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Show MJy. kJ w.N.u. FEATURES' .-C..J" i THE STORY THUS FAR: Fllcka's colt, long overdue. Is born. Ken McLaughlin, her 12-year-old owner, brings her In from the range to the warm barn. The foal Is white, and evidently a throwback to the Albino, a wild stallion that Is Flicka's grandslre. Ken, who had hoped that his colt would develop into a racer, is troubled trou-bled when he realizes that It has so many wild characteristics In its nature. Next morning there are guests lor breakfast. break-fast. Colonel Harris has brought his mare to be bred with the Goose Bar stallion. Banner. Charles Sargent, a millionaire horse breeder, asks the colonel why he didn't choose his Appalachian as sire. The colonel replies that he wants his colt to become a tough cavalry horse. CHAPTER IV "But think what you charge as a stud fee," said the Colonel. "Two hundred and fifty bucks! That's too much for a poor soldier." "What I charge is one thing and what I get is another," growled Charley, rolling and lighting a cigarette. ciga-rette. "Run out. Ken," ordered his lather, "and tell the sergeant to irive up to the stables and put the mare in the little east corral. She :an wait there until I get Banner In." "Gee!" exclaimed Howard. "Getting "Get-ting Banner In!" Ken went out and saw a car and trailer, two uniformed men In the front seat and a blanketed mare in the trailer. He gave the message and returned to the dining room. "Besides," Colonel Harris was saying, "your Appalachian is as pampered and petted and sheltered as a movie star, with his special pasture and meadows and feed and stables for every sort of weather ind season he don't have to think Bny more everybody thinks for him." , "Pampered!" roared Charley indignantly. in-dignantly. "Pampered so that he produces one winner after the other! Country Squire, who won at Tia luana in 1934! Spinnaker Boom, who Ron the handicap last year at Santa Anita, and a filly Coquette in the two-year-old class " "I know, I know all that," said Colonel Harris. "He's a good stud for racing stock. But this tough fel-'ow fel-'ow of Rob's here Banner that's the sort of fellow for my money, thinks for himself, takes care of his mares on the range in all sorts of weather, knows what Rob Is thinking think-ing and doing a mile away lives like a robber barAt up there In the aills with his harem " "Talk about robber barons," said Rob, "remember that stallion they :alled the Albino? There was a robber rob-ber baron for you reigned like a king, no one to think for him! Robbed, pillaged, helped himself to whatever he wanted " "What became of him anyway?" Bsked Colonel Harris. "Haven't heard anything about him for years." "I'll wager he's around somewhere, some-where, lusty and wicked as ever, with a band of marcs picked from all over the state." said Rob. "And the finest! He sure knew how to pick 'cm! You know, we had him In a corral once." "Pity someone didn't have sense enough to keep him," said Charley. "If I'd been there " "If you'd been there," said Rob sarcastically, "it might have been you he ran down and damn near killed instead of me." "Hurt you any?" asked Colonel Harris, and Rob leaned forward and parted the black hair on one temple. A short white scar showed. "I dodged him at the last minute, but he left me a keepsake one of his front hoofs." I "Gee ee ee " said Ken. ' "And I'll never forget the look of his eyes," continued Rob. "I saw them close too close a wicked eye." "What kind of an eye, dad?" "An eye like Rocket's. Charley, remember that fast black mart I had that you almost bought?" "You mean, that I bought and you almost delivered," corrected Char-. Icy. Rob grinned and turned to Mort Harris to explain. "He bought this mare from me for five hundred dollars dol-lars provided I could deliver her safe and sound. She was a hellion, Dne of the colts out of my mnre Gypsy, sired by the Albino nnd she had that same wild, wicked eye of his with the white ring around it well, I got her In the truck but when we went under the sign out -there by the highway, she reared I up and brained herself against It." ( "And you've heard nbout my Mohawk," Mo-hawk," roared Charley, "out of Stolc-Away by Appalachian won everything there wns to win at tngi-nnw tngi-nnw Fnlls two years ago! I tell you, Mort, Appalachian " J Mort Harris put up his hand. "Charley, I don't want a racehorse. I'm not going to ' run away from the enemy. I want a horse like Rob's, trained In the hills and high altitudes. I want endurance and good wind nnd a heart for anything. I wont to know when I stnrt out on him that he'll bring me back. Stand up under any condition. Besides Appalachian's black. And I wnnt a sorrel," "And you'll get It from Banner," said Rob. "He breeds true. Occasionally Occa-sionally I get a black colt his dam was a black Arab mare named I'll Knntnrn but mostly sorrels, one aflcr the othrr. as Ilka ns pens in pod." Hearing this, Howard and Ken looked at each other, Ken blank and disconcerted, and Howard making fantastic faces of alarm and concern. con-cern. He mouthed silently, "When are you going to tell?" And Ken mouthed savagely back, "Shut up!" The boys saw their mother's eyes upon them and stopped their face-making. Ken was very thoughtful. The morning was going to be crowded with excitement, Bringing Banner in. Breeding the Colonel's mare. He began to feel worried. Events always al-ways got themselves tangled around you so that things came out wrong. Perhaps it would be better to save his surprise until all mis' other stuff was over. Rob added, "And you're right In wanting a sorrel, Mort. A sorrel's the hardest of all to break and train, but when you've done it, you've got a horse." He pushed his chair back. "What about you fellows riding out with me to get Banner and the mares?" "The mares?" repeated Harris. "Why bring in the mares? Banner's the one we want." Rob looked at him, an odd quizzical quizzi-cal gleam in his eye, and Charley Sargent drawled, "You don't really understand our western broncs, Mort. They're so damn affectionate. Banner searched the wind. Take Banner now this tough boy you've been bragging about why it would Just about break his heart to be separated from his harem. Rob wouldn't have the heart to do it, would you, Rob?" Harris grinned. "Well sure. I spend my life on horseback anyway, any-way, and now that I'm off on a little visit for a bit of relaxation, I suppose the thing to do Is ride some more. I hope you can give me good mount." Rob turned to Howard. "What horses are up In the corrals now, Howard?" "Taggert and some geldings, Bronze Shorty Highboy " "Run up there, Howard, and tell Gus to saddle Taggert and Bronze and Shorty." Half an hour later they were In the corrals ready to mount. Charley Char-ley Sargent, as always, In his long Cheyenne pants and wldc-brlmmed hat, and the Colonel as neatly turned out in breeches and boots as Rob himself. "You can have your choice," said Rob generously. "Which do you ride?" asked Charley Char-ley suspiciously. "This blood-bay Taggert you can have her you never felt such gaits." Sargent removed his big hat and scratched his head reflectively. "She looks a dnndy and I'm sure obliged to you. But a mnre no, I think I'll take one of the geldings you take the mnre, Harris " "What a grand horse," said the Colonel looking her over with Interest. Inter-est. "All right. I'll tnke that big mare." He mounted her and settled himself In the saddle. Charley mounted Shorty nnd Rob Bronze, and the three men rode out of the corrals together. Banner searched the wind. The marcs nnd colls were grazing graz-ing in a saucer-like depression of the upland, the stallion a Utile above them cropping the sweet tubular grass along the edge of a ridge lrl the hillside. Suddenly he flung up his head and stood alert, his compnet red-gold body gathered and twisted to faco the alarm, his legs thrust out against the Irregularities of the rocky ground, hla red tall and mime flying In the wind. Tor a few seconds ho stood motionless, then moved Into action. At a swift trot he circled the mares, his nose llflrd, nostrils vibrating for the scent. It came now and agnln - Just the faintest tang lie swept In widening circles, rench'ig his nose higher, his eyes and ears wild and eager. Up above him rose Ihe pinnacle, topped Willi a rrngtfy outcrop of rock. This Was the highest point for miles around. From here his long-rang': long-rang': eyes could see the farthest moving speck and his razor-keen sense of smell catch and Identify all that was on the wind. He went up the steep sides without variation of pace or action, the long smooth muscles under his shining coat rippling rip-pling effortlessly. He stood on the peak, forefeet planted on the topmost spur of rock, his body sloping down. He lifted and swung his head, but he didn't get the scent. He went down again and began be-gan circling, nose pointed straight up, tail high and pluming over his haunches. Above him the deep blue sky bent low and the solid white cumulus clouds hurried across It as if they were squeezed between earth and sky. The mares and colts grazed placidly. The movement of a stallion's head when he is searching the wind is something to see never still a moment. mo-ment. Swinging, lifting high, higher even straight up to the sky, the nostrils wide and pulsing. He covers cov-ers the ground at a swift, effortless trot or canter, always in a circle, so that he misses no Inch of the field of scent At last Banner, on one of his wide circles, caught the unmistakable scent of his master, halted, swung around, and headed for the approaching ap-proaching horsemen, but wide of them and behind, so that, as Rob kept glancing backwards and to the sides, well knowing what to expect, ex-pect, he suddenly saw the stallion in pursuit of them, coming more sedately se-dately now, cautious, with his high springing trot and his steady eye fixed on them. He was full of questions and looked to Rob for the answers. What was up? Was he to bring the mares In? Was the band to be moved to another pasture? Or was it to be Just an exhibition? The men drew rein and turned to meet him. Both Sargent and Harris had seen the horse on former occasions, occa-sions, but it was Impossible not to feel excitement and to respond with altered expressions as the intelligent intelli-gent animal drew near, taking In the group with pricked ears and an investigating in-vestigating curiosity. Rob had often wondered how the stallion read his thoughts. Possibly by the swing and tilt of his body as he rode. Close observation will disclose dis-close how continuously the body, by a hundred little movements, indicates indi-cates thoughts and Intentions. Or possibly, it was by the direction of his glances. To a certain extent, of course, by his words and the tona of his voice and definite signals. "Look at hlml" exclaimed Char ley Sargent "The son-of-a-gunl" "Some horse," said Harris. "Came up behind us " Rob said, "His mares are probably proba-bly back yonder." He gestured over his shoulder. "No oats for you today, to-day, old boy " Banner knew that already. There were never oats when his master came a-horseback only when he came In the automobile. auto-mobile. Rob added, "Where's your family?" and, turning slowly, caught sight of the band of mares a mile away. He touched spur to his horse. "There they arel Want to see them, Mort?" "I sure do." They cantered over the range, the stallion following, running in half circles around them, crowding close, sniffing at each of the horses. As they drew rein near the band of marcs, Charley's gelding swung around to face Banner and they spoke half-squeal, half-grunt Both of them reared and suddenly Charley Char-ley was having trouble In keeping his seat as tb two began a playful fight, striking at each other with their forefeet nipping over the head, trying for the neck. "They're old friends," said Rob, grinning. Charley leaned out and made a swing at the stallion. "Get away with you, you brutel" Banner gave a great start and bounded away but In a few seconds sec-onds was back again, this time sniffing snif-fing at the maro Harris rode, sidling up to her, crowding close. Suddenly he lunged at her. Colonel Harris drew her away and shouted at the stallion. Banner circled, came back with head low, snaking along the grass, and Rob and Charley grinned, pulled up their horses, and watched. The mare was receiving commands com-mands from two quarters. From her rider, who held her forcibly bnck and commanded her to cease her play with the stallion nnd to stand still from Banner, whose single lunge had been enough to tell her what he wanted, nnd who now followed fol-lowed it up by nipping her hind legs. Frightened and helpless, she obeyed the stallion. In vain Colonel Harris tugged on the reins. In another an-other second Banner had forced her Into a gallop, driving her straight Into his bond of marcs. Rob and Charley followed slowly, broad grins on their fnces. "You wouldn't think that a man who had spent his lifo on horseback horse-back would bo apt to get a brand new rldln' experience, but It looks to mo like that's what's goln' to hap-pent hap-pent to Mort," suld Sargent Joyous, ly. "I'm Just as glad I'm not on that marel" (TO lilt CONTINllKV)) |