154 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



stretch to its narrowest separation from the main- 

 land, he made a splendid leap and cleared the 

 third gully. 



But the bank where Black Diamond landed 

 was undermined and the jar of his landing caused 

 it to collapse beneath him. He rolled into the 

 gully fifteen feet below. But on his feet in a 

 flash, rearing up almost vertically on hind legs, 

 he reached up like a goat and climbed the nearly 

 vertical, crumbling wall. Just as he gained the 

 solid earth of the farther side the noose of one 

 cowboy's rope fell over his neck and that of an- 

 other caught a forefoot. In a few seconds Black 

 Diamond was down and securely roped. 



Though purely wild, Black Diamond was an 

 animal who had full measure of what we call 

 horse sense. He ceased to struggle with the 

 rope the instant this became a waste of energy. 

 Many wild horses when roped struggle until 

 completely exhausted. They literally fight the 

 men trying to secure them; they strike, bite, 

 kick, and stamp. Occasionally a man is killed. 

 Utmost skill is required to master one of these 

 horses, for when in this fighting frame of mind, 

 he is an extremely dangerous beast with which 

 to deal. 



The foreman of the horse hunters wanted 

 Black Diamond for his personal use, and or- 

 dered him to be saddled and broken at once. 



