'ThIs giving you the colt Is a kind kindof kindof kindot of bargain between us I give you youthe youthe youthe the colt you give me more obedl obedi obedlence obedicure obcdience ence cure more efficiency than you ever everhave everhave everhave have n your life before Is it a bar barlIa barga barga lIa ga n ' ' > Yes sirMcLaughl sirMcLaughl sir sirMcLaughl McLaughl n slapped his hand on onKen onKen onKen Ken s a knee and a fluth flush colored colort'd colortd ' the theb theb theb b y s a cheeksAs cheeksAs cheeks cheeksAs As they arrived at Tie Sidini Siding Sidingthere ' > Idlng Idlngthere : there drew i p trim fr'1m fr1m frim ' the oppos te dl di dlrecl dired dlreel recl red n a sample of or the ty tYi ( e of convcyance con conveyance conveyaflce veyance veyaflce which is to be seen on evcry ev every evcry ery cry mile of the western hiehwaysIt highwaysIt highways It was a Ford sedan . , . bulging andsagging and andsajglng andsaging sajglng saging . , like an old washerwomanTl washerwomanTI washerwornanTI washerwoman washerwornan TI e I " top of it was piled with mattresses mat mattresses mattresses tresses chairs tables bedding Therear The Therea Therear rea rear r end was tcito festo ned with bundies bun bundies bundies dies and boxes tied on with knottedlengths knotted knottedlengths knottedlengths lengths of clothes line an old rustystove rusty rustystove rustystove stove half halt covered by a bed Quiltwas quilt quiltwas Quiltwas was roped to one fender Humanty Humanl Humani Humanlty Humanity ! ty of all ages packed It from floor toroof to toroof toroof roof and poured out when the dooropened dooropenedMrs door dooropened dooropened opened openedMrs Mrs Olsen wife wite of the man whoran who whoran whoran ran the combination Post Office andstore and and.tore andstore .tore tore store . came hurrying hUrJ'lng hUrJlng : ) ' out In her herneat herneat herneat neat white pant pants * and jacketHello jacketHello Jacket JacketHello Hello she abe said cheerfully cheerfullyShe cheerfullyShe cheerfullyShe She had a 5 trim close croppe-d croppe d cropped croppedblack croppedblack croppedblack - black head a great ereat deal of rougt rouge rougeon rougeon " on her cheeks cheek . and lips and a quiet quiet.efficient quietefficient , . , efficient emcient way of at going about things thingsI I 1 11 II take two gallons said .ald ald . the thetall thetall thetall tall oldish man who bad tJad climbed climbedout climbedout climbedout out of the sedan and he stood over overin overMrs overMrs \-in in Mrs \ - Olsen a as . . she .he he put pul the hose Into Intothe intothe intothe the tank and the gas befan began to pflur Jur pour p < JurOthers pourOthers pflurOthers Others ( of if the family tamily scattered scatteredaround scatteredaround scatteredaround around both sides side * of the store to tothe tothe tothe the rest rooms Several of ot the chll chil chlldren children children dren crossed the road to sland stand slandwatching standwatching standwatching watching a pair of ot brown bear bears * that thatwere thatwere thatwere were in a big cage of woven steel.tre steelairs steel steelT .tre tre airs . . ( T L . Ken and his hi * father got out of ot the car and went to the store . , In Inwhich inwhich Inwhich which a number of or men were mak make makeIna makhig making ing Ina hig : purchase purchases * . or Ittinf sitUna sitting aboutOther about . . Other cars car * were ttopping .toJlplne toJlplne stopping . for tor gas . ga.and gaand . * . , and Mrs Mr * Olsen Ol.en Olen . came running IUI1nln ; In and andout andout andout out to make chan changeOld change changeOld , . Old Iteuben Reuben Dale their neighbor neighboron on the west west . , asked aaked . "Any Any " sign alga ign of ofmountain ofmountain ofmountain mountain 11on lions . on your ranch this thissummer tbl thI tblsummer . . summer .ummer ummer McLaugblinT McLaugb11nT McLaughlin ? I've Ive rve ' lest lo.t lot lost . two twocalve twocalves twcalve calve calves * . out ut of the pasture pa.ture pature . en on ID7 my ID7place myplace myplace place down near your Castle Rock RockMeadow RockMeadow RockMeadow Meadow and I J TO ve ye got ( ot a notion noUon it aa s a sa aa a lion Bert beard heerd a cat acream scream acreamthe screamthe creamthe the other night whe when be he went outto out outto outto to bring the cow cowa cows in " "Cat Cat "Cats Cats " * . said .aid aid . McLaughlln McLaughl1l1 McLaughlin slowly .lowb lowb slowly'No . ' No 'No ' ' I J haven baven t seen * een any Haven theard t theard theard heard any either but I think I 1 mshort m rn mshort rnshort short a colt colt- colt colt'They coltThey - - They 'They ' love horse borae rn m-at m at rn-at rn - at aald said aaldReuben saidReuben ( aidReuben Reuben grinningA grlnn1l1gAI grinningAs grlnn1l1g grinning AI As * Ken and hi his * father tather left lett the the.tore theitore .tore tore itore . tore with the mall and the yeastand yeast yeastand yeastand and tobacco and three lollipop lollipops * anda and a 5 peppermint patty for tor Nell Kenlooked Ken Kenlooked Kenlooked looked up at hi his * father tather What coltDad colt coltDad coltDad Dad I ? IMcLaughlin McLaughlln McLaughlin didn dJdn t I answer andthey and andthey andthey they got lot into the car Ken a.ked aked asked a.kedagain askedagain askedagain . again What colt are we short ? Rocket a . I f think she had a loal foul loalShe foulShe foalShe She hasn hun t got lot it now Before Be-fore Be fore - I Idrive Idrive Idrive drive her out of ot the Stable Pa.ture Pature Pasture PastureI Pa.tureI . I m going down to Castle Rock RockMeadow RockMeadow RockMeadow Meadow to take a look aroundKen aroundKen around aroundKen Ken felt excited He thought at of atthe ofthe ofthe the aspen grove of ot Castle Castie Rock as asbig asbig asbig big as a * a hotel with all aU the caverns cavernsand cavernsand cavernand * and passages paaaages and tunnels under - IIamaalty DumanJty Humanity ef 01 of au all aU agea all"es alles ages " lacked packed paekd It ItIrom itfrom Itfrom Irom from fleer ftoor Soor te to reef roof and aae peured poured oue out ouewben outwhen cutwbea wben when the Jeer door opened- opened openedneath openedneath epeneJ - neath it It , , and the skeletons and bones bonesthat bonesthat bonesthat that lay In them Wildcats Wildcats- WildcatsMcLaughlin WildcatsMcLaughlin - McLaughlin wa- wa wadriving wa . - driving a little littlefaster littlefaster littletaster faster Kennie glanced at him and andsaw andsaw andsaw saw that he had something of his hishard hishard hishard hard angry 10 Icxk lok < k His Ills father was wasworried wasworried wasworried wasworriedWhat worried worriedWhat What gun will you take Dad ? McLaughlin didn dldn t answer lor for lorQuite forquite forquite Quite a long time Ume then said I 11 11take 11take 11take take the Winchester But I won t tuse tuse tuse use it Ken The time you come on a awildcat awildcat awildcat wildcat is the time you haven t tot got totyour gotyour cotyour your gun with youThe youThe you youThe The week that followed lollowed during duringwhich duringwhich duringwhich which Ken was to choose choo e his year yearling yearflog yearling ling flog was a busy one for lor everybody everybodyIt It rained every day out of ot one bli big blipurple bigpurple bigpurple purple cloud which drifted away at atnight atnight atnight night so that the morning mornings * came in inhot inhot inhot hot and clear but by noon It was wasover wasover wasover over the ranch again and would would.tart wouldstart wouldstart .tart tart start . to rumble then shiver and andcrack andcrack andcrack crack with lightn IIghtn ng rig then the down downpour downpour downpour pour of ot rain wh Ie Ic the horizons all allaround allaround allaround around were calm and blue With Withfteecy withfleecy withfleecy fteecy fleecy while white do do clo Id ids n tionless UpOi UpOithe UPOIthe upoithe the hillsNell hillsNell hills hillsNell Nell called it tl tI e c Goose Bar sprln sprin sprlnkllng sprinkllng sprinkling kllng system It t I r rIght ight out thestrong the thestrong thestrong strong freth Irelh fresh ! colors of the flowersdark flowers flowersdark flowersdark dark salmon geramumi geraniums in the ultramarn ultra ultramarH ultramarl marH marl . e blue window b xes xci and redpink red redpink redpink pink purple and white "hlte hlte " petunias pelunias Inthe In Inthe inthe the flower border The roofs of ot thebuildings the thebuildings thebuildings buildings were red and clean withno with withno withno no dust on them thE'm ' a d the |