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took his own way down the drop. It was a miracle that there was no serious injury. Hoggie was a bit skinned up and one stirrup was broken on Otto's saddle. Otherwise there was no damage. When you rode Hoggie you had to be prepared for one of his "reverse" fits at any time and Otto just was not prepared when Hoggie shifted into reverse.

Tony was an ordinary cow horse who did his job somewhat reluctantly but did it well enough to get by. He carried kids to school and herded cattle although he never learned how to handle a rope. That is, he just did not understand how to keep the rope tight after you roped an animal but he tolerated a rope being thrown from his back. Tony was somewhat unreliable with kids. He once ran away with Victor. He just took the bit in his teeth and down the country he went jumping ditches and bushes with Victor hanging on for dear life. He finally jumped a fifteen foot ditch and Dad caught him on the other side. Victor was just not strong enough to hold him and Tony knew it. Tony was a great swimmer but I have no idea how he came by that talent. Later in this paper I will tell how he swam Spring Creek with me during a flood.

Just a word about Mack, a raw boned hammer headed bay, whom we bought from the Rufe Russell family. Mack was probably the worst horse alive at the time. The Russell family was a poor homesteading outfit who lived on Pine Creek about three miles north of our place on the Mesas. We knew they were stealing beef from us but we also knew they had to have something to eat so we were not too vigilant in observing them. They owned Mack and he was about the only thing they did own. One day Dad rode by the Russell's and Rufe told him if he could sell Mack the family would move out of the country. Dad quickly offered him $40 for Mack and sure enough the Russells moved in the next few days. Dad said he spent $40 in order to save $200. We tried to use Mack in various jobs but did not really get any work out of him. He could hardly pull a buggy from the ranch to the school house.