horses moved away along the fence, and
halted to face about again. They let the riders approach to a hundred
yards, then, with a trampling roar, they burst into action. Wild
pointed noses, ears, heads, manes and flying hoofs and tails seemed to
spread from a dark compact mass.

They ran to the other side of the corral, where the horsemen leisurely
followed them. Again they broke into mighty concerted action and into
thunder of hoofs. They performed this maneuver several times before
the riders succeeded in scattering them all over the pasture. Then
with wild horses running, trotting, walking, standing everywhere it was
easy to distinguish one from another.

"Regular lot of broomtails," yelled Blinky to Pan. "Ain't seen any yet
I'd give two bits fer. Reckon, as always, the good hosses got away."

But Pan inclined to the opinion that among so many there were surely a
few fine animals. And so it proved. Pan's first choice was a blue
roan, a rare combination of color, build and speed. The horse was a
mare and had a good head. She had a brand on her left flank. Pan rode
around after her, here, there, all over the field, but without help he
could not turn her where he wished.

He had to watch her closely to keep from losing sight of her among so
many moving horses, and he expected any moment that the boys would come
to his assistance. But they did not. Whereupon Pan faced about, just
in time to see a wonderful-looking animal shoot through the open gate
into the smaller corral. Blinky and Gus rode after him.

The gate was closed, and then began a chase round the corral. The wild
horse was at a disadvantage. He could not break through the fence or
leap over it, and presently two lassoes caught him at once, one round
his neck, the other his feet. As he went down, Pan heard the piercing
shriek. The two cowboys were out of their saddles in a twinkling, and
while Gus held the horse down Blinky hobbled his front feet. Then they
let him get up. Charley Brown ran to open another gate, that led out
into the unfenced pasture. This animal was a big chestnut, with tawny
mane. He leaped prodigiously, though fettered by the hobbles. Then he
plunged and fell and rolled over. He got up to try again. He was
savage, grotesque, awkward. The boys drove him through the gate.

"_Whoopee!_" pealed out Blinky's yell.

"Reckon those boys know their business," soliloquized Pan, and then he
yelled for them to come and