WILD PONIES OF THE PLAINS 



" Long Bob," the elder of the two cowboys, 

 a fine fellow with a noble character despite his 

 rough exterior, had another and to him a more 

 important motive through which he was deter- 

 mined to capture the mare. The district school 

 teacher who taught the village school down by 

 the crossroads had expressed a desire to pos- 

 sess the animal. Long Bob admired the 

 bright, congenial girl and secretly hoped to 

 outdo the boys and gratify her desire. Often 

 while riding together over the prairie they 

 had watched the spirited black steed from a 

 distance. Repeatedly they rode up the ravines 

 or around the hills in the direction of the band, 

 but were seldom able to approach nearer than a 

 mile of them. When discovered by the gray 

 stallion he would raise his head, snort and 

 paw, then run in the lead, whinny and take the 

 entire band at full speed over two or three 

 miles of prairie before they stopped. Then 

 they would gather in a group on the highest 

 elevation and, with the stallion in their midst, 

 rest or play until they again saw their pursuers. 

 Again they would paw in defiance and proudly 

 gallop off". 



[93] 



