The Black Swans 



In common with all the rest Smoke 

 would of course be called rough gaited 

 by eastern riding-masters. Still his 

 trot was not bad, and, when in the 

 mood, he could out-walk most of the 

 company, especially when headed 

 home. They all have the corral and 

 the hill pasture at the ranch ever in 

 their craniums. The return trip is 

 therefore apt to develop into a rattling 

 race, and when Smoke breaks into that 

 gallop it seems to me, as his heavy 

 hoofs come down, that every foothill, 

 every towering mountain from Cloud 

 Peak to Castle Rock, fairly trembles 

 beneath the shock. 



Dear old "Smoke!" I can see him 

 now! Buck skin with black points, 

 trained in all the tricks and turns of the 

 cattle "round up," steadfast, sturdy 

 and sensible — at least from his own 

 eminently practical viewpoint — he did 

 the best he could with the handicap he 

 carried to make one visit to the H-F 

 Bar an experience long to be remem- 



[84] 



