Evening star., 1935-02-19

against the post, other men
were blindfolding her, working on
bride and saddle. Ransome, the gray
haired ranch foreman, was in charge
of this business.
What you think of her, Tomb
stone?" asked Ransome.
Half dynamite and half wildcat"
said Tombstone. She's too pretty To
be good"
Said the Montana Kid, from the
fence: You don't hitch on to a
streak Of lightning and ask is it
good You ask how far it'll take you"
Tombstone turned sharply around
to rebuke the speaker Then he saw
that it was the Kid, and instead of
answering he rubbed his jaw, slowly.
as though he had been hit there on
day.
The Kid did not smile His brown,
handsome face remained perfectly
calm, but as he stared at the mare
the blue Of his eyes burned paler and
brighter continually. He pushed his
hat back from his forehead and
showed the blue-black of sleeked hair.
He was so dark that he looked almost
like Mexican. Only, in moments
Of excitement the blue OF his eyes
turned bright and pale. He was like
the mare-big, but with sineWS and
proportions that made him look swift
and light.
This here streak" said Tombstone
still take you far, all right; it'll take
you to hell, but it might leave you
there"
~ u &c
cigarette and made no answer His
eyes were on the mare. She was
waiting patiently, submitting to the
darkness that enveloped her eyes,
muffied her thought. And yet there
was danger in her patience.
The Kid knew it. He kept tasting
her strength and her speed as he had
tasted them since the day when he
started with many men on her trail.
The length of that trial had caused
the third postponement of his mar
riage with Ruth Lavery.
The bride and the saddle were ad-
justed. Tombstone mounted gingerly.
Many falls had taught him shame
less caution. He almost acted like
man afraid
Let her co. he said, quietly
The bandage from her eyes, the
rope from her neck, were instantly
disengaged. And the mare shot at the
sky.
Nobody spoke. They had all seen
an infinity of. horse e-breaking. but this
was not the same thing. They stiff
ened on the fehceposts They looked
with great eyes, seeing and thinking.
Horses have to be broken. but the
mare looked like Beauty and the man
looked like the Beast.
He was frightened Beast. There
was no pretense of the dashing, cava-
ner ride which a cowpuncher tries
TO show at a rodeO. Tombstone
started that way, sitting straight up,
raking the mare fore and aft with
his spurs, but after the second jump
he was pulling leather like tender
foot caught in horse-Storm.
This was a tornado. 1t rushed as
though it would tear down the fence.
1t turned as though it would bore
hole through the ground. And Tomb
stone sailed out of the saddle side
wise. He struck the corral soil, raised
q dust, struck it again, and lay limp
and still.
Three nooses settled over the neck
Of the mare and held her as she tried
to get at the fallen rider and savage
him. Some one craWled under the
fence and dragged Tombstone to
safety. Some one else emptied
canteen over the upturned face of
Tombstone After while he
breathed. Then he stood up. "She
foxed me that time but I'll get her
the next try" he said.
Ransome, the foreman, said to the
Kid. We'll. what you think?"
She's sweetheart" said the
Montana Kid
He eased himself down from the
fence. The side of the fence he was
on was the inside.
They were Snubbing the mare close
up to the post again.
Ransome grabbed Montana's arm.
Look OUT he said. Don't YOU be
a damn fool. Keep away from temp
tation."
The Kid looked down at RAN
some's hand. Ransome took it away.
Wen just have a look-see," said
the Kid.
You been and promised Miss
Ruth!' said RanSome, huSkily.
Did -" said the Kid, absently.
He walked around the front of the
mare and looked into her eyes. She
was quiet. The only thing she had
learned was the burn of ropes, and
she did not fight. Not outwardly.
The devil was quiet in her, waiting.
Some one said from the fence, He
could handle fire, but not that fire"
Another man said: Whats her
name? What you gunna call her,
Montana?"
You better call her before you're
dead" said another.
Her names Sally" said the Kid,
gently. He smiled beautifully at the
men on the fence. He included them |
all in the gentleness of his glance.
They feared him so much that they |
almost hated him; but because they |
loved him, also, no man smiled back.
why call her Sally?" asked Ran
come, the foreman.