The Pacing Mustang 



managed to get away and wandered off on the 



a A horse has a fine instinct for the road to the 

 best feed, and the nine mares drifted, of course, 

 to the prairie of Antelope Springs, twenty miles 

 to the southward. And when, later that sum- 

 mer Foster went to round them up, he found 

 the nine indeed, but with them and guarding 

 them with an air of more than mere comrade- 

 ship was a coal-black stallion, prancing around 

 and rounding up the bunch like an expert his 

 jet-black coat a vivid contrast to the golden 



hides of his harem. 



The mares were gentle, and would have been 

 easily driven homeward but for a new and un- 

 expected thing. The Black Stallion became 

 greatly aroused. He seemed to inspire them too 

 with his wildness, and flying this way and that 

 way drove the whole band at full gallop where 

 he would. Away they went, and the little cow- 

 ponies that carried the men were easily left be- 

 hind. 



This was maddening, and both men at last 

 drew their guns and sought a chance to drop 

 that 'blasted stallion.' But no chance came 



234 



