showed at sight of Lucy. Still Slone was proud of Lucy's
control over the stallion. He was just as much heart and soul bent on
winning the great race as Lucy was. She had ridden Wildfire bareback at
first, and then they had broken him to the saddle.

It was serious business, that training of Wildfire, and Slone had
peculiar ideas regarding it. Lucy rode him up and down the pass until
he was warm. Then Slone got on Sarchedon. Wildfire always snorted and
showed fight at sight of Sage King or Nagger, and the stallion
Sarchedon infuriated him because Sarchedon showed fight, too. Slone
started out ahead of Lucy, and then they raced down the long pass. The
course was hard-packed sand. Fast as Sarchedon was, and matchless as a
horseman as was Slone, the race was over almost as soon as it began.
Wildfire ran indeed like fire before the wind. He wanted to run, and
the other horse made him fierce. Like a burr Lucy stuck low over his
neck, a part of the horse, and so light he would not have known he was
carrying her but for the repeated calls in his ears. Lucy never spurred
him. She absolutely refused to use spurs on him. This day she ran away
from Slone, and, turning at the end of the two-mile course they had
marked out, she loped Wildfire back. Slone turned with her, and they
were soon in camp. Lucy did not jump off. She was in a transport. Every
race kindled a mounting fire in her. She was scarlet of face, out of
breath, her hair flying. And she lay on Wildfire's neck and hugged him
and caressed him and talked to him in low tones of love.

Slone dismounted and got Sarchedon out of the way, then crossed to
where Lucy still fondled Wildfire. He paused a moment to look at her,
but when she saw him he started again, and came close up to her as she
sat the saddle.

"You went past me like a bullet," he said.

"Oh, can't he run!" murmured Lucy.

"Could he beat the King to-day?"

Slone had asked that question every day, more than once.

"Yes, he could--to-day. I know it," replied Lucy. "Oh--I get so--so
excited. I--I make a fool of myself--over him. But to ride him--going
like that--Lin! it's just glorious!"

"You sure can ride him," replied Slone. "I can't see a fault
anywhere--in him--or in your handling him. He never breaks. He goes
hard, but he saves something. He gets mad--fierce--all the time, yet he
WANTS to go your way. Lucy, I never saw the like of it. Somehow you an'
Wildfire make a combination. You can't be beat."