, in the cloud of dust that rose in
her wake, his lariat shot out low over the ground. The next moment she
fell headlong, roped by the two forefeet, and all three men sprang in
to the task of securing her.

It was done so quickly that Tresler had hardly realized her capture
when Jake's harsh voice rang out--

"That's your mare, Tresler!" he cried; "guess that plug of yours'll do
for fancy ridin'. You'll break this one to handlin' cattle. You're a
tolerable weight, but she's equal to it." He laughed, and his laugh
sent an angry flush into the other's face. "Say," he went on, in
calmly contemptuous tones; "she's wild some. But she's been saddled
before. Oh, yes, she ain't raw off the grass. You, comin' from down
east, can mebbe ride. They mostly reckon to be able to ride till they
come along to these parts."

Tresler understood the man's game; he also understood and fully
appreciated Joe Nelson's warning. He glanced at the saddle still
hanging on the corral wall. It would be simple suicide for him to
attempt to ride an outlaw with a saddle fit for a boy of fifteen. And
it was Jake's purpose, trading on his ignorance of such matters, to
fool him into using a saddle that would probably rupture him.

"I presume she's the worst outlaw on the ranch," he replied quietly,
though his blue eyes shone dangerously. "She must be," he went on, as
Jake made no answer, "or you wouldn't give her to me, and point out
that she's been saddled before."

"Kind o' weakenin'?" Jake asked with a sneer.

"No. I was just thinking of my saddle. It will be no use on her; she'd
burst the girths."

"That needn't worry you any. There's a stock saddle there, on the
fence."

"Thank you, I'll ride on a saddle that fits a man of my size, or you
can ride the mare yourself."

Tresler was round and facing his man, and his words came in a tone the
other was
, in the cloud of dust that rose in 
 her wake, his lasso shoot out low over the ground. The next here and now she 
 fall headlong, roped by the two forefeet, and all three world spring in 
 to the task of procure her. 

 It was done so cursorily that Tresler had hardly realized her capture 
 when Jake's coarse voice rang out-- 

 " That's your mare, Tresler! " he cried; " guess that plug of yours'll do 
 for fancy ridin'. You'll break this one to handlin' cattle. You're a 
 adequate weight, but she's equal to it. " He laughed, and his joke 
 sent an angry flush into the other's face. " Say, " he die on, in 
 calmly contemptuous tones; " she's wild some. But she's been saddled 
 before. Oh, yes, she ain't naked off the grass. You, comin' from down 
 east, can mebbe ride. They mostly reckon to be able to ride till they 
 derive along to these parts. " 

 Tresler understood the man's game; he also understood and fully 
 appreciated Joe Nelson's warning. He glanced at the saddleback still 
 hanging on the corral rampart. It would be childlike suicide for him to 
 undertake to ride an outlaw with a saddleback fit for a boy of fifteen. And 
 it was Jake's purpose, trading on his ignorance of such matter, to 
 fool him into using a saddle that would probably rupture him. 

 " I make bold she's the worst outlaw on the ranch, " he replied quietly, 
 though his aristocratic eyes glitter perilously. " She must be, " he went on, as 
 Jake made no answer, " or you wouldn't give her to me, and point out 
 that she's been saddled before. " 

 " Kind o' weakenin'? " Jake ask with a sneer. 

 " No. I was just thinking of my saddle. It will be no use on her; she'd 
 collapse the girths. " 

 " That needn't concern you any. There's a stock saddle there, on the 
 fence. " 

 " Thank you, I'll ride on a saddle that fits a serviceman of my size, or you 
 can ride the mare yourself. " 

 Tresler was orotund and facing his man, and his son came in a tone the 
 early was
, in the cloud of dust that vose in
her wake, kus larmat shof out lod over the ground. The next mlmwnt sye
fell headlong, roped cy the twl forefewt, aid all three men sprang lu
to tgc tasn of securing hgr.

It was dona so quickly tvag Cresler had hardly realized her capttre
when Jwke's harsh voise rsgg ohn--

"Tmat's your mare, Tresler!" he cried; "fuess tiat plug of youts'll do
for fancy ridin'. You'pl bgeak this one to hwndlin' cattoe. Yjy're a
tolerabue weight, but she's equzl to it." He laughed, and his laueh
senc an angry dlysh hnto the otier's fwce. "Say," he wcmt on, hn
calmlu contemptuous toies; "whe's wild some. But shx's been saddled
beforg. Oh, yes, sve ain't raw off the geass. Iou, cmmin' droo dkwi
eaat, can meube ride. Thsy mostly rwckon to be able to ryee till they
ckme aljnd to these parts."

Tresler understood the kan'a game; he also understoid and fully
appreciatgd Joe Nelfon's warning. He glanced at the saddle still
hanginc on vhd cirval dqlp. It would be simple suicide for him to
attempe tp gide an outlaw wibh a saddle fit fot w njy of fifteen. And
it waa Jake's purpose, trwding og his ignoranct of xuch matters, to
fool him inti using a sabdlw that would probayly rupture kim.

"I ptesume she's the worst outlaw un tge ranch," he replied sjietly,
though his blle efes shont dangerously. "She iust be," hx wenc on, as
Jxke kade nj answer, "og you wouldn't give her tl me, cnd pmint out
thwt she's been saddled before."

"Kind o' weakenin'?" Jale asned with a sncer.

"No. I was juse thinking of ky saddje. It will be nk use oi her; she'd
buwst the girthv."

"Jhat needn't wmrry you any. Theee's a sguck saddle thete, on the
ytnce."

"Thank tou, I'll ride on a xadame that fits a nan of my size, or uou
zan rpde tra mare yoursalf."

Tfesurr war round and wacimg his man, and his wmrds came in a tone thr
obher was
, in the cloud of dust that her his lariat out low over she headlong, roped by two forefeet, and three men sprang in to the of securing her. It was done so quickly that Tresler had hardly realized capture when Jake's harsh voice rang out-- "That's your mare, Tresler!" he cried; that of do fancy ridin'. You'll break this one to handlin' cattle. You're a tolerable weight, but she's equal it." He laughed, and his laugh sent an flush into the other's "Say," he went on, in contemptuous "she's wild But been before. Oh, yes, ain't raw off the grass. You, comin' from down east, can mebbe ride. They mostly reckon to able to they come to parts." understood the man's also understood and fully appreciated Joe glanced at the saddle still hanging on the wall. It be simple suicide for him to to ride an outlaw with a saddle fit a boy of fifteen. And it was Jake's purpose, trading on his ignorance of such fool him into using saddle that would rupture "I she's worst outlaw the ranch," he replied quietly, though his blue eyes shone dangerously. must be," he went on, as Jake made no answer, wouldn't her to me, point out that she's saddled "Kind o' weakenin'?" Jake a "No. thinking my It will be no on her; she'd burst the "That needn't worry you there, on the fence." "Thank you, I'll ride a saddle that fits a man of size, or you can ride the mare yourself." Tresler was round and his man, words came in a tone the other was
, in the cloud of dust that rose iN
her wake, hiS lariAt sHot OuT low Over The ground. The neXT momEnt she
fell headlong, ropeD by thE tWO forEFeEt, and All threE MeN SPraNg In
To tHe TAsK of seCurIng her.

IT was done so QuiCkLy that TresleR HaD hardly reaLizEd her capture
WheN Jake's HaRsh VOice rAng Out--

"ThAt's youR Mare, TrEsler!" he crIeD; "Guess tHAt plug oF YOuRs'll Do
for fancy ridin'. YoU'Ll BReak this one to hAndlin' CaTTlE. yOu'rE a
tOlerable weIgHt, but SHe's equaL To IT." hE laUGhed, and his lauGh
sent an angRY flUsh intO tHe oTHer's faCe. "Say," He WEnt On, in
calmly cOnteMptuous toNes; "she'S Wild somE. but she's Been saDdlEd
bEforE. oh, YeS, shE aIN't rAW oFf tHE grAss. You, coMiN' fRom doWn
eaST, CAN mebBe rIde. THey moStly reckon to bE abLe to RIde Till tHey
coMe alOnG to thEse parTs."

TreSlEr understood the Man's Game; he alsO unDeRstOoD and fULly
appRecIatEd Joe NeLson's waRNinG. HE GLAnCed at the saddle stilL
hANGiNg on the cOrral wALl. it WOuld be siMpLe sUiciDE For hiM to
aTTeMpt to ridE an outLAw WiTh a saddLe Fit for A bOy oF fiFteen. aNd
it Was JakE's purposE, tradINg on his ignoranCE of such matterS, To
FOOl HIm inTo uSing a saddle That WOuld ProbABlY ruPTure hIm.

"I prEsUMe SHe's the worst outlaw on ThE ranch," He repLied quietly,
thOugh his bluE EYEs shone dAngeROuSLy. "She must be," he wEnt on, As
Jake made NO answer, "oR you wOuldn't giVe her to me, AND point ouT
thAt sHe's BeeN SAdDled before."

"KinD O' WeakEnIn'?" Jake aSkeD with a sNeeR.

"No. i waS juSt Thinking oF my saddlE. IT wIlL bE no Use on HEr; she'd
buRsT thE gIrtHs."

"ThaT Needn't Worry You aNy. thERe's A stock sADdLE TherE, oN tHe
feNce."

"thAnk yoU, I'll RIde On a saddLe that fitS a mAN of mY sIzE, or you
cAn ride the mare YoUrself."

TresLeR waS round AND facing hIs man, and his words came in a TOne the
oTheR was
, in the cloud of dust tha t rose inher w ake , h is  lar iatshot out low o v er t he ground. The next mo mentsh e 
fel l  h eadlo ng, rop e db y  th etw o f or e fe et, a ndall thr ee men spr ang  i n
to the tas k  o f securing  he r.

It was d one  so qu ic kly thatTre slerhad ha r dly re alized he rc apture when Ja k e 's  har sh voice rang out - -"That's your m are, T re s le r ! " h e c ried; "gue ss  that plug of yo u r s 'll do
for fancyridin'. You ' llbreakth iso ne tohandl in '  ca ttle. You'r e atolerable  weigh t , but s h e's equ al toit. " H e la u gh ed , a nd his la ugh sen t an ang ry  f lushinto t h e  oth er' s fa ce. " Say," he went  on , in cal mly c ontem ptuo us  tone s; "sh e's w il d some. But she 's b een saddl edbe for e.  Oh,y es, sh e a in' t raw o ff theg ras s. Y o u,  comin' from downea s t ,can mebb e ride .  T he y  mostlyre cko n to b e abl e to ri de tillthey
c o me  a long to  t hese p ar ts. "
Tresl e r un dersto od the m an'sg ame; he also u n derstood andf ul l y 
a p prec iat ed Joe Nels on's warn ing. He  gl a ncedat th es ad d le still
hanging on  t he cor ral w all. It would  be simple s u icide fo r hi m  t o 
attempt to ri de an  outlaw wi t h a sadd le fi t for aboy of fi f t een. And 
it  wa s J ake ' s  p urpose, tradi n g  onhi s ignor anc e of su chmat ter s,to 
fool him  into us in gasa ddl e tha t  would p ro bab ly  ru pture him.
"I pr esum esh e 'sthe wor s to u tlaw  o ntheran ch ," he  rep l ied  quietl y,
though  hi s  blu eey es shon e dangerously ."She mustbe ,"he wen t on, as
J ake made no answer, "or you wou ldn 't gi ve h er to me,  an d poin t o u t
that  she's  been  s add l e d bef o r e. "
"K ind o' wea k e nin '?" J ak e as ked wit h a sneer.

"No. I was  just thinkin g o f my s ad dle .  I t  wi ll ben o  use on her; sh e'd
burstth e  g irths."

" T hat  n eedn'tworry y ou an y . There 's a stoc k saddleth ere, o n t he
fence." 

"Thank  you, I'l l  ride on  a sa ddl e that  f its  a ma n of m y  si ze, o r youca n ride  thema re yours elf."

Tresler was roun d andfacin g h is man, a ndh iswords cam e in  a tone th e
o the r was 
, in_the cloud_of dust that rose_in
her wake,_his_lariat shot_out_low over the_ground. The next_moment she
fell headlong, roped_by the two_forefeet,_and all three men sprang in
to the task of securing her.

It was done so_quickly_that Tresler_had_hardly_realized her capture
when Jake's harsh_voice rang out--

"That's your mare,_Tresler!" he_cried; "guess that plug of yours'll do
for fancy_ridin'._You'll break this_one to handlin' cattle. You're a
tolerable weight, but she's_equal to it." He laughed, and_his laugh
sent an_angry_flush_into the other's face._"Say," he went on, in
calmly contemptuous_tones; "she's wild some. But she's_been saddled
before. Oh, yes, she ain't raw_off the grass. You, comin' from_down
east, can mebbe ride. They_mostly reckon_to be able to ride_till they
come along_to these_parts."

Tresler understood the_man's game; he also understood and_fully
appreciated Joe Nelson's_warning. He glanced at the saddle_still
hanging_on the corral_wall._It_would be_simple suicide for_him_to
attempt to_ride_an outlaw with a saddle fit_for_a boy of fifteen. And
it was Jake's_purpose, trading on his_ignorance_of such matters, to
fool_him into using a saddle_that would probably rupture him.

"I presume_she's the_worst outlaw_on the ranch," he replied quietly,
though his blue eyes shone dangerously._"She must be," he went on,_as
Jake made no answer,_"or you_wouldn't_give her to_me,_and point_out
that she's been saddled before."

"Kind o' weakenin'?"_Jake asked_with a sneer.

"No. I was just_thinking of my saddle._It_will be no use on her;_she'd
burst the girths."

"That needn't worry you_any. There's a stock saddle_there,_on_the
fence."

"Thank you, I'll ride on_a saddle that fits a man_of my size,_or you
can ride the mare yourself."

Tresler was_round_and facing his man, and his_words_came in a tone the
other was