OF A RANCHMAN 291 



bles. In getting up from the bottom we 

 into a wash-out, and then led our ponies 

 along a clay ledge, from which we turned off 

 and went straight up a very steep sandy bluff. 

 My companion was ahead ; just as he turned 

 off the ledge, and as I was right underneath 

 him, his horse, in plunging to try to gt 

 the sand bluff, overbalanced itself, and, 

 after standing erect on its hind legs for a 

 second, came over backward. The second's 

 pause while it stood bolt upright, gave me 

 time to make a frantic leap out of the way 

 with my pony, which scrambled after me, 

 and we both clung with hands and hoofs to 

 the side of the bank, while the other horse 

 took two as complete somersaults as I ever 



and landed with a crash at the bottom 

 of the wash-out, feet uppermost. I thought 



is done for, but not a bit. After a mo- 

 ment or two it struggled to its legs, shook 

 itself, and looked round in rather a shame- 

 faced way, apparently not in the least the 

 worse for the fall. We now got my pony 

 up to the top by vigorous pulling, and then 



