“Oh, do!” chimed in Bob.

“All right, though I was calculating to teach him myself,” returned Ford, a light such as the station agent had never before seen in his eyes.

“Can I take Chester?” asked Bob.

“Sure, he’s yours!”

“Come, boy,” called Bob.  Then noticing that Hal wanted to say a word to the ranchman, he exclaimed:  “Don’t tell him who I am, please.”  And as the agent hesitated, he added, shrewdly, “Mr. Nichols wouldn’t like it.”

“All right, if you say not,” returned Hal.

And wheeling their ponies, the two rode off across the plains, the dog bounding joyfully along at Bob’s side.

Gazing after them, even when they had disappeared from sight, stood John
Ford.

As the agent had said, Firefly was so gentle and had such an easy gait that after the first few minutes’ fear had passed Bob found he could not only keep in the saddle, but could enjoy the motion of the pony.

Critically Thomas watched him, riding close at his side to be at hand in case of trouble, finally exclaiming in hearty approval: 

“You take to a horse like a duck to water, Bob.”

“Do you mean that, Hal?”

“I sure do.  Now dismount and I’ll show you a trick or two.”  And as soon as the boy was on the ground, he continued:  “Some ponies have a mean way of starting just as soon as you put your foot in the stirrups.  No matter how nervous your mount is, by drawing the left rein—­remember you always handle a saddle horse from the left side—­so short that it turns the pony’s head, you can make him circle round and round, instead of running straight ahead, which will give you a chance to swing into the saddle.  Now try it.”

Without difficulty Bob performed the feat.

“Good,” commented his instructor.  “We’ll both dismount and I’ll teach you how to hobble your pony.  Whenever you turn a pony loose on the plains, whether in the day time or at night, always hobble him.  You never know what may happen when you are ‘punching cattle’ and oftentimes by having your pony handy it will save you a lot of trouble, to put it mildly.”

While he was speaking, Thomas had taken Bob’s lariat, which hung from the pommel of his saddle, and drawing the noose small had slipped it over his pony’s right hoof.

“There are two ways of hobbling,” he continued, “one, to tie the front and hind feet on the same side, the other, to tie both front feet.  As ponies are often mighty lively animals, I don’t need to tell you the danger or difficulty of trying to put a rope around their hind legs.  But tying the front feet is easy.  Allow about seven inches of rope, then take a couple of turns around the left fetlock, make a half-hitch and tie the rest of your rope about the pony’s neck.

“Always remember to do that.  If you don’t, some time the rope end may catch between the rocks or become tangled in some way and cause trouble.