Show ez MARY W NU THE STORY THUS PAR FlIck as colt long overdue Is born ken mclaughlin her 12 year old owner brings her in from the range e to the warm barn the oal foal is white and evidently a throwback throw bach to the albino a wild stallion that is Flick as grandsire ken who had hoped that his colt would develop into a racer Is troubled when he realizes that it has so many wild characteristics in its nature next morning there are guests tor for break last 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 be choose his appalachian as sire the colonel replies that he be 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 too much for a poor soldier what I 1 charge is one thing and what I 1 get is another growled charley rolling and lighting a cigarette run out ken ordered his father and tell the sergeant to drive up to the stables and put the mare in the little east corral she can wait there until I 1 get banner to in gee exclaimed howard ge getting t banner in ken went out and saw a car and trailer two uniformed men in the front seat and a blanketed mare in 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 and season he dont have to think any more everybody thinks for him 11 pampered roared charley indignantly dign antly pampered so that he produces one winner after the other country squire who won at tia juana in 1934 spinnaker boom who won the handicap last year at santa anita and a filly coquette in the two year old class 1 I know I 1 know all that said colonel harris hes a good stud for racing stock but this tough fellow of robs here banner 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 and doing a mile away lives like a robber baron up there in the hills with his harem 1 talk about robber barons said rob remember that stallion they called the albino there was a robber 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 asked colonel harris heard anything about him for years ill wager hes around somewhere lusty and wicked as ever with abaid a band of mares picked from all over the state said rob and the finest he sure knew how to pick em you know we had him in a corral once pity someone have sense enough to keep him said charley if id been there if been there said rob sarcastically it might have been you he ran down and damn near killed instead of me ran you down did he it often a horse will really attack a man but he sure did me we had him in the corral and the whole bunch of mares including my gypsy and her four colts he never let goof the mares kept rounding them up milling them around heading them in one direction and then the other until he saw he was licked they were caught and would never get out then he decided to save himself he went right at one fence crashed the top bar and was in the wing I 1 had dismounted I 1 had a hunch hed crash the wing fence too and I 1 ran to head him off you know if you jump in front of a horse and wave your arms you can deflect em cm nine times out of ten crosby was coming on his horse as fast as he could swinging his rope but when the albino ran me down he jump the wing fence but he charged it and just kicked it to pieces and godl god how he did go we just stood there and watched his dust hurt you any asked colonel harris and rob leaned forward and parted the black hair on one temple A short white scar showed 1 I dodged him at the last minute but he left me a keepsake one of his front hoofs gee ee ee said ken and ill never forget the look of his eyes continued rob 1 I saw them close too close a wicked eye what kind of an eye dad an eye like rockets charley remember that fast black mare I 1 had that you almost bought you mean that I 1 bought and you almost delivered corrected charley rob grinned and turned to mort harris to explain he bought this mare from me for five hundred dollars provided I 1 could deliver her safe and sound she was a hellion one of the colts out of my mare gypsy sired by the albino and she had that same wild wicked eye of his with the white ring around it well I 1 got her in the truck but when we went under the sign out there by the highway she reared up and brained herself against it dad said ken if the albino was alte white all over how could you see that there was a white ring around his eye in a horse the pupil of the eye is very large usually fills the space between the lids entirely it if theres a white ring around it it is because the eyelids are stretched a bit too wide open that shows the white eyeball all around and gives that wicked crazy look and it always means a bad un everybody hates a horse with a white ringed eye and youve heard about my mohawk roared charley out of stole away by appalachian won everything there was to win at saginaw falls two years ago I 1 tell you mort appalachian mort harris put up his hand charley I 1 dont want a racehorse im not going to run away from the enemy I 1 want a horse like robs trained in the hills and high altitudes I 1 want endurance and good wind and a heart for anything I 1 want to know when I 1 start out on him that hell bring me back stand up under any condition besides appalachians black and I 1 want a sorrel and get it from banner said rob he breeds true occasionally sio nally I 1 get a black colt his dam was a black arab mare named el cantara but mostly sorrels one after the other as like as peas in a pod hearing this howard and ken looked at each other ken blank and disconcerted and howard making fantastic faces of alarm and concern he mouthed silently when are you going to tell and ken mouthed savagely back shut up the boys saw their mothers 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 colonels mare he began to feel worried events always got themselves tangled around you so that things came out wrong perhaps it would be better to save his surprise until all this other stuff was over rob added and youre right in wanting a sorrel mort A sorrels the hardest of all to break and train but when youve done it youve 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 MY bring in the mares banners the one we want rob looked at him an odd quizzical gleam in his eye and sargent drawled you dont really understand our western mort so damn affectionate take banner now this tough boy youve been bragging about why V banner searched the wind 1 it would just about break his heart to be separated from his harem rob have the heart to do it would you rob harris grinned well sure I 1 spend my life on horseback anyway and now that im off on a little visit for a bit of relaxation I 1 suppose the thing to do is ride s some e more I 1 hope you can give me e a good mount rob turned to howard what horses are up in the corrals now howard taggert and some geldings I 1 bronze shorty highboy run up there howard and tell gus to saddle taggert and bronze and shorty halt half an hour later they were in the corrals ready to mount charley sargent as always in his long cheyenne pants and wide brimmed 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 suspiciously this blood bay taggert you can have her you never felt such gaits 11 sargent removed his big hat and scratched his head reflectively she looks a dandy and im sure obliged to you but a mare no I 1 think ill take one of the geldings you take the mare harris j what a grand horse said the colonel looking her over with interest all right ill take that big mare he mounted her and settled himself in the saddle charley mounted shorty and rob bronze and the three men rode out of the corrals together banner searched the wind the mares and colts were grazing in a saucer like depression ot of the upland the stallion a little above them cropping the sweet tubular grass along the edge of a ridge in the hillside suddenly he flung up his head and stood alert his compact red gold body gathered and twisted to face the alarm his legs thrust out against the irregularities of the rocky ground his red tall tail and mane flying in the wind for a few seconds he stood motionless then moved into action at a swift trot he circled the mares his nose lifted nostrils vibrating tor for the scent it came now and again just the faintest tang he swept in widening circles reaching his nose higher his eyes and ears wild and eager up above him rose the pinnacle topped with a craggy outcrop of rock this was the highest point for miles around from here his long range eyes could see the farthest amov moving ing speck and his bis 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 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 get the scent he went down again and began circling nose pointed straight up tall 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 stallions head when he is searching the wind Is something to see never still a moment swinging lifting high higher even straight up to the sky the nostrils wide and pulsing he cov ers the ground at a swift effortless trot or canter always in a circle so that he misses no inch ot 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 pro aching horsemen but wide of them and behind so that as rob kept glancing backwards and to the sides well knowing what to expect he suddenly saw the stallion in pursuit of them coming more sedately now cautious with ditl his high springing trot and his steady eye fixed on them lie he was full of questions and looked to rob for the answers what was up was he to bring the mares in was W a s the band to be moved to an another other 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 but it was impossible not to feel excitement arld and to respond with altered expressions as the intelligent animal drew near taking in the group with pricked ears and an investigating vesti gating 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 wil disclose how continuously theay the I 1 y by a hundred little movement indicates thoughts and intentions or possibly it was by the direction of his glances to a certain extent of course by his words and the tone of his voice and definite signals look at him exclaimed charley sargent the son ot of a auni gun some horse said harris came up behind us rob said his mares are probably back yonder he gestured over his shoulder no oats for you today old boy banner knew that already there were never oats when his master came horseback a only when he came in the automobile rob added wheres your family and turning slowly baug caught lit sight of the band of mares a mile away he touched to his horse v aee there they arel want them mort 11 1 I sure do they cantered over the range the stallion following running in halt half circles around them crowding close sniffing at each of the horses As they drew rein near the band of mares charleys gelding swung around to face banner and they spoke half squeal half grunt both of them reared and suddenly charley was having trouble in keeping his seat as the two began a playful fight striking at each other with their forefeet nipping over the head trying for the neck old friends said rob grinning charley leaned out and made a swing at the stallion get away with you you brute banner gave a great start and bounded away but in a few seconds was back again this time sniffing at the mare 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 ler im n mands from two quarters her rider who held her forcibly back and commanded her to cease her play with the stallion and to stand still from banner whose single lunge had been enough to tell her what he wanted and who now 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 second banner had forced her into a gallop driving her straight into his band of mares rob and charley followed slowly broad grins on their faces you think that a man who had spent his life on horseback would be apt to get a brand new ridin experience but it looks to me like goin to hap pent P ent to mort said sargent us ly im just as glad im ix n jat bat marel TO BE CONTINUED M 4 7 J t 0 |