After supper he went out to look at the horse, which was picketed in the grass.  Surveying the animal carefully, he untied the lariat and slipped a running noose over his nose; then giving a light bound, he was on his back in a second, and away went the horse and his rider, circling round and round on the prairie.  Billings managed him by the rope alone, and convinced him that he was his master.  When half a mile away, the horse started for camp at the top of his speed.  Billings stood straight up on his back, and thus rode him into camp.  As he passed us he jumped to the ground, allowed the horse to run to the full length of the lariat, when he threw him a complete somersault.

[Illustration:  Billings riding little gray.]

“That’s a pretty good horse,” said Billings.

“Yes, he’s a California horse; he was captured there wild,” replied father.  The exhibition of horsemanship given by Billings on this occasion was really wonderful, and was the most skillful and daring feat of the kind that I ever witnessed.  The remainder of the evening was spent around the camp, and Horace, who remained there, entertained us with several interesting chapters of his experiences.

Next morning he walked over to his own camp, but soon returned, mounted on a beautiful horse, with a handsome saddle, bridle and lariat.  I thought he was a magnificent looking man.  I envied his appearance, and my ambition just then was to become as skillful a horseman as he was.  He had rigged himself out in his best style in order to make a good impression on his uncle at Weston, whither father and I accompanied him on horseback.

He was cordially received by Uncle Elijah, who paid him every possible attention, and gave me a handsome saddle and bridle for my pony, and in the evening when we rode out to the farm to see my mother and sisters, I started ahead to show them my present, as well as to tell them who was coming.  They were delighted to see the long-lost Horace, and invited him to remain with us.  When we returned to camp next day, Horace settled up with the proprietor of the horses, having concluded to make his home with us for that summer at least.

Father employed him in cutting house logs and building houses, but this work not being adapted to his tastes, he soon gave it up, and obtained government employment in catching United States horses.  During the previous spring the government herd had stampeded from Fort Leavenworth, and between two and three hundred of the horses were running at large over the Kansas prairies, and had become quite wild.  A reward of ten dollars was offered for every one of the horses that was captured and delivered to the quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth.  This kind of work of course just suited the roaming disposition of Billings, especially as it was similar to that in which he had been engaged in California.  The horses had to be caught with a lasso, with which he was very expert.  He borrowed Little Gray, who was fleet enough for the wildest of the runaways, and then he at once began his horse hunting.