"
He paused again and looked sternly at Slim, and Slim flushed to the eyes
and glared straight ahead.
"Slim, here, had been saying maybe it was my bum shooting and not the
bad luck the stallion put on my rifle that made me miss. So I give him
the job of plugging the hoss. Well, he tried and missed three times. Off
goes the grey and the chestnut like a streak the first crack out of the
box, but we got ahead of the mares and turned 'em. And here we are.
That's all they was to it. But," he added gravely, "we ain't seen the
last of that chestnut hoss, Miss Jordan."
"I guess hardly another man on the range could have trailed them so
well," she said gratefully. "But this wild horse--do you really think
he'll try to steal our mares again?"
"Think? I know! And the next time we won't get 'em back so plumb easy.
Right this morning, if they'd got started quick enough when he give 'em
the signal, we'd never of headed 'em. But they ain't turned wild yet;
they ain't used to his ways. Give him another whirl with them and
they'll belong to him for good. Ain't no hosses around these parts can
run them mares down!"
She heard the tribute with a smile of pleasure and ran satisfied glances
over the six beauties which cantered or trotted before them.
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