WILD PONIES OF THE PLAINS 



manner. Presently he stopped, looked in the 

 direction of the prostrate mare, snorted and 

 pawed the earth. He whinnied and whinnied, 

 coming nearer and nearer in his fruitless effort 

 to again call to his side his lost companion. 

 Presently the animal was freed so she could rise 

 to her feet and in company with her likewise 

 captured associates they were driven to the cor- 

 ral on the Lone-Tree Ranch. The teacher 

 rode beside the elated possessor of the black 

 mare. Her heart still ached for the seemingly 

 crushed and subdued animal. She was a sincere 

 admirer of her one inseparable companion, the 

 plains pony and loved a horse as only a western 

 woman could. With deep sympathy she marked 

 the change in the proud-spirited mare in her 

 wild state and beauty, gracefully cantering with 

 her head high held beside the gray stallion and 

 the now trembling, maimed, crestfallen and 

 spiritless animal covered with dirt and foam. 

 Burdened with these thoughts, the teacher was 

 robbed of much of the expected pleasure when 

 the cowboy gallantly presented her with the 

 long wished-for animal. With tender love and 

 sympathy she approached the trembling horse, 



