Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘tance from the ranch house. — 762 There was a short conflict just outside of the stable, when the wild horse, reviving rapidly and getting a scent .of the fresh, keen air, sought to jerk its way to freedom. But again the cruel hackamore shut off its breath, and again he followed Bassett. Bassett rode to a grass level a little dis- He had brought a stake pin with him, and he slipped out of the saddle and drove the stake pin deep with a sledge that he had taken to the spot previously. He jerked the end of the rope loose from the saddle, tied it to the ' ring in the stake, leaped into the saddle and rode a-short distance to waten the behavior of the wild horse. Bassett had seen many of these -perform- ances, and he was interested in this one only to the extent of determining how long the wild horse would struggle. His one con- cern was that the_animal might break. its neck, and when the wild horse, resolved upon gaining his freedom by’ breaking the hated TOpe. ran at full speed te the end of it and finished flat on his back with his heels in the air, his breath knocked from his body, but otherwise uninjured, Bassett grinned’ hugelv. Bassett did not watch long. He had other things to do. - He rode ‘back to: the stable and left -the wild horse to his own devices, knowing that at the end of an hour or so the animal would have different views on the efficacy and reliability of a rope. Bassett went into the harness shop. He . _ Jabored there for two hours, selecting straps, riveting buckles upon some, removing buck- les from others; sorting ropes and fashion- ing them: into queer looking forms. to the house and laid them on the floor of the living room, in a corner, and covering © them with a cloth that he- took from a lounge. Two short ropes, such as were used to “ hogtie ” cattle, he laid-on-a shelf above the other ropes. He went outside again, got his — mounted it and rode to where he had staked the wild horse.’ He sat watching it, his gaze critical, speculative: : “ Mazeppa,” he said, half breathing the word. It was as though it had come from his subconscious brain. He at first seemed -_ é ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. surprised to hear it. And then a grin wreathed his lips. Nothing astonishing about his speaking the word; he’d been thinking about Mazeppa. ‘“ As good a name as any. But you won’t be needin’ any name after to-night,” he said to the horse, and laughed aloud at a thought that came to him. He had brought a blanket from the stable and he-rode around the wild horse waving it and snapping it in the animal’s face. The black was in a frenzy of fright. Half a dozen times he ran the length of the rope, only to be thrown heavily. Bassett quit that sport; the wild horse would be injured, although the experience would teach him not to ‘be afraid of things that slapped and snapped near him. What Bassett wanted to do was to train the wild horse so that he could get near him; he wanted the animal to learn to re- spect a rope. He went.into the stable and returned with another lariat.. He coiled it, poised its noose. threw it. It flew out, encircled the wild horse’s left foreleg just above the fetlock. The wild horse leaped into the air. Bassett cunningly backed the horse he. was riding and the black was thrown. Bassett worked the loop off. Again he threw it. Again the black, his frenzy less apparent, fought the rope. Again he was thrown. _ : A half dozen times was this performance repeated. And then Bassett returned to the house, got himself some dinner and ‘sat on the front porch, smoking. Getting them all together he carried them . Later he revisited the wild ‘horse. . This time he went on foot, rope in hand. He walked around the ‘horse several times, just beyond the radius of the stake rope—slowly, - casually. Gradually he moved inward, less- ening the diameter of his continuing circles. ‘Gradually; too, the wild horse seemed to grow ‘accustomed to the hideous aspect of the spectacle. He began to understand that if he did not fight the rope it would not hurt him. Late in the afternoon there came a time when the wild horse stood, trembling, ,while the rope was extended toward him. And cCoOmiclbook he was afraid Then with a sinuous movement he - CO ae