"We had a hunch, you know, but at thet Lucy's hoss
was a surprise. I'll say, sir, thet Lucy rode her wild hoss an' handled him.
Twice she pulled him off the King. He meant to kill the King! . . . Ask any of
the boys. . . . We got started. I took the lead, sir. The King was in the
lead. I never looked back till I heard Lucy scream. She couldn't pull
Wildfire. He was rushin' the King--meant to kill him. An' Sage King wanted to
fight. If I could only have kept him runnin'! Thet would have been a race!
. . . But Wildfire got in closer an' closer. He crowded us. He bit at the
King's flank an' shoulder an' neck. Lucy pulled till I yelled she'd throw
the hoss an' kill us both. Then Wildfire jumped for us. Runnin' an' strikin'
with both feet at once! Bostil, thet hoss's hell! Then he hit us an' down
we went. I had a bad spill. But the King's not hurt an' thet's a blessed
wonder."
"No race, Van! It was hard luck. Take him home," said Bostil.
Van's story of the accident vindicated Bostil's doubts. A new horse had
appeared on the scene, wild and swift and grand, but Sage King was still
unbeaten in a fair race.
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