The Young Lion Hunter | Page 4

and corrals, drove up at this juncture,
and I engaged him in conversation regarding a mount for the boy and
the pack-horses we would need on our trip.
"Wal, there's a bunch of mustangs over in the waterin' corral. Some
good ones--all pretty wild. But about pack-hosses--that sort of bumps
me," said Purcell, dubiously. "I'm due to go to Lund after grain an'
supplies, an' I need my regular packers. I'll let you have one, an' the big
bay stallion."
"You don't mean that big brute Marc?" I queried.
"Sure. He's all right, if you handle him easy. I don't know as he'll stand
for a pack-saddle--any kind of a saddle--but you might load somethin'
on him."
"If that's the best you can do we'll have to take him," I rejoined. "Also I
want a good man to take care of the horses for the boys."
"Hire the Indian. He's here now, an' he's the best man to find grass an'
water in this desert."
"You mean Navvy? Yes, we'd be lucky to get him, but Jim and Hiram
Bent, they both hate Indians."

"Leslie, I don't know of any one else in the village. It's lambin' time
now, an' hands are scarce. You'd better take the Indian, for he'll save
you lots of trampin' round."
"I'll do it, Purcell. We'll pack early in the morning and get a good start.
Now, take the lad over to the corral and get him a mount."
"Come on, youngster," said Purcell to Hal.
"Come on an' let's see what kind of an eye you have for a hoss."
Hal leaped off the fence and went with Purcell toward the other corrals.
Jim started to go with them, but Ken detained him.
"Fellows," said Ken, "before we get any farther I want to tell you about
my brother. He's simply as wild as a March hare. I'm not sure, but I
suspect that he's been reading a lot of Wild West stuff. The folks at
home have humored him, spoiled him, I think. Father is sort of proud of
Hal. The boy is bright, quick as a steel trap, and just the finest, squarest
kid ever. But he has a fiendish propensity for making trouble, getting
into scrapes. Now that would be bad enough back home, wouldn't it?
And here I've had to bring him out West!"
"I shore am glad you fetched him," replied Jim.
"I'm glad, too, Jim, until I think of Hal's peculiarities, and then I'm
scared. That kid can hatch up more impossible, never-heard-of
situations than any other kid on earth. Hal imagines he can do anything.
What's worse he's got the nerve to try, and, to tell you the truth, I've
never yet discovered anything he couldn't do."
"Can he ride a horse?" I asked.
"Ride! Say, he can ride standing on his head. Now, Dick and Jim, I
want you to do all you can to look after Hal, but understand, the
responsibility for his safety and welfare doesn't rest upon you. I'll do
my best for him; the responsibility rests upon me. Much as I wanted
Hal with me, I advised and coaxed father not to send him. But Dad

thinks the kid can do anything a great deal better than I. He told me
where I could go Hal could go. So we'll make up our minds to have our
hearts in our throats all the time on this trip and let it go at that."
Our attention was attracted by a shout from the other corral.
"Hyar, Leslie, come over," called Purcell.
We crossed over, slipped through a couple of gates, and edging round a
cloud of dust saw Hal in the middle of a corral holding a beautiful
mustang by the mane.
"Leslie, the youngster has picked out Wings, the worst pinto that ever
came off Buckskin Mountain," declared Purcell. "An' he says he don't
want an' won't have any other mustang here."
"Sure! What did I tell you, Dick? This is where the toboggan starts. Ha!
Ha!" yelled Ken.
"What's wrong, Purcell? That pinto looks fine and dandy," I said.
"He is a dandy," returned Purcell. "He's a climber, an' he can beat any
hoss on the range. But he can't be rid except when he wants to be rid.
There's no tellin' when he's liable to make up his mind to rare. It's not
buckin' so much--he's no bronch--but he just runs wild when it pleases
him, an' then it takes a Navajo to ride him. I say he's no mount for a
tenderfoot."
During this speech of Purcell's I watched Hal closely, and saw that,
however he occupied himself with Wings' glossy mane, he heard every
word. And when he glanced up I believed that what Purcell said had
absolutely decided him.