with those he had
been accustomed to; and the ponies themselves were about as wicked and
vicious as animals of that size could be. But this only lent an
additional zest to the amusement of riding them. Their bad behaviour
did not daunt Eric in the least. With Ben's assistance a pony would be
caught in the corral and saddled, and then off he would go for a long,
lively gallop, Prince, as full of glee as himself, barking and bounding
along at his side.

Very often Ben would keep him company, for there was an old black
stallion of unusual size which seemed equal to the task of bearing his
huge frame. Then Eric's happiness was complete, for every day he was
growing fonder of the big man who had saved him from a dreadful death,
and who now treated him with paternal tenderness.

With the keen wintry air making his cheeks tingle, he would scamper off
at full speed for mile after mile, while Ben lumbered along more
slowly, thoroughly enjoying the boy's vigour and daring. Then, halting
until Ben overtook him, he would canter on quietly.

An amusement of which Eric never tired was chasing the wild ponies, as
though he wanted to catch one of them. Climbing one of the sand-hills,
he would look about until he sighted a herd grazing quietly in the
hollows, and guarded as usual by a touzle-maned stallion of mature
years. Making a wide detour, and carefully concealing his approach by
keeping the hillocks between himself and the ponies, he would get as
near as he possibly could without being seen. If necessary, he
dismounted and crept along on his hands and knees, dragging his own
pony by the bridle, while Prince followed.

When concealment was no longer possible, he would spring into his
saddle, and with wild shouts charge down upon the startled ponies; and
they would gallop off in headlong stampede.

One afternoon, while thus amusing himself, he had quite an exciting
experience, and rather a narrow escape from injury. He had stampeded a
herd of ponies, and picking out a sturdy little youngster as his
particular prey, was pressing him pretty closely, when the pony charged
straight up the side of a hill. As it was not steep, Eric followed
hard after him, taking for granted the slope would be about the same on
the other side. Instead of that, the hill fell away abruptly. Over
plunged the hunted pony. Unable to check his own animal, full of the
spirit of the chase, over plunged Eric too. For a moment both ponies
kept