Evening star., 1922-02-12

iuuSldhS hiS oAONS" '>'-e~
lariat which held the animal was run
through the spiit-ear bridle. over the
saddle and ended In a Moose about the
ro,,t of the mares tail.
Gels contrivance was an extremity
to which Silsbee had been forced by
Vixen heyelf. His patience with this
fifteen hands of wall-eyed horsefiesh
had been so prolonged that both
Chick and his pet mare had become
the butt of many jocular remarks by
the Wy boys. So here, at last. Sils-
bee showed the first signs of impa-
tience with his white-faced Vixen.
This had only come to pass after
weeks of unrelenting kindness; kind
ness such as. perhaps. no other
Iuncher in the Wishbone country
would have practiced. For. when tied
up. Vixen pulled so viciously as to
break whatever rope was used. And
Silsbee was tired OF it.
On this particular Friday after
noon Vixen had an audience. Word
had spread that Silsbee had been re-
duced to extremities, All the boys who
were about the ranch buildings were
anxious to see what would happen
when Vixen threw her weight on the
hitchrope: one such lesson was enough
to break an ordinary horse from the
pulling-back habit.
From a barn doorway here and from
around a corner there, the punchers
waited and watched. Silent laughter
was evident Occasionally some re-
mark was passed, but these humorous
rhrusts were guardedly ventured.
Silsbee took his horse seriously. and
the other boys knew him too we'll to
carry their jokes to extremes
#%
rHICK Silsbee had come forth into
" the Wishbone country a year pre-
vious, hailing from the short-grass
country around Garden City, and had
been with the Wy outfit for, two
months. The boys had not quite fig
ured him out, but he was we'll liked
by those who got close enough to
him to be able to overlook his queer
ness"
The fault really was with Silsbee.
whose apparent aloofness often cost
him companionship. When the other
boys went off to town Silsbee usually
was found in the bunk house playing
solitaire or doing something else quite
as unaccountable.
This stay-at-home. inclination ac-
counted for the fact that Chick Sils-
bee had saved up a considerable
amount from his pay checks. One or
two of the punchers who had felt the
sting of his sarcasm ventured re-
marks that he was tightwad. Others
hotly combated this, for when Silsbee
did go to town he spent his share and
more.
With fifty dollars of his savings
Silsbee had bought Vixen from some
campers who had come through from
Colorado. She was wild-eyed as
Texas Ionghorn. and her fiery spirit
Immediately won his heart. Silsbee
was lover of the tamable untamed.
1t was part of his life to break horses.
and his methods showed his love of
them. Vixen had tried his patience
to the uttermost, but had at length
conceded his mastery in all but one
respect.
This man-practice Of being tied to
q post and left alone was beyond her
endurance. So long as Silsbee was
Eear her Vixen would stand quietly.
Let him move out of her sight and
she threw back on the rope. heaving.
groaning wild-eyed. She had never
failed to break loose. Her ferocity
at such times was all that now re-
naafned of her former wildness.
Silsbee stood for a moment in the
gateway and eyed Vixen lovingly.
II shore do hate to hurt We" he
said At sound Of his voice the mare
pricked up her ears. You. Vixen!
Got to learn your lesson. old girl"
Hey, Chick. Better get a pile o
hay for her to light op!" yelled /!
SANDY" Withers from a corner of the
horse barn. Afraid to leave her, !
are ye?"
SiIsbee gave his tormentor look.
fIe was afraid, in truth-afraid lest
the mare do herself injury. Then.
turning on his heel. he strobe across
the yard and into the pump house
near the windmill. The door slammed
behind him.
Had he not purposely avoided any
sounds save the gurgle of water fall
jag into the cooling tank. Silsbee would
have heard the snort and -groan of the
mare as she threw her weight on
the hitch rope. He did hear, however.
the exultant yells of the punchers.
and anger arose in him. He put his
mouth to the water pipe and tried to
drown the lump that had risen in his
throat. He detested' such methods of
breaking the mare-yet it had to be
done.
Presently Siisbee opened the door
again and stepped back into the sun
light The gr;nning faces of his
companions drew an angry glance
from him. He turned and looked at
the hitching post. Back of il stood
Vixen, trembling. her lexis bTaced far
apart. Silsbee walked over to her.
Silently he regarded the quivering
animal. She snorted at him from dis
tended, Redeemed nostrils. Her whit
ish eyes were CLASSY and wild-look-
ing. He had never seen her in sol
wild a rage.
..vixen." he uttered softly. He eS-
tended an open hand TO her. The |
mare blew heavily and paved at the
rronnd.. striking savagely with one
front hoof. Come. Vixen! coaXed
Si,sbee, as he took step toward her.
x !: y *
TER wild spirit was not broken. he
IL knew. It would take more than
one lunge against the tail rope TO
conauer her He hoped that kindness
would now spare her the pain. Cn-
der his quiet coaxing she would un-