Chapter I: Preface

To my way of thinking there's something wrong, or missing, with any person who hasn't got a soft spot in their heart for an animal of some kind. With most folks the dog stands highest as man's friend, then comes the horse, with others the cat is liked best as a pet, or a monkey is fussed over; but whatever kind of animal it is a person likes, it's all hunkydory so long as there's a place in the heart for one or a few of them.

I've never as yet went wrong in sizing up a man by the kind of a horse he rode. A good horse always packs a good man, and I've always dodged the hombre what had no thought nor liking for his horse or other animals, for I figger that kind of gazabo is best to be left unacquainted with, no good would ever come of the meeting.

With me, my weakness lays towards the horse. My life, from the time I first squinted at daylight has been with horses. I admire every step that crethure makes, I know them and been thru so much with 'em that I've come to figger a big mistake was made when the horse was classed as an animal. To me, the horse is man's greatest, most useful, faithful, and powerful friend. He never whines when he's hungry or sore footed or tired, and he'll keep on a going for the human till he drops.

The horse is not appreciated and never will be appreciated enough,--few humans, even them that works him, really know him, but then there's so much to know about him. I've wrote this book on only one horse and when I first started it I was afraid I'd run out of something to write, but I wasn't half thru when I begin to realize I had to do some squeezing to get the things in I wanted, and when I come to the last chapter was when I seen how if I spent my life writing on the horse alone and lived to be a hundred I'd only said maybe half of what I feel ought to be said.

The horse I wrote of in this book is not an exception, there's quite a few like him, he's not a fiction horse that's wrote about in a dream and made to do things that's against the nature of a horse to do. Smoky is just a horse, but all horse, and that I think is enough said.

As for Clint, the cowboy who "started" Smoky, he's no exception either. He's just a man who was able to see and bring out the good that was in the horse--and no matter how some writers describe the cowboy's handling of horses, I'm here to say that I can produce many a cowboy what can show feelings for a horse the same as Clint done.

But Smoky met other humans besides Clint, many others, and of all kinds, and that's where the story comes in. And now, my main ambition as I turn Smoky loose to making hisself acquainted is that the folks who will get to know him will see that horse as _I_ seen him.

WILL JAMES III

CONTENTS

I. A RANGE COLT

II. SMOKY MEETS THE HUMAN

III. WHERE THE TRAILS FORK

IV. THE END OF A ROPE

V. THE BRONC TWISTER STEPS UP

VI. "THE SQUEAK OF LEATHER"

VII. SMOKY SHOWS HIS FEELINGS

VII. SMOKY STARTS OUT

IX. FIGHTS FOR RIGHTS

X. "AMONGST THE MISSING"

XI. "THE FEEL OF A STRANGE HAND"

XII. "WHEN THE GOOD LEAVES"

XIII. "A MANY-MEN HORSE"

XIV. "DARK CLOUDS, THEN TALL GRASS"

ILLUSTRATIONS

His ears begin to work back and forth towards the sound his mammy would make as she moved

His long legs tangled and untangled themselves as he run, and he was sure making speed

His mammy shot up the hill, took in the goings-on at a glance, and ears back, teeth a shining, tore up the earth and lit into the cayote like a ton of dynamite

Smoky had 'em all buffaloed

And as his mammy went to join the bunch, he followed and the big buckskin brought up the rear

The lion had figgered on his victim a jumping to one side at his leap, and he'd allowed for that

He got strong headed and full of mischief, and then's when the older horses figgered him to be a regular pest

There's bowed necks as the three touch nostrils

Smoky done a side swipe that was quicker than chained lightning

The cowboy still hanging onto the rope that held his head, came on, saddle and all with him, and quivering with fear the little horse layed low, feet straight out in front and head near to the ground he stayed there

He didn't forget how he was stopped, and so sudden, that first time he'd tried to break with an empty saddle

A hand touched him on the forehead

And when a glance back showed Smoky the rider was still there, he got desperate again and begin to see red

Smoky wondered what a rope was doing up there

The bush came out and headed straight for Smoky

He liked to chase the wild-eyed cow, turn her when she didn't want to be turned, and put her where she didn't want to be put

Smoky's eyes was on Jeff with a steady warning in 'em for him to keep his distance--and Jeff did

Smoky stuck his head and neck out far as he could and nickered at the sight of the cowboy

Clint was about to get on his horse and ride away, but he stopped, and felt of Smoky's hide once more

Feed was aplenty and the little pawing that had to be done to reach it was like so much exercise and only kept his blood in good circulating order

The black was jerked off his feet, rolled plum over, and he lit head first on the other side

Smoky and Pecos' hides begin a itching and the two was often busy scratching one another

Slow and easy Clint raised a hand and held it to within a few inches of his nose

Old Tom didn't even get well set that time, Smoky bowed his head and went out from under him leaving him come down on the other side

Many a cowboy had remarked it was worth the price of a good show to watch Smoky outdodge the critter

The next day Clint was busy bringing the weak stock closer to the ranch

Heavy drifts was lunged into and hit on a high run as they tried to leave the rider behind

And even tho cattle is what the round up wagons was out for, there was more eyes out for Smoky

Clint'd keep on comparing whatever horse he'd be riding with Smoky, and find that pony (no matter how good he was) a mighty poor excuse as compared with the mouse colored horse that was missing

A rope had settled around his neck once, he'd fought till it broke,--and run on a dragging it

And while the breed was getting as much of the saddle under him as he could, the cowboy took off the foot ropes

Smoky's interest was all for shedding the saddle right then and all that carried the breed's smell

That pony had been harder to get near than any of the wild ones he was with

The breed would often watch him thru the corral poles and wonder

The horse had been found out on the desert, amongst a bunch of wild horses and packing an empty saddle

In front of the crowded grandstand is where his fame as a man-hating, bucking outlaw begin to spread

The chute gate would fly open, and out would come a tearing, bellering hunk of steel coils to land out a ways, and like a ton of lava from above, jar the earth even up to the grandstand

The Cougar reared up while the rider was still in the air, then turned, and with his ears back, teeth a flashing, hoofs a striking with lightning speed, went to carry out his heart's craving

About that time the mouse colored outlaw peeked thru the bars of the chute at him and snorted

He wasn't caring right then if it was said that he didn't ride the horse to the finish

The long horned "Sonora reds" begin to spread all over the range countries of the U. S. plum up to the Canadian line

No remuda got by that Clint didn't ride thru

As he stepped out to get a bucket of water the morning sun throwed a shadow on the door

SMOKY