New Britain herald., 1925-01-09
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

IIueTS Ol lHS 1lldIl JOdn LOOKS on. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 The Captain drew himself up with that blown mane and arching tail his beautiful head high, his ears pricking, his eyes fixed far off where the play of the heat waves turned the distant mountains into nebulous, half living things.
 CHAPTER XIX. Spirit of the Heights
 Joan followed the direction of that stare. and door opened somewhere in her heart. She understood now what she would not have understood ! that morning half hour earlier. All was as clear to her as If the stallion had spoken words.
 And by that understanding bond was established between them. Watching him half In worship, half in sympathy, she found her fear diminishing, He drew her with a great power of which she was half afraid, from time to time. as though there ware black magic in it.
 Now they were at him again in a worrying cloud, and he sprang into action, fighting back desperately, magnificenty. But that lasted only a moment. He seemed to real ize that hopeless odds were against him and became perfectly docile.
 She watched him being led back to the waiting horses. She saw his nose snubbed against the pommel of another saddle, She saw the cele- brated Lefty Gilmore hobble out to mount, for his legs had been broken so many times that they were twisted out of shape. They seemed like mechanical pieces.
 His feet were fixed in the stirrups now. The hood was snatched from the head of the Captain and, instead of the burst of pitching, he re- mained quiet, looking curiously about him as if he did not even know that there was a man on his back.
 It brought a gasp of wonder from the crowd. And beside Joan a man began 10 sing out; Good boy, Lefty You're better than coin in the pockct--"F
 Here his voice was cut away, and the Captain was seen to leave the ground without visible crouching and preparation. He simply shot away into the air, landed on stiff legs shock that swayed Lefty to the side, swaying far out. and before he had recovered his position the stallion Twas in the air again. When he landed, Lefty kept on travelling. He struck a dozen feet awHy and, like Sam Kicks, he did not stir to rise.
 This time, however, there was ap- parentiy no need of ropes to hold back the Captain. He became ob- livious of his rider the instant the man was out of the saddle.
 And as patiently as before, he al- lowed himself to be led back and held While Champ Hudson flung himself into the saddle. The other two had been good riders. But Champ Hudson was one of those poetic figures who raise riding to a sort of chiValric height. He was desperate, now.
 Joan could see his mouth set in straight line and could imagine the glare of his eyes as he told them to turn the stallion loose,
 Some of the furious power was gone from the Captain. The long struggle against the ropes and then against the two previous riders had sapped some of his strength.
 For two long minutes Champ Hudson sat the saddle Straight up"; for another minute he remained pulling leather with might and main. And then he was cataputed from his place. The fight was over. and man was defeated for the moment He would come back to the assault later on.
 Joan knew well enough that q brute beast could not win in the ! end. They might starye him to weakness and then ride him-thepe were & dozen tricks which they might try. They might in the end even break his spirit. But as she watched him being led away she felt that he would break his heart first in revolt against all tyranny.
 How had Lee Haines managed it, she wondered? In the first place he had caught the big fellow when he was only yearling colt. And doubtless he had consumed an im- mense amount of time and patience. Even so, his conquest, by his own confession, had been incomplete and 1e had felt the great brute would
 under him sooner or later.
 The crowd streamed on behind to
 atch the Captain after he had been
 nsaddled and restored to the little
 Jrrai behind the hotel stable, where "a was kept as county property.
 here they stayed for half an hour
 so.
 But the Captain stood like a statue
 i'd paid no attention to them.
 ot even a portion of hay could win
 glance from him, but with lhis head
 ised high he looked over their
 ads and at the distant peaks.
 Men cannot bear to be snubbed:
 If even by dumb beast And in
 half hour the watchers had their ill of 1t. They broke up suddenly. $ if command had been given. and another moment were gone.
 Joan alone remained leaning
 gainst the big gate post. 2
 Presently the Captain put down lis head to the hay, but with the irst whisp gathered into his teeth he iorkcd up with snort and bounded : l l. IE -a