e match, and the sergeant
was called first to toe the mark.

He raised his rifle and his five shots at fifty yards were quickly
fired.

Billy gave a low whistle, but toed the scratch promptly, and his five
shots were truer than the sergeant's, and a wild cheer broke from one
and all.

At one hundred yards the sergeant's shooting was better than the boy's;
and so it was with the pistol shooting, for when standing the sergeant's
shots were best, and in riding full speed by the target, Billy's were
the truest, and it was called a tie.

"How shall we shoot it off, Billy?" asked the sergeant, who seemed
somewhat nervous.

Billy made no reply, but went to his haversack and took from it an
apple, and going up to his pony placed him in position, the rein over
the horn of the saddle.

The apple he then put on the head of the pony, directly between his
ears, and stepping back while all present closely watched him, he threw
forward his pistol and fired.

The apple flew into fragments and a wild burst of applause came from all
sides, while Billy said quietly:

"I've got another apple, sergeant, for you to try the same on Little
Grey."

"I'll not run the risk, Billy, of killing him, so give in; but I'll win
him back from you sometime," said the sergeant.

"Any time, sergeant, I'm willing to shoot," replied the boy, and with a
happy heart he mounted his prize and set off for home.

CHAPTER V.

WILD HORSE HUNTING.

For several days after Billy Cody got his prize he did nothing but train
the animal to his use and was delighted to find that Little Grey would
follow him like a dog wherever he went.

Having all arranged now for his wild horse hunting, he set out one day
from home to be gone a week or more, he told his mother, and with the
promise that he would bring her a small fortune soon.

He had already discovered the feeding grounds of the herd, and thither
he went at once, arriving in the vicinity shortly before dark.

As he had expected, he found the herd, nearly five hundred in number,
but he kept out of sight of them, as it was so near dark, and camped
until morning, when he found they had gone up the valley for some miles.

Cautiously he followed them, and getting near unobserved at last made a
dash upon them.

Into their midst he went and a good horse was picked out and lariated in
the twinkling of an eye and quickly hoppled and turned loose.

Then another and another, until Billy felt that he