Frank Gee Patchin

The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico Frank Gee Patchin

Book Excerpt: ... It reminded one of the way men propelled the old-fashioned velocipedes years before. A cloud of dust rose behind the odd outfit as the party drew out on the plains. Their ponies were started at a gallop, which was necessary to enable them to keep up with the pace that Juan had set."Here! Here!" shouted the Professor. Juan never looked back."We're leaving the pack train. Slow down!"Laughingly the lads pulled their ponies down to a walk; then halted entirely to enable the burros to catch up with them. By this time the pack animals had become so familiar with their work that little attention was necessary on the part of the boys. Now and then one more sleepy than the rest would go to sleep and pause to doze a few minutes on the trail. This always necessitated all hands stopping to wait until the sleeper could be rounded up and driven up to the bunch. Juan had disappeared. They were discussing the advisability of sending one of the boys out after him when he was seen ...