Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-09-07
CHAPTER VIII

"Yiminy Cricketsl" exclaimed
Gus. LUX at dot colt buck!"
The Goblin tied himself in knot,
his nose and four hoofs punched;
twisted and bounced stiff-legged
three feet off the ground.
otis the bronc in him." said Rob
disgustedly, hell never make a
race horse unless he gets over
that"
Race horse! The word went
through Ken like a flame. Did his
father really believe, then, as he
himself believed?
Gus walked along the trough pour
ing oats from bucket. The other
colts jammed around him, scrim-
maging with each other, burying
their noses in the trough.
Rob's harsh voice rose, repri-
manding them. He liked good man.
ners in his horses. Here, you fell
lows! Cut that out!"
At his voice Goblin stopped buck
ing, looked around, shook himself,
then, realizing that he was missing
something, rushed to the trough.
He forced himself through the crowd,
biting and kicking, stuck his nose in
and took a mouthful of the oats.
Then he whirled away to the fence
and stood there, mounting the oats,
thinking it all over.
That night, across the vast ex-
panse of the SHOWS, fattened under
the bright moonlight, Ken rode Ficka
bareback up the Saddle Back and
down the length of it, looking for
the brood mares.
He went very slowly, to make it
last longer. He had played a trick
on his father. He had kept Flicka
in the stable instead of sending her
with Banner just so that he could
ride her out alone that night and ski
back. 1t hadn't fooled Rob. He
had looked at his son hard until Ken
had to drop his eyes, but after all
he had said he could 60.
Far down the ridge Ken found
the mares, inky black shadows
against the whiteness.
Banner came sweeping out to get
Flicka. Ken dropped his skis to the
ground, dismounted and removed the
bride.
1t took Goblin only one night to
learn that something of the utmost
importance had come into his life.
Oats.
Here was an experience that
touched his very soul. What indie
pendence! No need to 60 following
and begging behind his mother! No
need to paw and scrape at the snow
for a few mouthfuls of dried grass!
Here was belly-filling heat and
strength and deliciousness spread
down the long center trough in the
corral; once last night, and now
again in the morning. What
strange, foreign, altogether seduc-
tive taste! He mouthed and
crunched it in delight, and if any
other colt jostled him he was quick
and vicious with his teeth.
A loop of rope fell softly and sur
prisingly over his head, drew taught
and pulled at him. He reacted like
bomb exploding.
The boys had halter-broken him in
the fall, but since then the pride and
kingliness of the mountains and the
freedom of the wind, and the rhythm
of the plains, and the strength of
the storms had poured into him. His
spirit was enlarged and annealed.
Not for him to be tamely tied and
led about! The fight was on.
Two hours later, sweating, hat
less, and nursing one hand which
had been bruised by a twist of the
rope, Rob said, Il guess he's licked.
Well leave him to think it over.
Lucky to have got through that with
out killing him. God! What power!"
They were all in the corral, Rob
and Nell, Gus and Ken. The Cob
lin, worn out at last, successfully
battered but now freed from the
snubbing post and the tie rope, was
painting, shaking his head to free it
of the halter and the trailing rope.
Suddenly he reared, paving at the
side of his face.
"Ah!" It was a short, explosive
cry from Rob.
The colt had thrust his foreleg
through the cheek strap of the hal
ter and it was caught SO that he
could not withdraw it. Ken started
to run to him.
"Stand STILL" ordered Rob. IF
he blows up now and falls over
hell break that leg"
Ken groaned.
The colt, standing on three legs,
shuddered and grunted.
"Plenty of sense" muttered Rob.
Look at him. He's thinking. He
knows he's got to be helped"
The terror of the colt showed only
in his eyes. He looked at Rob, at
Gus, at Nell and at Ken. Then,
carefully, on three legs, he began to
cross the corral, going toward Nell.
Each plunge of his body jerked his
head down. His foreleg tapped help
lessly close to his eye.
"Come boy-come Goblin-I'll fix
it fer you" Nell's voice was en-