The Pacing- Mustang 



tThe Canadian River on the south, its affluent, 

 e Pinavetitos Arroyo, on the northeast, and 

 the Don Carlos Hills with the Ute Creek Canon 

 on the west, formed a sixty-mile triangle that 

 was the range of the Pacer. It was believed 

 that he never went outside this, and at all times 

 Antelope Springs was his headquarters. Jo 

 knew this country well, all the water-holes 

 and canon crossings as well as the ways of the 

 Pacer. 



If he could have gotten fifty good horses he 

 could have posted them to advantage so as to 

 cover all points, but twenty mounts and five 

 good riders were all that proved available. 



The horses, grain-fed for two weeks before, 

 were sent on ahead; each man was instructed 

 now to play his part and sent to his post the day 

 before the race. On the day of the start Jo 

 with his wagon drove to the plain of Antelope 

 Springs and, camping far off in a little draw, 

 waited. 



At last he came, that coal-black Horse, out 

 from the sand-hills at the south, alone as always 

 now, and walked calmly down to the Springs 

 and circled quite around it to sniff for any hid- 



255 



