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Show Till! S roll Y Sl PAIt: Tell -year-old Ken Mi Imiglillu, slven an iiiMirIuiilly lo tlmoae. any yeiiillnl roll on Ids tim-llv' tim-llv' Wvonilns raiii-h, pli ln lli lllly of a "loco" mare named lloiliet. Ill rhnli-a merely ailila lo ! lallirr'a anser, wlilrh U ahently aionned by Ilia tart tilat Ken hui tailed lili ai hool work and hal ahnwn no hrlibft of rekponslhlllly. It wal Htin'l mollier who Itnally peifciiaded Captain Mi l.alliililln that havlnf tlia roll mli liC bo tij.ul lor Ken, and Ilia rlianea In lilm l.:. iiroved aha waa rl e lit. lint I 11. ka ll badly hurt trvlni to Jump llio corral tenia. Hven lm, the lorrman, aya alia la loco II It o her mother, lint Ken re-liinea re-liinea to be convinced. Now continue with Uie alory. CIlAI'l I K XI Nell found her gardening (Moves and her trowel and shears and went about clearing the broken flowers and leaves out uf the boxes. When she hud done what she could to put the boxes and flower borders In order, she went to the kitchen, built up the fire and begun 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 Boll brown hair was In wild disorder. "If Fllcka's really loco, Mother" His uppcarnnce shocked Nell. The look in his fyes was direct, alinit staring nothing like Ken. He was looking at her now, to drug fuels from her. Well. Kennle?" "If she's loco?" "It's bod lookout fur her, then. Isn't It?" There was long silence. He struggled. Nell looked at him, rolling the dough thinner and thinner. In his eyes she saw 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 eves against Die tears that came to quickly, stinging them, right now to let him know, once for all, that wanting and wishing can't buck a fact 'Tcrhoi s she Isn't loco, dear, we don't kr.ow yet for sure. Hut if she Is. Ken." her words came slowly, "w anting won't change It." She went on rolling out the dough, cutting Die co k:rs, pu'.tir.g them on tin sheets In the hot oven. Dut she had really gone away wilh Ken. up the Hill. Into the woods, face down on the pine needles, hands clawing at the ground, salt tears burning The Ir.s. stent clanging of the sup-lcr sup-lcr bell roused him, and he sat up. starte d. How could It ever be sup-rcr sup-rcr lur.c already? He turned In the orp"site directs direc-ts n and lr ked to Khcka's place r.car the three pine trees In the Calf Pasture. She was lying down, rot very far from where he had put the tub of wa'.er and t'-.c feed bcx. lie 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 sullering 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. 13ut what can he do with this poor lillle filly? Not a damned thing. He'll tit in that pasture and watch her U summer, and neglect his work. Ilowurd lias been walking Ills cults for lilm fur two days." lie pulled hard against the Jack, and drew one foot out of the long worn, brown bout "Hut nub, you don't seel It's already al-ready dune much of It. Ken Is changed alreudy. lie's learning, even though he can't train her." "Learning whut? Learning to Bit on his funny under a pine tree?" Rub leuned back In his chair, and out of his dark face, his vivid, burning burn-ing blue eyes looked at her without softening. "I.curnlng that It pays to be bull-headed?" TJul lie s learning to luce lueis. And that's the whole thing, Isn't It?" "Fuee facial I don't see any sign of It," he said harshly. "And the kid looks like heck. If this goes, on ull summer he'll be In flue shape lo go back to school In September. " Nell fell rebuffed and gut up and went about In silence. Rob stood up, picked up his boots, kicked the bout-Jack back In to the corner, went over to Nell, and with ft? "Do jou think ahe'a loco?" the boots hanging in one hand, put the other arm around her. "Love me?" he asked. "I knew you were going to say thai!" she exclaimed angrily. "When you've Just made me mad, that Isn't any lime to say things like that" His one arm squeezed and shock 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 set to spend the summer under the pine trees watching Flicka. Do you suppose that's good for you? What sort of ehape will you be In when It's time to go back to school'' Tills Is the hottest weather we'll liuve all summer. Your swim Is guud fur you. You take a dip with ilowurd today, and do your own work too." "Yes, sir." Presently Howard said, "Itemem-ber "Itemem-ber whut you said, Dad? That Flicka wuuld stay alone and not go near the other horses? You were right. .She stays alone In Die corner by the fence, or under the pines. Why dues she? I thought horses liked coinpuny." McLaughlin made no reply, and Kennle came bravely out with the answer, "lie-cause she's a Lone-Wolf." Lone-Wolf." McLaughlin turned to Ken, surprised, sur-prised, and Die 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 fur Flicka. If She was a Lone Wolf, thi-n he was a Lone Wolf too. He had to fight her battles. He vas with her, the same as her and It gave hirn 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 I and asked fur 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 I 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 i 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 his breast "Oh," said the boy. He would have liked to ask if Flicka was not a Lone Wolf after 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," sa;d Ken, guiltily, I 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." Jcy 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 shall 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 wot Id. Make her like it." (TO BE CONTINUED) |