the
rest of his life."

There were many trips to be taken from the city, perhaps the most
historic in all that wild country. The boys journeyed out into the
interior on the famous White Pass railway, climbed Mount Dewey to Dewey
Lake, and took a look at the hunting grounds where mountain sheep were
to be had providing one were quick enough on the trigger to get the
little animals before they leaped away. The next morning they turned
their attention to the task of purchasing such of their outfit as they
had not yet procured.

Having been referred to a man who kept Alaskan ponies for sale, they
tramped out to the end of the long street on which the stores were
located. There, sure enough, was a large herd of them in a paddock in a
vacant lot. There were a good many vacant lots in Skagway. The boys
climbed the paddock fence and looked over the lot.

"Me for that black one over yonder," cried Chunky.

"Why the black one?" asked Ned. "I thought you liked the lighter colors,
the delicate tints?"

"I do when some other fellow has to groom the animals. For a
labor-saving color give me black every time. With a black horse I can
sleep half an hour longer than any fellow who has a white one and yet be
ready for breakfast as soon as he is."

"You're too lazy to change your mind," growled Ned Rector.

"You want the black one, you say?" questioned Tad.

"That's what I said."

"And you, Ned?"

"Oh, I don't care. I'll stand by your choice."

"So will I," spoke up Walter. "The Professor said you were to choose
something in his class for him to ride, too."

"Buy him a mule!" yelled Chunky.

"Yes, that reminds me. We shall have to take a couple of mules. I wonder
if we can get them here. There comes the owner of this herd. We'll talk
to him."

The owner of the ponies had been expecting the visit of the boys. He had
been told that they would require ponies and did not know that the Pony
Rider Boys had formed conclusions about them in advance.

Tad introduced himself and his companions.

"I've got just what you want, boys," nodded the owner. "Every one of
those fellows is kind and gentle and will stand without hitching."

"That isn't exactly what we are looking for. We are not particular about
their being girls' horses. We want stock that has the gimp in it," Tad
informed him.

"That's it, that's it. You've just hit it. Gimp! That's the word, and
there's another that fits--ginger! They're just full of ginger, every