The Pacing Mustang 



that was not 9 to i of dropping one of the 

 mares. A long day of manoeuvring made no 

 change. The Pacer, for it was he, kept his 

 family together and disappeared among the 

 southern sandhills. The cattlemen on their 

 jaded ponies set out for home with the poor sat- 

 isfaction of vowing vengeance for their failure 

 on the superb cause of it. 



One of the most aggravating parts of it was 

 that one or two experiences like this would 

 surely make the mares as wild as the Mustang, 

 and there seemed to be no way of saving them 

 from it. 



Scientists differ on the power of beauty and 

 prowess to attract female admiration among the 

 lower animals, but whether it is admiration or 

 the prowess itself, it is certain that a wild ani- 

 mal of uncommon gifts soon wins a large follow- 

 ing from the harems of his rivals. And the 

 great Black Horse, with his inky mane and tail 

 and his green-lighted eyes, ranged through all 

 that region and added to his following from 

 many bands till not less than a score of mares 

 were in his ' bunch.' Most were merely hum- 

 ble cow-ponies turned out to range, but the nine 



235 



