Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-08-10
CHAPTER Nv

"But think what you charge as a
stud fee," said the Colonel. "Two
hundred and fifty bucks! That's too
much for a poor soldier"
"What charge is one thing and
what I get is another" growled
Charley, rolling and lighting ciga-
rette.
run out, Ken," ordered his
father, land tell the sergeant to
drive up to the stables and put the
mare in the little east corral. She
can wait there until I get Banner
in"
"Gee!" exclaimed Howard. Get
ting Banner in!"
trailer, two uniformed men in the
front seat and blanketed mare in
the trailer. He gave the message
and returned to the dining room.
Besides" Colonel Harris was
saying, "your Appalachian is as
pampered and petted and sheltered
as movie star, with his special
pasture and meadows and feed and
stables for every sort of weather
and season-he don't have to think
any more-everybody thinks for
him."
"Pampered!" roared Charley in
dignantly. "Pampered so that he
produces one winner after the other!
Country Squire, who won at Tia
Juana in 1884! Spinnaker Boom, who
won the handicap last year at Santa
Anita, and a filly-Coquette-in the
two-year-old class"
II know, I know all that" said
Colonel Harris. Hes a good stud
for racing stock. But this tough fell
low of Rob's here-Banner-that's
the sort of fellow for my money,
thinks for himself, takes care of his
mares on the range in all sorts of
weather, knows what Rob is think
ing and doing a mile away-lives
like a robber baron up there in the
hills with his harem-"
Talk about robber barons," said
Rob, remember that stallion they
called the Albino? There was rob-
Der baron for you-reigned like a
king, no one to think for him!
Robbed, pillaged, helped himself to
whatever he wanted"
what became of him anyway"
asked Colonel Harris. Haven't
heard anything about him for
years."
"Tl wager he's around some
where, lusty and wicked as ever,
with band of mares picked from
all over the state" said Rob. "And
the finest! He sure knew how to
pick 'em! You know, we had him
in a corral once"
"Pity someone didn't have sense
enough to keep him." said Charley.
IF I'd been there"
IF you'd been there" said Rob
sarcastically, cit might have been
you he ran down and damn near
killed instead of me-"
"Hurt you any?" asked Colonel
Harris, and Rob leaned forward and
parted the black hair on one temple.
A short white scar showed. II
lodged him at the last minute, but
he left me keepsake-one of his
front hoofs."
-"Gee-ee-ee-"s said Ken.
"And I'll never forget the look of
his eyes," continued Rob. II saw
them close-too close-a wicked
eye."
"What kind of an eye, dad?"
can eye like Rockets. Charley,
remember that fast black mare
had that you almost bought?"
"You mean, that bought and you
almost delivered" corrected Char
ley.
Rob grinned and turned to Mort
Harris to explain. "He bought this
mare from me for five hundred dol
lars provided l could deliver her
safe and sound. She was a hellion,
one of the colts out of my mare
Gypsy, sired by the Albino-and she
had that same wild, wicked eye of
his with the white ring around it
well, got her in the truck but
when we went under the sign out
there by the highway, she reared
up and Drained herself against it."
"And you've heard about my Mo-
hawk" roared Charley, tout of
Stole-Away by ppalachian-won
everything there was to win at Sagi-
nav Falls two years ago! l tell you,
Mort, Appalachian"
Mort Harris put up his hand.
Charley, l don't want a racehorse.
I'm not going to run away from
the enemy. want a horse like
Rob's, trained in the hills and high
attitudes. I want endurance and
good wind and heart for anything.
want to know when I start out on
him that he'll bring me back. Stand
up under any condition. Besides
Appalachian's black. And I want a
:sorrel."
"And you'll get it from Banner"
said Rob. "He breeds true. Occa-
sionally get a black colt-his dam
was black Arab mare named Ell
Kantara-but mostly sorrels, one
after the other, as like as peas in
= pod"