"Flower, Jessie Graham - Grace Harlowe - Overland Riders 01 - Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders On the Great American Desert" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flower Jessie Graham)

frowningly. Elfreda strongly disapproved of Grace's "foolhardiness," as she
called it.
"Yes, keep back and give me plenty of room. See that the other girls do the
same. The black may do a little side-stepping."
Grace, as she had done with the other ponies before mounting, stepped up to the
black and began petting and caressing him, now and then straightening up the
animal's ears, chiding him as she might a child. This made the cowboys laugh.
Cowboys when subduing broncos do not ordinarily do so with anything resembling
baby talk, and it was their firm conviction that this pretty young tenderfoot
from the east was about to get the surprise of her life. Instead of feeling
sorry for her, however, the souls of the cowboys were filled with joy at the
prospect of some real fun. It was not often that they were privileged to see an
innocent easterner make an exhibition of himself on a vicious western pony, and
this was the first time they had ever seen a woman from the east attempt to ride
a bucking bronco, which made the occasion all the more interesting.
"Stand clear, please," warned Grace, giving the pony's neck a final pat, and at
the same time edging her way back from his head, measuring the distance to the
stirrup with her eyes.
"I'll give you the word when to hit the leather," directed Hi in a low voice.
"Watch your step."
Grace acknowledged the warning with a brief nod, watching the black's head
narrowly. The animal still stood with forefeet braced apart, head slightly
lowered, ears, it seemed, flatter than ever.
"If I miss it I'm lost," muttered Grace, referring to the stirrup.
"Ready," warned the voice of the guide.
The girl's left hand holding the bridle rein crept cautiously to the pommel of
the saddle.
"Now!"
Grace's left foot caught the stirrup and, like a flash, the Overland girl landed
hard and firmly seated on the saddle, the right foot in the stirrup on that
side, then, with the aid of stirrup and cantle, she braced herself to meet the
shock that she knew was right at hand.
CHAPTER II. AN "OUTLAW" MEETS HIS MATCH
The black did not move a muscle for a few seconds, then, with a sudden turn of
the head, he made a grab for his rider's leg.
Grace, never having taken her eyes from the laid-back ears, gave a quick kick
with her left foot, catching the pony fairly on the nose. As he hastily withdrew
his head, she took advantage of the opportunity to tighten up on the reins,
which brought the animal's head well up.
All these preparatory activities were observed with intense interest by cowboys
and Overlanders.
"Watch him!" called Hi Lang in an urgent tone.
Grace was watching, her every faculty beat to the task of discovering what the
next move of her mount was to be.
The black, as she tightened the rein, reared high in the air until his rider
seemed to be standing straight up. One moment she felt that they were both going
to fall over backwards, and was about to clear the stirrups to jump. Instead she
brought her crop down on the black's head, with a resounding whack.
"Yeow!" howled the cowboys, but Grace did not hear them, for the pony had
dropped to all fours, and no sooner had his feet touched the ground than he