Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-08-31
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MARY OHARA
VIM. FEATURES~I

his lack of speed kept him from be-
ing there.
One day, after heavy blizzard,
he was not allowed to return to the
Saddle Back. He was to be weaned.
The fury of the wind was dying
away and only occasionally sent up
a cone of whirling snow. Ken Nc
Laughlin, warmly dressed in a blue
ski suit and cap, stood in the stable
corral, holding Ficka's halter. He
had been summoned home for one
of his winter week-ends, to witness
the weaving of Goblin.
The corral was mid-leg deep in
snow, churned to slush by the mill
ing of the brood mares. For two
days they had been in and out
the stable doors, in and out the cor
raj gates, free to leave when they
wished, free to stay and fill them
selves with hay and oats.
Ken's face, pale from the winter
confinement and the cold, was full
of peaceful love as he looked into
Flicka's eyes and stroked her FORE
lock. His thin, sensitive lips were
Slightly parted.
Flicka's golden coat had darkened
with the cold. Running his hand
down her neck under her thick blond
name, Ken felt the hair deep as
fur Her chest was broad and strong.
Her wide nostrils flared as she
breathed. And her legs Oh, why
| couldn't Goblin have had those long
slim legs of a runner?
| Flicka was with foal again.
| Standing there with her young
master, she was paying no atten-
ton to him. She was looking over his
head toward the Green, her ears
strained forward. Now and then her
whole body shook in an anguished
whinny. 1t was in that direction that
they had led her, a few minutes be-
fore, with Goblin following. They
had brought her back without him.
Ken patted her face and talked
to her. Don't you care, Flicka-
pretty soon you won't mind so much
you'll have a new baby-and it's
better for you not to be nursing
him-you've been getting thin.
can feel your ribs under your fur
coat"
Ken was torn between the desire
to stay with his mare and comfort
her, and 60 down to the Goblin.
He stayed with the mare.
Banner had wandered out toward
the county road gate. Evidently
he had had enough of domesticity.
He began to call his mares and
round them up. The afternoon light
was failing and the full moon, that
had been nothing but transparent
globule of mist, was turning to
bright silver.
followed Banner out, Ken led his
mare into the stable, filled her feed
box with oats and left, closing the
door behind him.
Then he exploded into swift
run, tore down the gorge, across
the Green, the color flaring into his
| face, his blue eyes darkening with
| excitement. Now the Goblin! Now
his race horse! Now-at last
AS he opened the gate into the
colt corral his father held up hand
and Ken moved quietly. The last
fifteen minutes had been full Of
shocks for the Goblin.
In the excitement of meeting his
old friends and investigating this
new place, Goblin had not at first
realized that he had been separated
from his mother. Then he heard her
anguished neighing. That whirled
him around and started him toward
her. The five foot fence stopped him.
| The gate was closed.
He raced around the enclosure
seeking an exit. A confusion of feel
ing stirred him. There were the colts
crowding around him, Pepper, the
| tall black, rearing and begging for
a game. A strange intriguing smell
came from the long center trough;
he wanted to investigate that. But
he was still angry. He didn't know
what to do.
At sight of Goblin, Ken's heart
began to pound. What a change!
The colt had grown all over, so
that he was still shaped like ma
ture horse-most odd-looking. But
there was no mistaking the power
in him. Measuring him quickly
against the others Ken saw that he
was as big as the biggest and old
est of them. In six months he had
caught up.
Impelled by Unsuitable curiosity,
Goblin approached the boy cautious
ly, obliged to satisfy himself as to
this small human being, not much
taller than himself, and why
memory rang bell at sight of him.
His muzzle strained forward. His
body held back. He got one sniff
and at the same time Ken's hand
moved to pat his nose. The colts
ears flew back-he whirled and
dashed with his heels. Ken ducked.
Pretty closet" laughed Rob.
you've got to be fast with that
fellow!"
Gosh! How he's grown" mar
veled Ken. Bigger than any of the
others, isn't he, dad?"
"He's a husky"