He surveyed the roan dubiously: "He looks snorty. You better let me handle him."
She shook her head: "No, I've ridden him before. Really, I'm quite a twister. You can help saddle him, though."
The saddling proved to be no easy task. The animal fought the bit, and shied and jumped out from under blanket a half-dozen times before they finally succeeded in cinching him up. Then, Tex saddled the mare, and led both horses through the gate. Outside the corral, the girl reached for the roan's reins but the man shook his head. "I'll ride him, you take the bay."
The girl stared at him while the slow red mounted to her cheeks. There was a note of defiance in her tone as she answered: "I tell you I am going to ride him. I've ridden him, and I'll show him that I can ride him again."
The Texan smiled: "Sure, I know you can ride him—I knew that when I saw you catch him up. But, what's the use? He's got a bad eye. What's the use of you takin' a chance?"
The girl hesitated just a moment: "You're in no condition to ride him, you're hurt, and all tired out——"
The cowboy interrupted her with a laugh: "I ain't hurt to speak of, an' since I got that coffee inside me, I'm good for all day an' then some."
"Whose horse is Blue? And what right have you to tell me I can't ride him?"
"Whose horse he is, don't make any difference. An' if I ain't got the right to tell you not to ride him, I'll take the right."
"Well, of all the nerve! Anybody would think you owned the earth!"