with more natural aptitude for the sport.

Sometimes Farrar was present at these lessons. Often Baldy Cummings, who
liked the cowpuncher because Steve was always willing to help him get
the properties ready for the required sets, would put on the gloves with
him and try him out for a round or two. Manderson, the melancholy
comedian, occasionally dropped in with some other member of the company.

The same thought was in the mind of all of them except Yeager himself.
The extra was being trained to meet Harrison. It was apparent to all of
them that the prizefighter was nursing a grudge. The jaunty insouciance
of the young range-rider irritated him as a banderilla goads a bull in
the ring.

"Steve gets under his hide. Some day he's going to break loose again,"
Farrar told Manderson as they watched Lennox and Yeager box.

"The kid shapes fine. If Mr. Chad Harrison waits long enough he's liable
to find himself in trouble when he tackles that young tiger cub,"
answered the comedian. "Ever see anybody quicker on his feet? Reminds me
of Jim Corbett when he was a youngster."

The news of the boxing lessons traveled to Harrison. He set his heavy
jaw and waited. He intended that Yeager should go to the hospital after
their next mix-up.

Meanwhile he found other causes for disliking the new man. Always a
vain man, his jealousy was inflamed because Steve was a better rider
than he. At any time he was ready with a sneer for what he called the
cowpuncher's "grandstanding."

"It gets across, Harrison," Threewit told him bluntly one day. "We've
never had a rider whose work was so snappy. He's doing fine."

"Watch him blow up one of these days--nothing to him," growled the
heavy.

"There's a whole lot to him," disagreed the producing director as he
walked away to superintend the arrangement of a set.

Several days after this some new horses were added to the remuda of the
Lunar Company. Harrison picked a young mustang to ride in a chase scene
they were going to pull off. The pony was a wiry buckskin with powerful
flanks and withers. The prizefighter was no sooner in the saddle than it
developed that the animal had not been half broken. It took to pitching
at once and presently spilled the rider.

Steve, sitting on the corral fence with Jackson and Orman, two other
riders for the company, called across cheerfully,--

"Not hurt, are you?"

The heavy got up swearing. "Any of your damned business, is it?"

He caught at the p