Bert Wilson in the Rockies

eeth a

edigree was as long as his flowing tail, and physically he was a perfect specimen. His only drawback was a fiendish temper, which it seemed impossible to subdue. Strangers he would never tolerate, and Mr. Melton seemed t

arp teeth, and all of them could tell stories of narrow escapes experienced while feeding him or othe

, and regretted that his evil temper made it impossible to be friendly with him. Satan often lost many a lump of sugar or delicious carrot that he would have gotten had h

one day another horse made his appearance in a corral adjacent to that in which Satan was kept. The new horse was a good-sized bay, but not quite as large as Satan, although a li

ing distance of each other there would be trouble. Everybody on the ranch was strictly enjoined to keep the g

"there'd be some scrap, take it from me. There's nothing

about it?" Bert, who was

vicious ain't no word for it, nohow. Th

the table in the ranch house eating luncheon, in company with their hos

n'," he cried; "somebody must

corrals. The three comrades followed close on his heels. As they reached the open they could hear shouts and cries

about, biting at each other with their long yellow teeth, and lashing out with their hoofs. Each was quick as a flash of light, but every once in a while a sharp hoof would find its mark, or the deadly teeth would rip into the other

ge heart bent on the destruction of the upstart who had dared to invade his domains. As Mr. Melton and the boys dashed up, the black horse whirled like lightning and planted both

e you standing around watching them for? One or the othe

ad seemed in a sort of stupor, so suddenly had the thing happened, but at Mr. Melton's words they sprang into activity. So

if the two infuriated animals were not separated soon the later arrival would e

separate the combatants. The stallions took not the slightest notice of them, howev

claimed, snatching a coiled lariat from one of his men, "I'll get in

eir efforts, drew apart and stood snorting and pawing the ground. Mr. Melton realized that here was his opportunity, and grasped it on the instant. Swingin

ushed toward the ranchowner, his foam-flecked jaws gnashing and the breath whistling through his red nostrils. Mr. Melton stood quiet, but alert, every muscle tense. Then, w

t settled with beautiful precision over Satan's powerful shoulders. Before the rope could

the loop down over Satan's back. Before the horse could check his headlong speed Mr. Melton had worked the loop do

dejectedly, all the fight gone out of him. He was quickly secured and led back into his own inclosure. Very carefully Satan was then loosed a trifle, and allowed to struggle to his feet. He was st

ed off, boss," said "Curley" to Mr. Melton.

. "I didn't know you were such

y quick sidestepping to get out of Satan's way, I'll admit. But when I was twenty years y

men, together with strict injunctions to ke

ed pretty pronto, savvy? And do all you can for the bay. I don't think he's se

stables, where the stallions were having their wounds doctored. It appeared that, as Mr. Melton had surmised, neither was very badly injured physically, but the bay stallion's spirit seemed utterly broken. After many days, however, he regained the pride which had been so rudely