Show gm 0 blicka tL F L ICK ICKA lit MARY OHARA sa s1 CHAPTER I 1 high up agn the long hill they called 0 the saddle back behind the ranch and the county road the boy sat his horse facing east cast his eyes dazzled by the rising diun tiun sun the snug snug huddled roofs of the ranch house hou seway way below him began to be red instead of just dark and ahe the spidery arms of the windmill in the gorge glinted and twinkled they were smiling back at the sun good morning ml mi sterl shouted ke ken n s swinging w his arm in salute and th the e chunky brown mare he e rode gave a wild leap to keep his seat riding bareback as a he was he be clapped his heels into I 1 her sides and she leaped again this time with her head down stiff legged and with arched back she landed and then bucked once twice wee three times and ken was off slung under her nose hanging on to the reins she backed away and pulled to get free braced me like a dog tugging at a mans trouser leg she jerked her head viciously fr from 0 m side to side kens teeth set to in anger if you break another bridle this thought made him crafty and ills his voice fell to a coaxing note now cigarette be a good girl baby good girl ken got warily to his feet and went to her head still talking soothingly but with insulting words ayou think id ever ride a ornery old plug like you if I 1 had a horse of my own like howards the frown faded from his face and his eyes took on a dreamy look if I 1 had a colt he had been saying that tor for a long time sometimes he said it in his sleep at night it was the first thing he had thought when he got to the ranch three days ago he said it or thought it every time he saw his brother riding highboy and when he looked at his father the longing in his eyes was tor for that for a colt of his own he must get on cigarette again first he had an apology to make in all fairness he be must tell alga rte r arte te that thi the fault had been beeh his on own he hid had put his heels into her he knew exactly what his father would say it if he told him about it it cigarette bucked and tossed me what did you do put your heels into her yes 6 sir r he and howard had to say yes sir and no sir to their father because he had been an army officer before he had the ranch and beloved believed in respect and discipline he took hold of her withers and back jumped and pulled landed wen well up against her held stiffly there by his arms then carefully swung his blue leg over and slowly just like his father settled to her back legs hanging straight down cigarette was calm he tightened his rein squeezed the calves ca I 1 vol of 01 f hl his legs a little and she moved off one of the exciting things about coming up from school in laramie to the summer vacation at the ranch was the weather feather always something doing winds and rainbows and calm sunny days then an electric storm or frosts or even blizzards people said it was because of the eight thousand foot altitude he put his head back and sucked JA in the smell of the cleanness and the greenness and the snow and the windiness all so sharp and heavenly this was what he had been waiting tor for all through the last unbearable months of school the endless classes the examinations at this an uncomfortable feeling gripped him his and howards report cards had bad arrived in yesterday days mall mail with a letter from the principal of the school addressed to their father captain mclaughlin ln and mclaughlin ln had slung them on the desk with some papers and bills to open later by theotime the time ken got back to breakfast surely his father would have opened them there was that examination ken knew ew he haan hadn t done very well 4 he wondered what time it was ta he looked down at the ranch it be long before breakfast everybody was awake going downstairs his mother would call time to get up boyst I 1 lis his father was sitting up in bed with his hw hair rumpled pajamas rumpled hand crumpled reaching out for a cigarette gosh if his father had read the report sl and that all there was vas the saddle blanket too the lost saddle addle blanket he turned from looking at the ranch house and let his eyes sweep thi the hillside saddle blanket saddle blanket every time he asked his father tor for a colt mclaughlin said ill give you one when you deserve one A jack rabbit sprang up almost underfoot cigarette jumped but ken sat tight and as the rabbit sailed called away he gave a yell and chased after cigarette loved a good run leaning back as rob hob mclaughlin ln had taught his bis boys to do feet forward and out reins tree free ken rode like a steeple chaser rabbit pony and boy disappeared over the crest of the saddle back nell mclaughlin ln pulled the drop leaf cherry table out from the corner opened the leaves so that it would comfortably accommodate four people and flung bung a red checked checke 1 I cloth over it the roomy kitchen was full of bright sunshine from the windows which opened on the front terrace it made squares of gold on the painted applegreen apple green floor and in front of sink and stove and baking baiting table there were hooked oval rugs with gay flower patterns A little brown cat sat by the stove washing her face N neither motherhood nor the hard living at the ranch had deprived nell of her figure or her at thirty seven she looked not much older than when she had bad won a silver cup at bryn mawr for being the best all round athlete of her class of medium height with a long slender waist her curves were held where they belonged by trained muscles and as she walked there was i a lightness about her which c h came partly from natural vigor and partly from the way her narrow narro w head lifted from the shoulders t to 0 face whatever was to be faced a danger a storm a loved one a hope or a tear fear ken was late to breakfast coming in he looked first at his father to see if he be had opened the report cards then he said good morning mother good morning dad pulled out the one empty chair a green painted ladder back chair with seat woven of rawhide thongs and sat down his heart was beating hard 1 4 ir stiff legged and with arched back she landed because his fathers face had its glaring look and howard was smug howard always got good marks mclaughlin ln picked up a card and a letter which was lying open beside Is his place 1 I suppose it will be no surp surprise i alse to you to hear that you have not been promoted he be said you might like to see gee your marks he tossed the card over to ken nell mclaughlin ln handed ken a blue bowl full of oatmeal covered w with ith cream and brown sugar and said let him eat his breakfast first but ken took the card and tried to focus his eyes upon it he hated so to look it was hard to see anything at all while he studied it there was a silence howard eating his bacon and smiling nells face was troubled she looked down buttering her toast ken read his marks through and finally came to the en english glish examination he looked up and met his fathers father eye mclaughlin ln leaned forward just as a matter of curiosity he said how do you go about it to get a zero in an examination forty in history seventeen in but a zerol zero just as one man to another what goes on in your head ken had no answer his face ace burned and he be bent over his plate and began on his oatmeal fortunately he said reaching tor for a match there are almost two and a half months before school begins again do an hour a day on your lessons all U through the summer to make up this s work nell mclaughlin MeLau ghUn saw ken wince as it if something had actually hurt him and his eyes went to the wide open window with a despairing look well said mclaughlin MeLau ghUn his voice me like the crack of a whip speak up what have you got to say for yourself 1 I durno dumo answered ken what were you doing in that english exam what were the questions you missed we were supposed to write a composition what did you write 1 I get started write a word ken shook his head you think of anything yes I 1 had it all planned I 1 was going to write the story aut about how you lost houi your polo mare how the albino stole her from banner kens eyes went to his fathers we could write anything we wanted it had to be at least two pages well what happened to you 1 I 1 I got gottli ta thinking about it thinking about gypsy and the albino and what it was like when he took her away where he took her to and all the wild horses in his band and where they were all that time all of that I 1 thought there was time I 1 thought the hour had just begun and then the bell rang there was a knock at the back door and mclaughlin MeLau ghUn shouted come in gus the swedish foreman came in carrying his big felt hat in his hand his thickset body bent in a sort of bow aimed respectfully at nell and he looked first of all at her as he said gude mornin missus and then mornin Mor boss he did not come clear into the room but propped himself by a hand on the door jamb leaning there in his shy manner a little smile m i ala me like a childs turning up th the corners or of his mouth his round pink face was framed in a mop of tight tray gray curls what today boss weather always entered into the plans so before mclaughlin answered he glanced out the window noting the clear deep blue of the sky and that the big white camu lous clouds were ere selling sailing across at a rapid pace finally he be said as it to himself not looking at gus A good day to move the horses ja boss its ita time do de horses were off tie de meadows do de grass is browin an we should have water on lern em soon howard keep still could I 1 help you move em this year dad ken ask because he had no hope mclaughlin turned to look at howard but he thinking of him and did not answer he smoked and gus waited at last he said yes weve got a month before fr frontier 0 antler days ive got to get four of a the older horses in shape to rent tor for the rodeo that means fool proof and those three will have to be broken I 1 cant let them go any longer ja boss dayd an d catch up shorty and saddle him for me ill be up at the stables in a half hour or less ja boss gus went out mclaughlin MeLau ghUn put down his pipe and pulled his bis coffee cup towards him there was a moments silence then howard asked ken what horse did you ride this morning ken cigarette mclaughlin looked up youve been riding cigarette yes sir air did you manage to catch her hei and tie her up without her breaking anything no sir what did d she ae break a brit bridle no that Is not today she broke a bridle yesterday what did she break today the metia metal catch on the halter rope mclaughlin paused a moment and looked down at his bis small son youre going to have to buck up ken I 1 dont know what to do with you you never have your wits about you always woolgathering wool gathering you lose a saddle blanket the first time you go riding but I 1 found it again yes found the blanket and lost your horse trouble Is you dont try 1 I do try id like to see some proof of it come howard you can ride with me as far as the meadows and open the gates ken pushed his chair back tou ton cant I 1 help certainly not you have your study to do every morning right after breakfast remember member Ke that mclaughlins ins scarred boots and heavy spurs clattered across the kitchen floor howard strode after nobly retraining refraining from casting a patronizing glance at ken TO BE CONTINUED |