bridle were his own, but that
the horse was a big, rawboned beast.

"That's not my pony," he said.

"This here Rocket hawss ain't _any_ pony," agreed Gowan. "He's a man's
size hawss. Ain't afraid you'll drop too far when you fall off, are
you?"

"You're trying to get me on a bucking bronco!" said Ashton,
suspiciously eying the bony, wild-eyed brute.

"He's no outlaw," reassured Gowan. "Most all our hawsses are liable
to prance some when they've et too many rattlers. But Miss Chuckie
said you can ride."

"I can," said Ashton, tightening the thong of his sombrero down across
the back of his head and buttoning his coat.

"Roped this Rocket hawss for you because Mr. Knowles wants his mail by
sundown," remarked Gowan. "He shore can travel some when he feels like
it. Don't know as you'll need your spurs. Here's a five-spot Mr.
Knowles said to hand you by way of advance. Thought you might want to
refresh yourself over at Stockchute. Wouldn't rather have another
saddle and bridle, would you?"

"Kindly thank Mr. Knowles for me," said Ashton, pocketing the five
dollar bill. "No--the horse is hard-mouthed, but I prefer my own
saddle and bridle."

He drew his rifle from its sheath, wiped the dew from the butt, and
tested the mechanism. The horse cocked his ears, but stood motionless
while the rifle was taken out and replaced. Ashton picked up the reins
from the ground and threw them over the horse's head. The beast did
not swing around, but his ewe neck straightened and his entire body
stiffened to a peculiar rigidity.

Ashton tested the tightness of his saddle girth, and paused to gaze at
the closed front door of the house. Aside from his saddle and
burlesque sombrero, he looked every inch a puncher, both in dress and
in bearing. But Miss Isobel missed the effect of his new _ensemble_.
She missed also the interesting spectacle of his mounting.

If he had never ridden a cow pony he would have been thrown and
dragged the instant he put his foot in the narrow metal stirrup. The
horse was watching him alertly, every muscle tense. Ashton smiled
confidently, spoke to the beast in a quiet tone, and pulled on the off
rein. The horse bent his head to the pull, for the moment off his
guard. In a twinkling Ashton had his foot in the stirrup and was up in
the saddle. His toe slipped into the other stirrup as the horse jumped
sideways.

The leap was tremendous, but it failed to unseat Ashton. It was
instantly followed by other