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Show ' MYWRIEND (GmWZT THE STORY SO FAR: Tf n-year-old Ken McLauBhlln, given an opportunity to choose any yearling colt on his family's fam-ily's Wyoming ranch, picks the filly ol ft "loco" mare named Rocket. His choice merely adds to his father's anger, which Is already aroused by the fact that Ken has failed his school work and has shown no sense of responsibility. It was Ken's mother who finally persuaded Captain McLauBhlin that having the colt might be good for Ken, and the change in him has proved she was right. But Fllcka is badly hurt trying to Jump the corral fence. Even Cus, the foreman, says she is loco like her mother. But Ken refuses re-fuses to be convinced. Now continue with the story. CHAPTER XI Nell found her gardening gloves and her trowel and shears and went about clearing the broken flowers and leaves out of the boxes. When she had done what she could to put the boxes and flower borders in order, she went to the kitchen, built up the fire and began to mix the cookies. Now the oven was ready, and when she had nearly finished mixing mix-ing the dough, Ken came into the kitchen. He leaned against the table, ta-ble, his elbows propped, his chin in his hand. A little red bandana was tied around his neck. His soft brown hair was in wild disorder. "If Flicka's really loco, Mother " His appearance shocked Nell. The look in his eyes was direct, almost staring nothing like Ken. He was looking at her now, to drag facts from her. "Well, Kennie?" "If she's loco?" "It's a bad lookout for her, then, isn't it?" There was a long silence. He struggled. Nell looked at him, rolling the dough thinner and thinner. In his eyes she saw a question. He was asking if it wouldn't come true, if he wanted it hard enough; and his face was strained in anguish. an-guish. Right now, she thought, narrowing her eyes against the tears that came so quickly, stinging them, right now to let him know, once for all, that wanting and wishing can't buck a fact. "Perhaps she isn't loco, dear, we don't know yet for sure. But if she is, Ken," her words came slowly, "wanting won't change it." She went on rolling out the1 dough, cutting the cookies, putting them on tin sheets in the hot oven. But she had really gone away with Ken, up the Hill, into the woods, face down on the pine needles, hands clawing at the ground, salt tears burning The insistent clanging of the supper sup-per bell roused him, and he sat up, startled. How could it ever be supper sup-per time already? He turned in the opposite direction direc-tion and looked to Flicka's place near the three pine trees in the Calf Pasture. She was lying down, not very far from where he had put the tub of water and the feed box. He ran down the Hill, across the green and into the kitchen and washed his face and hands and slicked his hair. All his agony was back. Flicka why, she might be dead out there lying dead instead of just asleep. After supper he hurried out to see her. She was standing up again, and this time barely moved away at all at his approach. He sat down before be-fore her on the grass, clasped his arms around his knees, and made his vows to her. "I didn't mean it, Flicka . . . you're the one I want ... I won't leave you again . . . never, Flicka. I don't want those other colts. They're nothing, just simply nothing at all. And you're my responsibility. responsibili-ty. That's what Dad said. I pulled you in from the range where you were free and wild and could take care of yourself, and I've made you so you can't; so you're my responsibility responsi-bility to take care of." Flicka stood looking at him. Her large eyes were dull and not fully opened. All her hair was very untidy. un-tidy. Her legs were not ' quite straight under her, but a little splayed out. But her ears were forward, she seemed to be listening, to be paying attention, and she was not frightened. Nell, with a dark blue silk kimono belted around her slender waist, was brushing her hair for the night. It lay loose upon her shoulders in a soft, wavy, tan mass; and as she brushed, she walked around the room, putting clothes away in the closet, opening the bed, bringing out Rob's pajamas, and talked to him about Ken. "I wish you'd be nicer to him, Rob." "Why? He's gone against everything every-thing I told him to do." "I think he's suffering deeply." "Suffering! So am I. And what's it all for?" Rob, seated in the low arm chair, reached out a booted foot and dragged the boot-jack close. He planted one foot upon it, and set the other heel in the notch, continuing. continu-ing. "If he was going to have a horse to break and train as Howard did Highboy, it would have taught him something, made a man of him. But what can he do with this poor little filly? Not a damned thing. He'll sit in that pasture and watch her all summer, and neglect his work. Howard has been walking his colts for him for two days." He pulled hard against the jack, and drew one foot out of the long worn, brown boot "But Rob, you don't see! It's already al-ready done much of it. Ken is changed already. He's learning, even though he can't train her." "Learning what? Learning to sit on his fanny under a pine tree?" Rob leaned back in his chair, and out of his dark face, his vivid, burning burn-ing blue eyes looked at her without softening. "Learning that it pays to be bull-headed?" "No! He's learning to face facts. And that's the whole thing, isn't it?" "Face facts! I don't see any sign of it," he said harshly. "And the kid looks like heck. If this goes on all summer he'll be in fine shape to go back to school in September." Nell felt rebuffed and got up and went about in silence. Rob stood up, picked up his boots, kicked the boot-jack back into the corner, went over to Nell, and with "Do you think she's loco?" the boots hanging in one hand, put the other arm around her. "Love me?" he asked. "I knew you were going to say that!" she exclaimed angrily. "When you've just made me mad, that isn't any time to say things like that." His one arm squeezed and shook her a little. "Love me?" he repeated. re-peated. "I don't feel the least bit loving." "Love me?" The one deep dimple in Nell's right cheek appeared in spite of herself, her-self, and she turned her face away. "Oh, yes, then, have it your own way!" She made her voice insulting, but it was an irritating habit of Rob's to be satisfied with outward obedience, obedi-ence, as if, once that was granted, by his own persistence and violence, he could drive people the rest of the way. "That's all right then," he said; and with his hard bullet head, pressed her face around until he could kiss her mouth. "But Rob Ken " "Don't talk about him," he roared, dropping his arm. "I've had all I can stand of him." He went out the room, . slammed the door, and stamped down the hall to the bathroom. bath-room. Nell climbed into bed, turned up the kerosene lamp that stood on the bedside table, took her book from beside it, and began to read. Her dimple had disappeared and her lips were very set and prim. Next day Rob planned to drive to Sargent's ranch to make final arrangements ar-rangements about shipping the four polo ponies. Nell was to go with him, and they would be away all day. When, at breakfast, Howard and Ken heard about it, Ken said, "Would you have time, Dad, to come out before you go and look at Flicka and see how you think she is? She looks better, and she's eating some oats." "No, I wouldn't" roared McLaughlin. Mc-Laughlin. "I don't want to see her or to think about her." There was a heavy silence. Everyone Ev-eryone ate rapidly, eyes down. Presently Pres-ently McLaughlin's gaze swung over again toward his younger son and noted the circles under the child's eyes. "Did you go swimming with Howard How-ard yesterday?" he asked. "No, sir." "Why not?" "I didn't want to leave Flicka." . "Now I've had enough of this! Howard does your work, and you're all sat to spend the summer under the pine trees watching Flicka. Do you suppose that's good for you? What sort of shape will you be in when It's time to go back to school? This is the hottest weather we'U have all summer. Your swim is good for you. You take a dip with Howard today, and do your own work too." "Yes, sir." Presently Howard said, "Remember "Remem-ber what you said, Dad? That Flicka would stay alone and not go near the other horses? You were right. She stays alone in the corner by the fence, or under the pines. Why does she? I thought horses liked company." McLaughlin made no reply, and Kennie came bravely out with the answer, "Because she's a Lone Wolf." McLaughlin turned to. Ken, surprised, sur-prised, and the boy looked back at his father. Rarely had he been able to face those hard eyes for so long a minute. He did it now for Flicka. If she was a Lone Wolf, then he was a Lone Wolf too. He had to fight her battles. He was with her, the same as her and it gave him courage. cour-age. Matching his stare with Ken's, Rob said to himself, "Well, I'll be darned. The little son-of-a-gun. Nell was right facing facts he's taking it on the chin." McLaughlin turned his head away and asked for another piece of toast. Nell jumped up and turned the piece of homemade bread which was lying on the edge of the coal stove. It was toasted a delicate brown. She brought it, hot and crusty, on the tin turner, and slid it on to the edge of Rob's plate. Rob was thoughtful as he took a slab of the fresh unsalted butter and spread it on his toast. "Ken," he said presently, "that isn't what I meant when I said Flicka would keep to herself. It's because she's sick. A wounded or sick animal always stays alone." Ken's dark blue eyes, confiding and full of hope, clung to his father's face, and McLaughlin felt an emotion emo-tion within his1 breast. "Oh," said the boy. He would have liked to ask if Flicka was not a Lone Wolf aftef all, but it seemed wiser not to press his father's sudden sud-den kindness. After a moment McLaughlin said, "Has she salt, Ken?" Ken's face showed such consternation conster-nation that it was comical. Both Rob and Nell turned away their heads. "No," said Ken, guiltily, staring at his father. "I've got a piece of iodized salt up in the stable," said McLaughlin McLaugh-lin frowning. "I won't be ready to leave right away, Rob," put in Nell. "If you want to go out to Flicka I've a few things to do " "All right, Ken," said his father. "I'll bring the salt out to her, and give her the once-over." Joy colored Ken's face and Nell emitted a faint breath of relief. Ken rushed out to Flicka. He had already seen her that morning. Soon after sunrise he had presented himself, and standing before her, said, "I am Ken. Do you know me? Are you getting to like me?" Now he ran out to her again and said, "Dad's coming to look at you, Flicka. Now you be a good girl and don't run away." As if she had understood him, Flicka stood quietly at a little distance dis-tance when McLaughlin came out and set the chunk of iodized salt down near the pine tree. Then he took out his pipe and lit it, and examined ex-amined the filly, while Ken watched his father to read the verdict on his face. Finally McLaughlin said, "She's so sick and hang-dog it's hard to tell about her now." "Do you think she's loco?" Rob growled, "I would have sworn it, by the way she's behaved ever since she was born, but as a matter mat-ter of fact, we've never seen her except when she was scared out of her wits." "Dad" "Well?" "When you said she'd been so frightened, always, when we'd seen her did you mean that maybe she isn't loco?" Before answering, Rob eyed the filly thoughtfully and drew several long puffs of smoke through his pipe. "She's got a very intelligent face," he said at last. "Much better than Rocket's. Fine, delicate mouth, lovely eyes set far apart, that light tracing of veins all over. . But we can't really know until we see how she responds to training." "How can I train her? What shaD I begin on?" "You can't do a thing with her now. All you can do is win her confidence. con-fidence. That's the most important thing anyway. There's one thing that will help you, Ken." "What?", "Her sickness and misery. When you take away everything, freedom", free-dom", friends, home, habits, happiness, happi-ness, from a living creature, almost life itself, it will turn, in sheer need and desperation, to the one thing that is left. And that's you." "Me." Ken had never felt so important. im-portant. "Yes.. You are her whole world. Make her like it." (TO BE CONTINUED) |