Wild Bills Last Trail | Page 8

Bill is to be here at sunset, that time is close at hand. You say the horse has not been ridden?"
"No," said the stable-keeper. "My regular breaker was not here when I bought him. Black Joe tried to mount him, but the horse scared him."
"Well, I'll soon see what he is made of, if I can get saddle and bridle on him," said the Texan.
They now together approached the large box stall in which the stallion was kept. The horse, almost perfect in symmetry, black as night, with a fierce, wild look, turned to front them as they approached the barred entrance.
"Steady, boy--steady!" cried the Texan, as he sprang lightly over the bars, and at once laid his hand on the arched neck of the horse.
To the wonder of the stableman, the horse, instead of rearing back or plunging at the intruder, turned his eyes upon him, and with a kind of tremor in his frame, seemed to wait to see what his visitor meant.
"So! Steady, Black Hawk! steady, old boy!" continued the Texan, kindly passing his hand over the horse's neck and down his face.
The horse uttered a low neigh, and seemed by his looks pleased with his attentions.
"That beats me!" cried the stable-keeper. "Old Joe had to lasso him and draw him down to a ringbolt before he could rub him off."
"Hand me the saddle and bridle," said the Texan, still continuing to "pet" the beautiful and spirited animal.
In a few seconds, without difficulty, the same kind and skillful hands had the horse both saddled and bridled.
The Texan now led the horse out on the street, where quite a crowd seemed to be gathering, perhaps drawn there by some rumor of a fight in embryo.
And as he glanced up the street the Texan saw Wild Bill himself, with his six-shooters in his belt, come striding along, with California Joe and a dozen more at his heels.
In a second, the Texan vaulted upon the back of the horse, which made one wild leap that would have unseated most riders, and then reared on its hind legs as if it would fall back and crush its would-be master.
At this instant, Wild Bill rushing forward, pistol in hand, shouted:
"Give up that horse, or die!"
CHAPTER V.
A SQUARE BACK-DOWN.
The Texan paid no heed to the words of the desperado, but bending forward on the horse with his full weight, drove his spurs deeply into its flanks. Startled and stung with pain, the noble animal, at one wild bound, leaped far beyond where Bill and his friends stood, and in a second more sped in terrific leaps along the street.
"The cowardly cuss is running away!" yelled Bill derisively.
"It is false! He is no coward! He will tame the horse first and then you!" cried a voice so close that Bill turned in amazement to see who dare thus to speak to him, the "Terror of the West."
"A woman!" he muttered, fiercely, as he saw a tall and queenly-looking girl standing there, with flashing eyes, which did not drop at his gaze.
"Yes--a woman, who has heard of Wild Bill, and neither fears nor admires him!" she said, undauntedly.
"Is the fellow that rode off on the horse your husband or lover that you take his part?" asked Bill, half angrily and half wondering at the temerity of the lovely girl who thus braved his anger.
"He is neither," she replied, scornfully.
"I'm glad of it. I shall not make you a widow or deprive you of a future husband when he comes under my fire, if he should be fool enough to come back."
"He comes now. See for yourself. He has tamed the horse--now comes your turn, coward and braggart!"
Bill was white with anger; but she was a woman, mind no matter what he felt, too well he knew the chivalry of the far West to raise a hand or even speak a threatening word to her. But he heard men around him murmur her name.
It was Addie Neidic.
And then he turned his eyes upon the black horse and rider. The animal, completely under control, though flecked with foam, came down the street slowly and gently, bearing his rider with an air of pride rather than submission. As he passed the German restaurant, the rider raised his hat in salutation to Willie Pond, who stood in his window, and said, in a cheerful voice:
"Remain in your room. I have news for you and will be there soon."
Without checking his horse the rider kept on until he was within half a length of the horse of Wild Bill, then checking the animal, he said, in a mocking tone:
"You spoke to me just as I rode away. I've come back to hear you out."
What was the matter with Wild Bill? He stood staring wildly at the Texan, his own face