156 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



already tilted in the saddle, caught the shock 

 on his left thigh. This snapped the bone and 

 flung him heels over head to the earth. 



The foreman ordered this outlaw Black Dia- 

 mond to be shipped that night with two car- 

 loads of saddle ponies that were consigned to a 

 Colorado cattle company for cowboy use. 



At least a dozen of the crack ranch "busters' 1 

 at Bar "J" Ranch "forked" Black Diamond, 

 and each had been promptly and ingloriously 

 tossed to the earth. Again an outlaw, Black 

 Diamond was allowed to run with the other 

 saddle stock that was unassigned. He had 

 his freedom throughout the summer. He 

 never made any trouble breaking away, as did 

 some of the ponies when they were being driven 

 into the corral. 



He had won his reputation and often was the 

 subject for conversation or banter. The mere 

 mention of his name would instantly silence any 

 cowboy who became unduly reminiscent con- 

 cerning the bronchos he had elsewhere conquered. 



After dinner the boys seated themselves in a 

 row at the side of the barn for a little rest and a 

 smoke before resuming broncho-busting activi- 

 ties. A job was framed up among them to 

 assign "the outlaw" Black Diamond to Sam. 



Upon inquiring concerning the use of the sub- 



