Felicia slipped from the man’s hand and again sought Abe’s side, pressing close to him. In his ear she whispered:
“I am afraid we’re in awful trouble now, Abe. You remember the bad men we saw in the valley before my horse ran. Perhaps these are two of them.”
“Better be ketched by bad men than starve,” he returned, with an effort to reassure her. “I have seen heaps of bad men before this, and I am still alive.”
One of the horses was easily captured, but, to the surprise of the man, the other one charged viciously at him. When he sought to get at its head, the creature wheeled with a squeal and kicked wildly.
The man swore.
“What ails ye, drat yer?” he growled.
Then he released the docile animal and turned his attention to the other.
To his astonishment, the creature was fierce as a raging lion. It charged on him repeatedly, and he escaped only by the utmost nimbleness. It squealed, and whirled, and kicked in all directions. Apparently it fancied a thousand men were trying to capture it, and its wild gyrations were exceedingly surprising, to say the least.
After a little, the man ran away when he found the opportunity and stood at a distance, with his hands on his hips, watching the cavorting creature.
“The dinged hoss is sure crazy!” he declared. “Why, its a-trying to chew itself up, or kick itself to pieces. Never see but one critter act that way before.”