Beadles Boys Library of Sport, Story and Adventure, Vol. I, No. 1. | Page 6

the 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 had done a pretty good
day's work.
He had discovered two things, however, and that was that Little Grey
seemed more than a match for any of the herd with one exception, and
that one was a large, gaunt-bodied black stallion, that appeared to drop
him behind without much effort.
"I've got to have him," said Billy, as he returned to his hoppled prizes
and began to drive them toward the fort.
It was a long and tedious work, but the boy was not impatient and
reached the fort at last and received his reward, which he at once
carried to his mother and received her warm congratulations upon his
first success.
Back to the herd's haunts went Billy, and again he camped for the night,
but was aroused at dawn by a sound that he at first thought was distant
thunder.
But his ears soon were undeceived as he sprung to his feet, well
knowing that it was the herd of wild horses.
Instantly Billy formed his plan of action and mounting Little Grey rode
into a thicket near by, which wholly concealed him from view.
Here he waited, for he knew that the herd was coming to the river to
drink, and a cry of delight burst from his lips as he beheld the black
stallion in the lead.
"It is the horse the settlers call Sable Satan and that belonged to a horse
thief, father told me, who was shot from his back one night.
"Well, if I can catch him I'll be in luck, and I'll try it, though they say
he is awful vicious. Be quiet, Gray, or you'll spoil all."
On came the large drove at a trot directly for the river, and a beautiful
sight it was as they moved forward in solid mass, with flowing mane

and tail and the rising sun glancing upon every variety of color.
The leader was a perfect beauty, black as ink, with glossy hide and long
mane and tail--the equine king of the herd.
With his reins well in hand, his lariat ready, and