Say, John, let Bob
ride back a way with me. I want to show him a few things about a pony."

"Oh, do!" chimed in Bob.

"All right, though I was calculating to teach him myself," returned
Ford, a light such as the station agent had never before seen in his
eyes.

"Can I take Chester?" asked Bob.

"Sure, he's yours!"

"Come, boy," called Bob. Then noticing that Hal wanted to say a word to
the ranchman, he exclaimed: "Don't tell him who I am, _please_." And as
the agent hesitated, he added, shrewdly, "Mr. Nichols wouldn't like it."

"All right, if you say not," returned Hal.

And wheeling their ponies, the two rode off across the plains, the dog
bounding joyfully along at Bob's side.

Gazing after them, even when they had disappeared from sight, stood John
Ford.

As the agent had said, Firefly was so gentle and had such an easy gait
that after the first few minutes' fear had passed Bob found he could not
only keep in the saddle, but could enjoy the motion of the pony.

Critically Thomas watched him, riding close at his side to be at hand in
case of trouble, finally exclaiming in hearty approval:

"You take to a horse like a duck to water, Bob."

"Do you mean that, Hal?"

"I sure do. Now dismount and I'll show you a trick or two." And as soon
as the boy was on the ground, he continued: "Some ponies have a mean way
of starting just as soon as you put your foot in the stirrups. No matter
how nervous your mount is, by drawing the left rein--remember you always
handle a saddle horse from the left side--so short that it turns the
pony's head, you can make him circle round and round, instead of
running straight ahead, which will give you a chance to swing into the
saddle. Now try it."

Without difficulty Bob performed the feat.

"Good," commented his instructor. "We'll both dismount and I'll teach
you how to hobble your pony. Whenever you turn a pony loose on the
plains, whether in the day time or at night, always hobble him. You
never know what may happen when you are 'punching cattle' and oftentimes
by having your pony handy it will save you a lot of trouble, to put it
mildly."

While he was speaking, Thomas had taken Bob's lariat, which hung from
the pommel of his saddle, and drawing the noose small had slipped it
over his pony's right hoof.

"There are two ways of hobbling," he continued, "one, to tie the front
and hind feet on the same side, the other, to tie both front feet. As
ponies are often mighty