“So would we,” said Conford quietly, “though we’ve seen th’ Ironwoods run––a little.”
“That’s th’ word, Burt,” said Curly, “a little. 41 Who of us has ever seen Courtrey let Bolt run like he wanted to? Not a darned one. I’ve seen that big bay devil pull till th’ blood dripped from his mouth.”
“Sure,” put in Masters, “I’ve seen that, too––but I was lyin’ up on th’ Cup Rim oncet, watchin’ a couple mavericks fer funny work, an’ Courtrey an’ Wylackie Bob come along down that way on Bolt an’ Arrow––an’ they wasn’t a-holdin’ them then. Lord, Lord, how they was goin’! Two long red streaks as level as your hand, an’ I swear my heart came up in my throat to see ’em, an’ I almost hollered. It was pretty work––pretty work, an’ no mistake.”
Tharon looked over at him.
“Fast as El Rey, Jack?”
“Who could tell?” said the man. “I know it was some speed, an’ that is all.”
The girl struck a hand on the king’s shoulder so passionately that he jumped and snorted.
“Some day,” she said tensely, “El Rey will run th’ Ironwoods off their feet––an’ I’ll run th’ heart out of their master, damn him! Put th’ horses out. It’s supper time.”
She threw her right limb over the stallion’s neck swiftly and with lithe grace, and slid abruptly to the ground.
As she did so there came the sound of hoofs on 42 the hard earth at the corner of the house, and a stranger came sharply into sight.