"I'll help," proffered the obliging George. "Gwan, Duke."
"Duke! Gwan!" ordered Terry.
"Whoa, Jenny! Steady, Jenny!" cautioned Harry.
With Harry hauling on the lines, George, pony-back, pressing against Duke's shoulder, and Terry urging him at the flank, they all managed to achieve a half circle. Duke, his eyes bulging with rage and alarm, occasionally balked; Jenny flattened her ears and shook her scarred head; but finally the corral bars were really reached. It seemed like quite a victory.
"First lesson ended," decreed Harry. "Too dark, and we're tired if they aren't. We'll put 'em in together and they can talk it over."
Released into the corral, neither Jenny nor Duke appeared to be in very good humor. Duke rumbled and pawed, flinging the dirt; Jenny laid her ears and bared her teeth. Suddenly Duke charged; whereat Jenny nimbly whirled, and met him with both hind hoofs. Aside staggered Duke, to stand a moment, glaring at her and rumbling; then he turned and stalked stiffly to the other end of the enclosure. Jenny "hee-hawed" shrill and derisive, and kneeling down, rolled and kicked; scrambled up, shook herself, and began to nose about for husks.
"Now they understand each other," remarked Harry. "They've agreed to pull singly."
"Say—are you fellows really going to Pike's Peak?" asked George. "With that team?"
"Yes, sir-ee. We're in training, aren't we, Terry?" responded Harry.
"That's right. Dad said if we'd find our own outfit we could strike out."