168 The King of the Thundering Herd 



the prairies, not turning his head this way 

 or that, but just gazing sullenly ahead. 



Finally, after dark his young master 

 coaxed him into the stable. On the mor- 

 row he was back in the harness working as 

 before, but he could never be depended 

 upon again, for every three or four days he 

 would balk, and nothing could budge him. 



After the snows came and he was stabled 

 for the better part of the time, he seemed 

 to get over this restlessness and sullennees, 

 and would again allow Shep to ride him to 

 the creek and bark and caper about him, 

 but with the return of spring the old fit 

 was upon him again. Now he seemed even 

 more restive than in the fall and he would 

 paw and stamp and throw his head from 

 side to side at the slightest provocation. 

 He clearly was out of sorts with all the 

 world, and particularly with his own lot, but 

 what was the matter no one seemed to know 

 just then. 



