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remarkable intelligence that he soon discovered that I had no intention of
harming him. After that, all was easy. Before that day was done, I had taught
him to lead and to stand while I stroked his head and flanks, and to eat from my
hand, and had the satisfaction of seeing the light of fear die in his large,
intelligent eyes.
The following day I fashioned a hackamore from a piece which I cut from the end
of my long Galu rope, and then I mounted him fully prepared for a struggle of
titanic proportions in which I was none too sure that he would not come off
victor; but he never made the slightest effort to unseat me, and from then on his
education was rapid. No horse ever learned more quickly the meaning of the rein
and the pressure of the knees. I think he soon learned to love me, and I know
that I loved him; while he and Nobs were the best of pals. I called him Ace. I had
a friend who was once in the French flying-corps, and when Ace let himself out,
he certainly flew.
I cannot explain to you, nor can you understand, unless you too are a horseman,
the exhilarating feeling of well-being which pervaded me from the moment that I
commenced riding Ace. I was a new man, imbued with a sense of superiority that
led me to feel that I could go forth and conquer all Caspak single-handed. Now,
when I needed meat, I ran it down on Ace and roped it, and when some great
beast with which we could not cope threatened us, we galloped away to safety;
but for the most part the creatures we met looked upon us in terror, for Ace and I
in combination presented a new and unusual beast beyond their experience and
ken.
For five days I rode back and forth across the southern end of the Galu country
without seeing a human being; yet all the time I was working slowly toward the
north, for I had determined to comb the territory thoroughly in search of Ajor; but
on the fifth day as I emerged from a forest, I saw some distance ahead of me a
single small figure pursued by many others. Instantly I recognized the quarry as
Ajor. The entire party was fully a mile away from me, and they were crossing my
path at right angles. Ajor a few hundred yards in advance of those who followed
her. One of her pursuers was far in advance of the others, and was gaining upon
her rapidly. With a word and a pressure of the knees I sent Ace leaping out into
the open, and with Nobs running close alongside, we raced toward her.
At first none of them saw us; but as we neared Ajor, the pack behind the foremost
pursuer discovered us and set up such a howl as I never before have heard. They
were all Galus, and I soon recognized the foremost as Du-seen. He was almost
upon Ajor now, and with a sense of terror such as I had never before experienced,
I saw that he ran with his knife in his hand, and that his intention was to slay
rather than capture. I could not understand it, but I could only urge Ace to
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