Browning chief., 1945-12-14
CHAPTER xxi

1nunQerneaQ ana the mares QlS-
appeared in the twistings of the pas
sage. Ken began to trot after them
and Howard followed. Ken was still
calling desperately, "Come, boy!
Get your oats! Here Thunderhead!
Oats!"
The passage narrowed. They were
going through the keyhole, passing
directly underneath the great boul-
der which hung over it, and the next
moment there was the wide spread
OF the valley before them, ghostly
with faint luminescence through
which the dark forms of the horses
moved like shadows.
Then light flooded the heavens and
the shafts of rosy gold poured up
from the rising sun to bathe the
snow covered peaks of the Never
summer Range.
Not even the disaster of Thunder
heads rebellion could lessen the i'm
pact of this sight upon Howard.
Holy smoke!" he exclaimed
again and stood motionless.
But Ken's agonized eyes found
what they were looking for. The
Albino, and his instant alert as
Thunderhead entered the valley!
The two stations saw each other at
the same moment. The Albino
rushed forward as if for immediate
attack, then turned and began to
round up the far flung band of mares
and colts behind him. At a swift
twisting gallop he circled them,
gathered them all in and punched
them in an invisible corral. All his
actions were strained and nervous.
But Thunderhead moved with ex-
uberance and calm. His muscles
flowed smoothly under his satin coat
as he leisurely circled his little band
of stolen mares, punched and froze
them, then trotted out in front.
The two stations faced each other
about hundred yards apart, mo-
tionless as statues. The Albino
moved forward little, then stopped.
He did this again. Thunderhead
stood without a culver, his head
high, his weight forward, his hind
legs stretched back.
Ken suddenly thrust the nose-bag
into Howard's hands. Hold that!
They're gonna fight! I've got to get
him!"
He ran to Thunderhead, calling his
name. Thunderhead did not even
twitch an ear in his direction. He
was watching the Albino with a mi
mute, comprehensive stare that PEN
etrated the body and timed the
nerve fuses.
Ken seized the dangling halter
rope and flung his weight on it.
"Come away! Come away, Thun-
derhead!"
He hauled with all his power, try
ing to break the stallion's fixation,
but he might as we'll have tried to
move a rock. The stallion stared
over him, immobile.
The boy burst out crying and
struck at the stallion's head, jerking
to and fro with all his weight. "Oh,
stop it, Thunderhead! Please, Thun-
derhead! Come away!"
Howard dropped the nose-bag,
rushed to his brothers. side and
seized the halter.
Ken's voice reached Thunderhead
dimly but he made no response.
This was his world, his inheritance.
Ken had no part in it. But how to
become master of it? Only by the
destruction of that which barred his
way.
Rearing backward, he shook loose,
knocking Howard down and snap
ping Ken aside with a whip-lash of
his head. Then, screaming his chal-
lenge, he hurtled forward as from
a spring-board.
At the same instant the Albino
rushed to meet him and both ami
mails stopped short about thirty feet
apart and stood tensely eyeing each
other. These were two antagonists
who had met before and had not
forgotten the event.
Mingled with Thunderhead's de-
sire to annihilate this obstacle be-
fore him was the satisfaction of an
intense curiosity. Here at last was
the great being who had overshad-
owed his whole life, the image of
whom had hung in his blood as per-
sistently and as challengingly as the
snow scent hung in the mountain
wind.
But the Albino was confused. His
feet shifted nervously as if taking
firmer hold of the earth. His reach
ing nostrils expanded and contract
ed slowly. In his sunken eye-sockets
his white-ringed eyes stared and
meditated, seeing there before him,
HIMSELF! His own superb and in
vincible youth! He was there! He
was here! But the strength was
as one. It flowed like a current be-
tween them as if it were already
creating third horse that appeared
In misty globe between them, and
in which they were both fused.
Power and fire and glory rushed
through the old stallion and he trum-