olling to its side quickly.

Tad was on the ground beside it, standing in a half-crouching position,
with one foot on the saddle horn.

He had jerked the broncho's head clear of the ground with a strong tug
on the reins, making the animal helpless to rise until the lad was ready
for him to do so.

The cowboys uttered a yell of triumph.

"Great! Great!" approved Bob Stallings.

"Tenderfoot, eh?" jeered Big-foot Sanders. "Hooray for the Pinto!"

Tad's companions gave a shrill cheer.

"Wait. He ain't out of the woods yet," growled Lumpy Bates.

"Think you could do it better, hey?" snapped Curley Adams. "Why, that
cayuse would shake the blooming neck off you if you were in that saddle.
I never did see such a whirlwind."

"Got springs in his feet, I reckon," grinned Big-foot.

"Don't let his head down till you're ready for the get-away," cautioned
the foreman.

Tad suddenly allowed the head to touch the ground, after the pony had
lain pinned at his feet, breathing hard for a full minute.

Boy and mount were in the air in a twinkling. As they went up, Ted
brought down his quirt with all his strength. It was time the ugly
animal was taught that its enemy could strike a blow for himself.

With a quick pause, as if in surprise, the beast shot its head back to
fasten its teeth in the leg of the rider. Tad had jerked his leg away as
he saw the movement, with the result that only part of his leggin came
away between the teeth of the savage animal.

Crack!

Down came the quirt again.

The broncho's head straightened out before him with amazing quickness.
He was beginning to fear as well as hate the human being who so
persistently sat his back and tortured him.

The pony sprang into the air.

"They're off!" shouted the cowboys.

With amazing quickness the animal lunged ahead, paused suddenly, then
shot across the plain in a series of leaps and twists.

Tad shook out the rein, at the same time giving a gentle pressure to the
rowels of his spurs.

Maddened almost beyond endurance, the pony started at a furious pace,
not pausing until more than a mile had been covered. When he did bring
up it was with disconcerting suddenness.

"Whoa, boy!" soothed Tad, patting the little animal on the neck. Again
the wide-open mouth reached for the lad's left leg. But this time Tad
pressed in the spurs on the right side. The pony tried to bite that way,
whereat its rider spurred it on the left side.

This was continued unt