The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-10-12


you could do II, but we are unused 10
these wild horses. I'd like 10 sell him
to some man who knows about such
animals. He's fine pony, strong ns
lion, but he's terrible bucker. I
never saw his equal"
He smiled again indulgontly. "Liet's
take look at him.
The pony had iilled his hay basket
and looked ~ innocent as worsted
kitten.
"Nice little feller, shore thing"
said the Missourian, rs he patted the
Rat. "IIe's young and coltish.
Whatll you take for him?"
Nov, see here, stranger. am
fair man. don't want to deceive any
one. That pony is n wonder. He
can outbuck any horse west Of Sell
kirk range"
The old mans eyes were very ag-
gravnting. 'lie needs an old hand,
that's all. Why. could shoulder the
little kid whilst he was n-pitchin' his
blamedest. What'll you take for him2"
"Pd throw of 80, and you take tho
ropes but, stranger, he's the worst"
He refused to listen. lie took tho
pony. As the Rat followed him off he
looked no small, 30 sleepy, so round
and gentle you would have said,
'"There goes man with pony for
his little girls"
We laid Off a day at Tchincut lake.
We needed rest anyway, and IL was
safer to let the man from Butte go on.
i had made every provision against
complaint on the Missourian's part,
but Mt the same time one can't be too
careful.
There are no returning footsteps on
the long trail, but few days later I
overlook the innn from Indiana, who
had been see-sawing back and forth on
the trail, now ahead, now behind. IIe
had laid of half day.
He approached me with curious
look on his face.
stranger, what kind of beast did
You put or on that feller from
Butte?"
"a mighty strong, capable little
horse. Why"
"Well, say, was just a-passing his
camp yesterday morning, when the
thing took place. always was lucky
about such"
"What happcned?" queried /.
" don't wish any mans barn 10
burn, strangers, nor his horse TO take
n fall onten him, but when anything
does go on like to see il. You see,
he had just drawed the last knot on the
pack and rs / came up he said: 'How's
this for a $40 ponyY I said, Pretty
good. Who'd you get him of OFF
ga couple of tenderfeet, he says,
who couldn't handle him. Why, he's
gentle as dog; then he slaps the
pony on the side. The little flend lit
out both hind feet and took the old
man Oh both knees and knocked him
down over n pack saddle into the mud.
Then he turned loose, that pony did,
stranger. have saw horses buck a
plenty, Mexican bronks, wild cayuses
in Montana, and all kinds o. beasts in
California, but never seen the beats
of that blue pony. He shore was
bucker from Battle Greek. The Butte
man lay there groanin' his two knees
in his fists, whilst trail of flour an
beans an sacks an rubber boots led
up the hill, an ut the far end of that
trail bout thirty yards up the blamed
cayuse was a-feedin' like O April
lamb"
"What happened to him?"
"Who?"
''The pony"
"Old Butte, as soon as he could
crawl a little, he says: Gimme my
gun, I've been a-packin' on the trails
of the Rocky mountains for forty years
and L never was done up before.
Gimme that gum He sighted her,
stranger, most vicious, and pulled
trigger. Thcpony gave one big Jump
and went a-rollin' and a-crashin' into
the gulch. "You'll never kick again.
says the feller from Butte"
Poor little Blue Rat. He had gone
to the mystic meadows where no pack
saddle could follow him. - Detroit
Free Press