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Show MY MYiIE1iJ . FRIEND ; . ' i < ! FLICKA fLICKA-t t - . C " ' < vf > ; A ? > ( < > J 1 b , 1 MARY ' U UY Y O'HARA OHARA O.HARA ' . - - ' TIIK Till THE ! : STOny 4TORY TOUT 10 80 so FAn FAR : Ttmjw-vUKe Ttmjw vUKe TeD Ten ye-olll ye olll year.old yearold year.oldYen . . - - I IKeD KeD Yen McLauthl1 McLautblldy M Ljrhll ( , givea ctveD riven aD an yyrtulty opportunity to tochoose toch , thoole choose any aJQr yearltaf yearUne yearung on his U hi . 'amUy'l amUyl family's familys ( ' aMUy * ' * Wyomln Wyomtng Wy j jmare omln omtng mlB , raneb rxBck ranch , , plckl picha lcki Ur the IIUy Oily Uy o/ o oa 0 { ' / a . ' loco l c * ' mare tn r FIIcka ptieka ruch the tk th & GUy BUy Uy , , I It Is . badly ha ba Iy y butt hurt h rt try tryIDe tryIng tryInc IDe Ing to t Jump jB r the 01 * corral c rr&l rrl & ' fcce 'ence ence fence She Ch crowl grow crowl.le ( r wiifaJily , steadily .le le . dll.Y dllY . wrr wone worn and Capteir Captain MeLanhUD McLaughlin MeLanhUDorden McLaughlinorders McLaB < , Mlr orden orders rJT > Gas GB Gu . the th foreman ( r i &B B & f to .hoot hoot shoot ( . h t ber her berKeD herKeu rKf KeD Keu 1 > erluadee persuades Teri Bji * GUI Gus to wall wait watt . , aDd and < wkc wiu1n when theolben theothers Ur the olben others there are ar alleep asleep l * y he h * eoel goes ( out t to Ur the pal palture palture Mtur * ture wher where * be h * flndl Bads FlIck Fllcka Flicka . trxpred trapped ID In < a & . astream Itream stream tr a ir De Re releue rescues r fCB . her , kwt but whc wben when Gu Gusduds GM Gus . andl duds < Uiem them ta In Ur the rrBlae mormnr morning KeD Ken K If II is on _ onconscious ficlci conlclon conscious . and daneeroully dangerously a > cm ly Ul m Ili Finally Finallywon Finallywon FiBxIlyw won over ver Cartala Captaln Captain McLaurb McLaughlin McLa < Ul n rllkl risks rlik * bI his hislife Milit . U'e Ue life ' * to .ve ve save . rucha FUeka pucka from ( f a . "Ude Ude " wUJcat wildcat . & . . FIIeka FUcka FIIekaand FUckaand FUckaBBJ and Kc Kea Ken . both th fet ret get weUNow weU weUL weUN01f w U L tN N01f Now w CODUoue coatluo UR wlUi with Ur Ute the ltory story storyCHAPTER ( fry fryCIIAPTBtt CIIAPTBtt CDAPTER CHAPTER XIXGus XIX XIXGu Gus Gu entered the th room holdine holding the theWinchester theWinchester theWinchester Winchester In one hand and one onelong onelong onelong long thell shell In the otherDere's otherDere's other otherDer Dere's Deres Der ' ' only one ihell shell Basil Boss Bo " . ' ' Where are the othen others ? Ther There wall was walla wasa wa a whole bot bo ( c at 01 of them ' ' ' , De officer officers * shot hot em all off dat datSunday datSunday datSunday Sunday dey vai vas here ' Rob matched snatched the thell shell One s senough senough fenough enough " . Gua Gus aald said , ' "You You 'You " ' U II ll find de filly fllly In aaling asling a , aling sling Unt on de far side lde de crik Tim Timund Timand Timund und and I rifced rigged It up tor for her ber ven yen we wesaw wesaw weaaw saw she he BtlU still had life lite In her * ' Rob cot got bis his hi * flashlieht flashlight from theaheit theshelf the aheit shelf helf and went out Gus raised sur sor surrowtul sorrowful urrowful rowtul rowful eyes eye * to Nell s a white face ! ' Don't Dont ' take It so o hard Missus Missull " heaald hesaid he aald said aid softly oftly , ' De BOM BOIIII Boss is richt right No Nogude Noglide No'fude Nofude ' gude glide to let aick sick animalc animals live liveRob liveRob live\ live liveRob \ Rob thruxt thrust the shell hell Into the rifleMolding rifle rlfte rifleloldinc loldinc olding Molding the tun gun under hie hili his left arm armle armhe armhe le he ) used the naihlifht flashlight with his hl right rightj . . Ie Jie ) { knew the way as well as a he heknew heknew heknew knew the way around his hl own room roombut roombut roombut but the Ueht light picked out his hi * fQotinalor footingor tootinx fQotina footing for lor or himA himA him himA A blinding flash came and anoth- anoth anotlr anothr anotlrr anothr - - r and another , , Ulumlnatint illuminating the thehole thehole theirhole hole pasture , , while the skies kie exloded exladed ex loded laded with thunder Before the thearkness thearkness thelarkner arkness shut Ihut the scenes out , , Rob Robad Robad Roblad ad seen lIeen three thinf things He lIa saw w the thely theLily theilly Lily ly in the slinx sling on the far side of ofe ofe ofie e creek the rock slide behind her here herIe e caw saw down at the end of the theeld theold theeld eld old the cattle bunched buncbed together togethern > n fuard guard triehtened frightened starinf staring And Ande Andle e saw lIaw what they were ctarint staring at at atlomethinc , , , omething white lyine lying on the ground groundear groundear groundtear ear the three pines with a huge hugeountain hugeountain hugenountain ountain lion crouched over itRob itRob it itRob Rob stood motionless in th tt . dark darkeSIl darkess darkless eSIl ess thinking He wondered if it the theountain theountain thenountain ountain lion had seen him The Theext Theext Theext ext flash fla 1 1of h of lightning answered answered1m answeredm m for the lion had disappeared disappearedWhat disappearedWhat disappearedWhat What was that white thing lying on one one onr e ground ? Rob wanted to investi Investf investiate Investfate Invettiate ate but he be dared not move Just Juste Justne e shell in the gun- gun gunHe gunHe gun - He stood still for tor a long time time,1 time1 , 1 his senses itralned strained listening tryg tryg try tryg > g to see through the darkness the then then thejn n ready in his hands cocked half halfted halfted haltFted haltFtedThe tedThe ted The lightning flashes flashell showed the thetUe thetUe thetttle tUe still bunched watching and ande andie e white thing on the ground withmoving withmoving with ) moving creature near it Then ThencLaughlin ThencLaughlin ThencLaughlin : cLaughlin saw two blazing green greenell greenes greenres ell es fastened upon him He could couldt > t tell whether they were near or orr orr orr , r until a flash of lightning showed showedthat showedthat showedm that they were in the center centera a mass of shrubs The lion had haddden haddden haddden dden himself himseit in those shrubs and ands andas s looking out at him from there thereThe thereThe thereThe The eyes seemed quite steady steadyb steadybb b raised his gun took aim anded anded and anded edIt ed It seemed to him that lust just be- be he- he bere here be-re be re - - ( re he had pressed the trigger thees thees the theJ's es ' had disappeared He lowered lowerede loweredgun J's Js e gun and stood warily listening listeningd | d lookingAfter lookingt'l looking After ; Lfter ter a while he strode bold boldover boldover bold5.over bold5over . over to the bushes shouting and andndishing andndishing andtndlshing t'l tl ' ( ndishing his gun With the aid aidhis aid"l aidy "l l " his flashlight he looked allough allough aU all ough them and found as he had hadected hadected ? ected that he had missed Theres Therer There r- r rs - s no sign of the lionell lionell lion Well ell we re In for It Flicka he hestroking hestroking hed stroking the filly fllly s nose A Aht Aht Aht ; ht of it it . . You re a drowned rat ratI ratI rat3Im I m another I d feel better it if itad ifad ifiad ad a pocket full of shells-and shells and shells - - and II a IIkand akand nk k-and k and - and a fire--and fire and fire-and fire - - and some dry drythes drythes drythes thes- thes - ' these Ie e bad had barely reached reacbed this can con canIOn conion conaion IOn when he saw aw a light ap- ap apaching apaching ap-aching ap aching - - - aching swinging lwinglng and bobbing bobbingthe bobbingthe bobbingtm the pathieyl path . . ieyl eyt eyl NellLob Nelll Nelli Nell ' gRob Lob obI ! ! Are you all right ? Where Whereyou Whereyou Whereyou | you ? ' ' | lere ere--on ere on ere-on - - on the far side of the thek thek thek | k He swung the flashlightesently flashlight . . esently esenUy he sa saw w her ber anxious anxiouslit anxious\ anxious anxiouslit \ , lit from undernea underneath th by theof theof the | of the lantern to In her hand Un Uner Uner Unher er other arm she carried the thexprl'SS thexpress theExpreis xprl'SS xprlSS xpress ' rllle rUle rifle She was in old oldpants oldpants old1 [ pants and a s sv softertood " , f'1I f1I es ' ter tertiX ' Or Orood ( tiX tiXood ood girl- girl girlHe girl - He went to help helpcross helpcross helpacross cross the brook where theresome theresome there theresome some stones atones and took thegun the . b ' gun and lantern lanlern from trom her herat herat herliat at happened h8ppened ? I heard a shot shotthat shotthat shotI that Flicka ? ' p pThe > The mountain lion lionwish lionwish lionwith wish he be d show IIhow himself himselt this thise thissaid thise ; e said aaid Nell . . , and get tum him himQt himhot ( 01 Qt . . What Wha t do you think he be U II Ut ) qt I Imay t may never see him againeen againr againeen again againbeen r been een shot at once be he sees seell me mehe mehe mehe he may make tor for the woodsell woodsell woods woodsell ell - If it he be doesn t - here bere isIX la Is IX - 1 1s a s Well . , , I m spending the thewith thet thewith thewith t with Flicka Fl1cka Flicks I can t get her herthe herthe herthe the stables She can caD t walk walkb walkX walkb walkib X b took Howard to school Ichoo ) on theg theg the g date and talked to Mr Glb- Glb Gib- Gib Glbbout Gibbout - - bout Ken He returned to Nell Nellixbed . , , bed and moved at t what wbat thehad thehad the thehad had done . . . > Id 1 1 you J"OU JOU " read It ? " . be he asked Nell Neil Nellow Neillow Nelltow ow low ) roice YOice voice u as . they cat sat by the , I window to in K Ken's Kens n'a na ' ' room 'l1te l1te "The The ' "Th Th " ' " Story Stol ' ) I of Gypsy ? ' t "No No " . ' No We decided that it noust must be beaU beall beall aU all his own If U I d read it I d lave have lavewanted havewanted ) havewanted wanted to make suggestlona suggesUons suggosUons , and as asthis asthis asthis this was really an examination pa paper paper paper per It didn dldn t seem scem right . . " Rob handed her the paper When Whenhe Whenhe Whenhe he had first read it himself it had hadgiven hadgiven badgiven given him the strange Btrange emotion with withIn within Within In his breast that hiB his hi * younger Ion son Ionsometimes sonsometimes sonsometimes sometimes causedShe causedShe caused causedShe She returned to Rob What did didGibson didGibson didGibson Gibson say Bay about it ? " " * . ' Said it was a good piece of 01 writing writing writ- writ writing - - - . ing Says Ken Ken's Kens ' ' . got a brilliant mindasked mindasked mind mindasked -asked asked - asked me it if I knew It- It ItWhat ItWhat it - - " . ' ' What did you say ? ' .I I . * I said No . , , 1 J I thought he was wasdumb wasdumb wasdumb dumb , , and be he said sometimes sometime . bril brU bril- brilliant brilliant . - liant Uant people wcri were very vel ' ) dumb " In Nell s . worn and tired face Or the i i.a - - _ .a a . , Rob ! Are y ytlo all r1 right MT ? Where Whereare Whereare are youT you ? dimple of the right cheek suddenly suddenlyshowed suddenlyshowed suddenlyshowed showed I didn ditto t know Gibson Glbson Gtbson was wassmart wassmart wassmart smart enough to say a thing like liketha likethat likethat I wasI tha that t she whispered whisperedD D d you know it it , , , Nell-that Nell that Nell - that Ken Kenis Kenis KenIs is brilliant bnlllant 1 ? 1I I suspected it . . . What on earth made you think thinkthat thinkthat thinkthat7 that ? ' He s always failed at every everythingtill everythingtill everything thing-till thing till - till this summer * ' Well- Well WellNell WeU - NeU Nell spoke slowly slowlythoughtfully slowlythoughtfully slowlythoughtfully thoughtfully a dreamer-you dreamer you dreamer - you knowit knowit know knowit -it it - it s a mind mmd that looks over the theedges theedges theedges edges of things-the things the things - the way Ken can cando cando cando do what he calls getting into other otherworlds otherworlds otherworlds worlds gets into a picture gets getsinto getsinto getsinto into a drop of water gets into a asta astaranything acta sta r-anythlng- r anythlng star-anything- star anything r - anything - ranythlngRob staranythingRob Rob sat looking lookmg out the windowWhat windowWhat window windowWhat What did Mr Gibson finally de decide decide decide7 cide ? ' asked NellSaid NellSaid NeU Nell NeUSaid Said that as Ken had made a asincere asincere asincere sincere effort , , he would take him himback himback himback back into his own grade on proba probe probation probetion probatlon probatlonSome tion tionSome Some days later when there had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been a light fall of snow and the thewhole thewhole thewhole whole world was an etching in inbrown inbrown inbrown brown and white Rob wrapped the theboy theboy theboy boy up and telling telllng NeU Nell that there therewas therewas therewas was something out on one of the thehills thehills thehiUs hills he wanted to show him drove drovedown drovedown drovedown down the road and aDd stopped slopped the car carLooking carLooking carLooking Looking out the window wmdow they could couldsee couldsee coulda see a short distance away where the range rang * rolled tolled up to the woods ' Look . , " laid said McLaughlln MtLaughUn McLaughlin . , . point pointing pointlog pointIng ing log out the windowOn windowOn window windowOn On the edge of 01 the woods wood . stood tood a agr agreat agreat gr great at stag .tag tag . with a full antlered head headBlendl118 headBlending headBlending Blendl118 Blending perfectly perlecty ) with the th * brown brownand brownand brownand and white whit whit * tchlng etching . , he h * was hard to tosee tosee tose see * at first flrst . . 111 His . whole body bod1 ' was Wal In Inproftlo inprofile inprofile proftlo profile to the car , but bla his hi * head wo was wasturned wasturned . turned around to face taco them , . held heldvery heldvery heldvery very high , the eye eyes . to in an unswerv- unswerv unswenf unswervIng unswerv unswerving - . ing tog direct gaze bent upon the th * car carthere carthere carthere there la in the th * road rod , The Th * upocurvlnl up-curving up curving upocurvlnlline upcurvinglinen up-curvingItoea up curvingItoea - line linen . of f his neck and bead ftoWed flouted floutedout ftoWedout flowedout out Into the th * trunks and then the thebranches thebranches thebranches branches of the th * many-pointed many pointed - ant ants ant- ant antlers antslens antlers - lers lens to In fn indescribable beaut7KeD beautyHen's beauty beaut7 beautyKea's KeD Kea's Keas Hen's Hens ' ' . mouth teU fell open as u he helooked helooked hlooked * looked The Th * stag stal was absolute absolutely absolutelymotionless absolutelymotionless ' " motlopIess motionless The wordnobility word nobility nllght might nllghthave mighthave mighthave have been coined to embody embod1 ' all aU that thatthe thatthe thatth the * magnificent macn111cent creatur creature * expressed expressedOr . - Or courage-- courage courage- courage - - courageMcLaugbUn courageMcLaughlin IlcLaughUn McLaugbUn McLaughlin glanced down at bi his hisson hisson . Iou son . . . The Th * mouth was . still .un un open . ' How did you know he h * d be b * here hereDad hereDad herDad * Dad ? ' , 'I I ' I Just . saw .aw aw him , driving drivtnl to in from fromthe fromthe fromth the * highway " ' "Why Why " . Why does he h * stay so long with with- without without without - out moving ? " ' - < , _ 'lies lies * ' He a s got a doe do * lying down thereHe thereHe there theredoesn't He a . protecting ber her That s why be he bedoesn't hedoesn't ' ' ' doesn't doesnt mov move The boy looked a long lona time yet yetthen . , then glanced up at his father Be- Be Because Because Be Because - - cause she ahe s a hi bis his . responsibility ? " . ' |