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Show MYFRIEND SSRZT THE STORY SO FAR: Ten-year-old Ken McLaughlin can ride any horse on bis family's Wyoming ranch, but he wants a colt of his own. His father, m retired army officer, refuses to give him one until his school grades Improve and be learns to take responsibility. Ken's mother tries to protect him from the stern discipline of his father and the youthful bullying of his older brother, Howard, who always manages to do things right. When Captain McLaughlin learns that Ken has not been promoted the colt seems farther away than ever. But Nell convinces Ken's father that the colt may be just what Ken needs to teach him to take responsibility. Now continue with the story. CHAPTER IV When Ken and Howard reached the corrals, preparations were almost al-most completed. Doc Hicks, six teet two and built like a Hereford steer, never wasted time. A day's work often meant three or four such jobs as this, with perhaps a hundred miles of Wyoming roads to cover in his high-powered dusty black car, piled full of boxes and satchels, instruments, in-struments, serums, bottles, lariats, halters. The big vet and McLaughlin McLaugh-lin were talking together, at the same time that they kept an eye on what was going on, Tim mending the fence of the little round corral where the gelding was to be done. Doc's assistant bringing the lariat from the car, Gus tending the fire which had been built just outside the fence. The boys went close to their father fa-ther and stood listening, and McLaughlin's Mc-Laughlin's hand dropped to Ken's shoulder in a natural casual manner. man-ner. It was an important, exciting, day "No, it's more of that black grease I want," said McLaughlin. "I've got the can in the stable; come on, I'll show you " They walked off. Howard went over to Gus and looked at Doc's black leather bag where it stood on the grass beside the feed box which Gus had upturned and covered with a piece of Nell's clean white sheet. In that bag were the instruments. Ken climbed the corral fence and sat watching the two-year-olds. Ken felt the singing spirit of them, the young hearts, the free, overflowing over-flowing power, and his hands tightened tight-ened on the rail of the fence. A choking filled his throat. "I've got one too," he muttered. "Oh, you beauties in a year, my yearling will be like you " Longing to be closer to them, he dipped down from the fence and ran to his father. "Dad, can I bring them in?" "Don't have to bring them in," said his father. "All I have to do is show 'em a bucket, and they'll come in of themselves. Go get me a bucket buck-et of oats." Coming back with the bucket, Ken paused to watch Doc Hicks opening his bag, laying out some instruments instru-ments on the clean white sheet Howard was kneeling beside him, absorbed, looking at every instrument. instru-ment. Howard liked things like that; instruments, doctor-stuff Doc took a jar out of his bag, filled it full of alcohol and put a pair of surgical scissors in it and a small sharp knife. "What's that?" asked Howard. "Scalpel," answered Doc. He looked at the boys, grinning in his rough way. "How'd you like to be doing it?" "I'd like it," said Howard promptly. prompt-ly. "I'd like to be a vet." "How 'bout you?" Ken didn't answer. The color was fading from his face. He tried to look scornful. Rob opened the gate and stood calling the stallions. He shook the bucket and whistled his trilling whistle. whis-tle. It carried to the colts and several sev-eral of them raised their heads from their grazing and looked at him. They all looked, standing still, facing fac-ing him. One started to walk slowly toward him, then the others. In a moment they were all cantering, bearing down on him. McLaughlin fed them first, let each one dip his mouth into the bucket and have a taste of the oats; then let one through and closed the gate. The other colts stood there, crowding and pushing, now and then kicking at each other. Bill was ready with the lariat. Bill's eyes were as keen and steady as a marksman taking aim, as he stood in the middle, whirling the loop of his lariat Suddenly it snaked out along the ground; both forefeet of the colt fell in it. He went down with a crash, and Tim was kneeling on his head before he could move. McLaughlin and Gus tied his feet. Doc went in with his knife, and the colt screamed and tried to struggle. It was over in a minute. They loosed him and he got to his feet. They opened the gate into the big corral, and the colt trotted in . there and stood by the fence, head hanging down, blood streaming. One after the other came in prancing, pranc-ing, was thrown and castrated, then moved Into the other corral. The men worked more and more quietly. Doc's joshing ceased, McLaughlin's face looked angry and strained. Ken had to hold on to the fence. It wasn't only the blood and the cutting, it was the way the colts stood when it was over. They crowded crowd-ed into a bunch in the corner of the big corraj and stood motionless and shocked, one or two off alone by themselves. Between operations, McLaughlin went to them with a bucket of oats and offered it with gentle words, "Well, old boy, pretty tough, isn't it" A few of the colts lifted their heads at the familiar voice, dipped their muzzles into the bucket; but most of them stood quiet and would not move. McLaughlin patted them, stroked their necks, comforted them. Ken felt himself going. He slid down the fence, and stood with his face against it, hanging on. "Look at the kid," said Bill, and McLaughlin turned, and in two strides was beside Ken. "Here, here " he had him by the shoulder. Ken fought him off, furious, sobbing sob-bing "Why, son " Ken broke away from his father, ducked through the bars of the fence, and vanished around the stable. sta-ble. He ran a long way, up the hill and into the pines, and threw himself face down on the ground. He was thinking of his own colt a year from now when they would be gelding it he saw it suddenly as clearly as if it was there before him, a bright golden sorrel, like Banner he saw the blood running down its legs After a long time he heard a car starting. The engine picked up, it was climbing the hill behind the house, the sound faded away. Doc Hicks was gone. Ken pounded with the toe of his boot on the earth. He heard a match struck close by, and raised his head to see his "I've got one, too," Ken mattered. father standing there, lighting his pipe. McLaughlin sat down beside his boy and puffed at his pipe. He put out an arm and drew Ken against him. "Kennie " "Oh, my colt, Dad my colt" His father's arm held him tighter and Ken pressed against it crying bitterly. At dinner, McLaughlin said the first thing he was going to do was to get Rocket into the corrals, and into the chute, cut the piece of rope off her neck, then drive her out of the Stable Pasture and out onto the range with the other brood mares. "Until I get that done," said he, "I can't turn the gelded colts into the Stable Pasture she'd get mixed up with them and I'd have a heck of a time cutting her out again." "How long will you keep the colts in the Stable Pasture?" asked Nell. "About a week. I've got to keep my eye on them. They'll have to be exercised daily. After that they can go out onto the range with the others. You boys can give them a hard run every day. Ride 'em like hell. This is your chance to whoop it up and yell and act like cowboys." "Why?" asked Howard. "If there should be an infected one amongst them which is always possible pos-sible he'd just stand around till he dies. Make him run. That causes drainage of the wound, stirs up circulation. cir-culation. If they're left alone, they'll stand around and mope and won't eat enough to keep up their strength." Ken hadn't wanted his dinner. Nell was looking at him. She said, "You can leave the table if you want, Ken. Put up my hammock for me. I may want it later." Ken got the hammock, hung it near the Pergola and lay down in it on his back, with feet and hand dangling over the sides, giving little shoves against the ground. They do it to all the horses in the world, Ken thought, only a few left for studs. And to all the steers-Nell steers-Nell came out with her apron tied around her and her coffee cup in her hand and stood looking at tht sky. "Golly, it's hot!" she said. "It's time we had the canvas up." She looked over at Ken, as she stood stirring her coffee, and then sat down in one of the hickory chairs beside him. "It . doesn't really do them any harm, Ken," she said. Ken wasn't surprised. She could always read his thoughts. "Doesn't it, Mother?" "No. It has to, be done. Don't feel badly about it, dear. It isn't nice to watch. I was sorry you had to. In a week, they won't know that anything ever happened to them." "Won't they?" "Just look at Highboy. And all the great race horses." "All gelded, Mother?" "Most of them. A few are stallions, stal-lions, but more are geldings. Ken, you know the world is full of unpleasant un-pleasant things. Pain and operations opera-tions and sickness and discomfort. You mustn't mind. That's just the way life is. Besides all that there is health and goodness and soundness sound-ness and fun andhappiness, too, for horses as well as boys much more of the good things than the bad " He turned his face to her, beginning begin-ning to smile; and she put out her hand and pushed the damp hair back from his forehead. "Take the bad with the good. That's the way grown-up people do. You've just had a little bit of growing up today." to-day." "I really do feel an awful lot different, dif-ferent, Mother," he said. "When I got up this morning and didn't even know I was going to have a colt seems awful far away." "People grow up that way," said Nell. "In spurts. All of a sudden, they are years older." Ken's face became thoughtful. "Besides, I can have a filly instead of a horse colt. Dad rides a mare." McLaughlin's voice, laughing loudly, loud-ly, came out the kitchen window, and the horses on the Green raised their heads, looked at the house and walked expectantly toward it. McLaughlin appeared in the doorway. door-way. "Look at the buggers. Beggin for oats " He disappeared again. There was always a bucket of oats hanging on a hook in the enclosed porch outside out-side the kitchen door. He came out with the bucket and went down on the Green to the horses. They crowded around him. On such occasions he insisted on their good behavior. This meant observance of rules of fair play and turn about. A horse that stuck his nose into the bucket and would not take it out would get a good smack on the side of the head. If they whirled and lashed each other in their jealousy and greediness, he put the bucket behind him and delivered de-livered a lecture, the tone of his voice expressing such surprise and indignation that ' they would- hang their heads and all but promise never nev-er to do it again. Sometimes he would be completely surrounded and hidden. The light' changed suddenly, and McLaughlin looked at the sky. The heavy cloud bank in the southwest had engulfed the sun and a coolness cool-ness came into the air. "It's going to rain," he said. "Will you ride this afternoon, Nell?" "Later," she answered. "I've got to bake my bread now before the fire goes dojrfn." "I'm going for the mail anything you want?" "Two cakes of Fleischman's yeast, and Gus wanted tobacco Rough Cut the next time anyone went to the store." She went back into the house and the boys ran to the big red Stude-baker, Stude-baker, where it stood on the hill behind the house. Howard got in the front seat, and Ken in the back. Just about to let in the clutch, McLaughlin paused and looked at Howard. "By the way, Howard, when did you ride Highboy last?" "Yesterday afternoon." "I was noticing his legs you turned him out with dirty legs." "I groomed him," Howard wriggled. wrig-gled. "Yes, down to his knees." "He kicks." "And whose fault is that?" Howard sat in silence. "This would be a good time," said McLaughlin, "to take him up to the stables and groom him. He's right there where you can easily catch him." "Can't I go with you to the store first?" asked Howard. McLaughlin sat looking around at the weather signs, as if he had not heard. Just like his father to wait until a little fun was up and then choose that time to make him groom Highboy. High-boy. He got out slowly. Ken climbed into the front seat "Take out the stone from in fronl of the wheel," said his father. Howard obeyed and the car slid down the hill, the gears gripped, the engine started, and it rattled over the cattle guard and was off down the stretch of straight gravel road over the little stone bridge thai spanned Lone Tree Creek, on ur and around the shoulder of t: t wooded hill, and out of sight (TO BE COSTIMEDJ |