St. Tammany farmer., 1922-12-09
FARMER covGroN SATURDAY DECEMBER

1Heu beiOlng leo the lame morse TO-
ward the watering-trough, while the
two rangers went toward the house.
Dick was telling Ladd about the at
fair at Papago well when they turned
the corner under the porch. Nell was
sitting in the door, She rose with a.
little scream and came flying toward
them.
"Now I'll get it" whispered Ladd.
'"The women II make a baby Of me.
An shore can't help myself"
"Oh, Laddy, you've been hurti"
cried Nell, as with white cheeks and
dilatfng eyes she ran to him and
caught his arm.
"shore, Nell, it's only a scratch.
My bronch throwed me''
"Laddy, no horse ever threw you.
You've been shot! Mamma,
here's Laddy, and he's been shot. . :.
Oh, these dreadful days we're havingl
can't bear them! Forlorn River used
to be so safe and quiet. Nothing
happened. But nowl Jim comes home
with bloody hole in shim-then Dick
then Laddy! :. Oh, I'm afraid
some day they'll never come home"
= =
The morning was bright, still, and
clear as crystal The heat waves had
not vet begun to rise from the desert.
Nell sat perched high upon the top
most bar Of the corral gate. Dick
leaned beside her, now with his eyes
on her face, now gazing out into the
alfalfa field where Belongs thorough
breds grazed and pranced and romped
and whistled. Nell watched the
horses. She loved them, never tired
Of watching them. But her gaze was
too consciously averted from the
yearning eyes that tried to meet hers
to- be altogether natural.
A great fenced field OF velvety green
alfalfa furnished rich background
for the drove Of about twenty white
horses. Blanco Diablo was the only
onei in the field that was not free to
roam and Craze where he listed. A
stake and a halter held him to one
corner, where he was severely let
alone by the other horses. He did not
like this isolation. Blanco Diablo was
not happy unless he was running or
fighting a rival. OF the two he would
rather fight. II anything white could
resemble devil, this horse surely
did. He had nothing beautiful about
him, vet he drew the gaze and held
1t. The look Of him suggested dis
content, anger, revolt, viciousness.
When he was not grazing or prancing,
he held his long, lean head level, point
ing his nose and showing his teeth.
Belongs favorite was almost all the
world to him, and he swore Diablo
could stand more heat and thirst and
cactus than any other horse he owned,
and could run down and kill any
horse In the Southwest,
The cowboys admitted some OF
Belongs claims for Diablo, but they
gave loyal and unshakable allegiance
to Blanco Sol. As for Dick, he had
to fight himself to keep out Of argu-
ments, for he sometimes imagined he
was unreasonable about the horse.
Though he could not understand him
self, he knew he loved Sol as a man
loved friend, brother. Free Of
heavy saddle and the clumsy leg
shields, Blanco Sol was somehow all
satisfying to the eyes Of the rangers.
The dazzling whiteness Of the desert
sun shone from, his goat; he had the
fire and spirit Of the desert In his
noble head, Its strength and power In
his gigantic frame.
"Belding swears Sol never beat
Diablo," Dick was saying.
"He believes It," replied Nell. dad
Is queer about that horse" ~
'T've often wondered how Bedding
ever came to give Blanco Sol to me-"
said Dick.
II think he wanted to get rid Of
SOL"
'Maybe. He surely has strange pas
sion for horses. I think understand
better than / used to. I owned a
couple Of racers once. They were
just animals to me, I guess. But |
Blanco Sol ~
"Do you love him1'' asked Nell; and !
now warm, blue flash Of eyes swept |
his face
"Do I? Well, rather"
"I'm glad. Sol has been finer, a
better horse since you owned him. He |
loves you, Dick. Sol always hated |
Diablo, and never had much use for |
Dad"
Dick looked up at her.
It'll be-be pretty hard to leave Sol |
when I go away"
Hell sat perfectly still.
"Go away?" she asked, presently,
with Just the faintest tremor In her
voice.
Eyes. Sometimes when get blue
as am today-I think I'll go. But,
in sober truth, Nell, it's not likely
that I'll spend all my life here
There was no answer to this. Dick
put his hand softly over hers; and,
despite her half-hearted struggle to
free 1t, he held on. s-a-.s--
"Nell!'
Her color fled. BE saw her lips
part. Then heavy step on the gravel,
a cheerful, complaining voice inter-
rupted him, and made him release Nell
and draw back. Bedding strobe into
view round the adobe shed.
"Hey, Dick, that darned Yaqui In
l. |