ht have held back, but he was not well broken for such a
purpose, having participated in but few round-ups.

"Look out! You'll be killed!" yelled Ralph, as he struggled to get out
from under his pony. The wind had been knocked out of him, but
otherwise he was uninjured.

Dan scarcely heard him, so busy was he trying to bring the white
mustang to a halt. Soon he disappeared into the timber, and then Ralph
arose, mounted the pony once more, and came after him.

The white mustang did not enter the forest far before the lariat around
his neck began to hurt him. He tried to circle around several trees,
and thereby cut himself short to such an extent that he was in great
danger of choking to death.

"Hold my pony!" shouted Dan to Ralph, and slipped to the ground. The
free end of the lariat was passed around a tree and tied, and Dan
sprang forward toward the white mustang, who was now acting as if ready
to give up the battle.

"Easy now, easy," said Dan, soothingly, and watching his chance, he
hopped up on the mustang's back. Immediately the animal bucked and
plunged, trying his best to throw his rider. The lariat was depriving
him of his wind, and of a sudden he stopped short and trembled, as if
about to fall.

Not wishing to strangle the animal now he had caught him, Dan cried to
Ralph to come up and help hobble the steed, that he might walk but not
run. At the same time he continued to talk soothingly to the mustang
and patted him on the neck. Then, fearing he would breathe his last if
the lariat remained as it was, he drew his knife and cut the leather.

In a twinkle the whole manner of the mustang changed, and, before Ralph
could reach his big brother's side, the steed was off like a streak of
lightning, with Dan clinging fast to his neck. Over some low brush the
pair went, and then under some tall pines and out of sight.

"Hi! hi!" cried Ralph, but Dan had too much to do to call back to him.
On and on went the mustang, and the youth could neither stop him, nor
did he dare try to leap to the ground, for fear of a kick from one of
those flying hoofs. It was such a wild ride as Dan never forgot.

By instinct the white mustang seemed to know the best course to pursue,
and went on where the trees were high branched and tolerably far apart.
This was lucky for Dan, for had the limbs been low he must certainly
have been knocked off and killed. He bent as low as he could.

"Go it, if you must," he thought, grimly. "You