Chapter 17

• The great wolf took hold of the dangling bridle reins, guiding the tired cowpony forward with an air of quiet authority. Riggs observed the animal’s performance with a mixture of admiration and trepidation_ his own curiosity piqued by the strange interplay of man and beast. In a short while, they emerged onto a small clearing carpeted with dried bunch grass. There, a magnificent black stallion stood, cropping the grass with noble disdain. The creature tossed its head, letting loose a cascade of long, flowing mane that framed its proud features. At the sight of Riggs, the stallion’s ears drooped in momentary caution before springing back in greeting as Jack stepped from the willows.
• Riggs, ever the expert horseman, approached the stallion with gentle reverence, his voice soft with wonder. “How can you keep such a wild fellow without hobbling him?” he asked, a note of genuine admiration in his tone.
• “He ain’t wild,” Jack replied simply.