There were no claimants at the Bar "J" Ranch for the honour of breaking Black Diamond on "Bucking Day", as the day before the semi-annual round-up was called. The saddle horses had been assigned to the cowboys to be broken and made ready for the round-up.
 It was noon. The morning had been filled with broncho-busting excitement. Numbers of bronchos, full of cussedness, full of fight and vitality, were eager to revenge old scores, and fought their riders at every point. Hardened by cruelty, wise with experience, they were determined not to be ridden. They were seemingly un-conquerable.
 Three of the boys had been tossed, and there was a lively battle of raillery and jest as they collected outside the ranch house waiting for dinner.
 As a tall, long-stepping fellow came slouching up to the group, there was a suppressed snicker. To the cow-boys he had that superior, self-confident air which pro-claims the tenderfoot. In addition to this, his extra tall, swaying figure struck them like the appearance of a caricature or a clown. But appearances aside, to arrive "on foot" is the surest way in cowboy land to be received with ridicule.
 When dust-covered Sam Davis asked for a job, this was too much for the cowboys. There was sudden silence in the aggressive, noisy raillery. No one knew who he was, and, true to the frontier, no one cared. But their curiosity was aroused as to what he might be. He probably was a farmer, although he might be a section hand or a "mule skinner". But the foreman was short-handed and willing to take any one on.
 "Can you ride?" the foreman asked.
 "I guess I might," came the drawled answer. "I re-member once of being on a horse, when I had to ride bareback and chase a herd of stray cattle out of Dad's cornfield."
 "Have you a saddle?" interrupted the foreman.
 "Naw, I ain't got no saddle. Do you haft to have a saddle?" There were loud guffaws from the seventeen cowboys.
 Plainly annoyed at Sam's extreme greenness and tedious slowness of speech, the foreman replied, "Well, throw your feet under the table and have a feed. Then we will fix you out."
 When Black Diamond was unloaded at the Bar "J" Ranch he was a handsome animal of perhaps seven summers, and with seven devils of activity and endurance. The blind, brutal methods of men in trying to break him had not subdued him, nor maddened him. Of the nearly four hundred saddle ponies on the ranch he was not only the finest looking, but probably had the most horse sense. But he was almost at the point of "looking for trouble". To appreciate him, you must know of his history—his past. In him we have a real horse whose career reads like strange fiction.
 For three years the Butte Springs outfit had tried to capture Black Diamond—a black horse with a shining white star in his forehead. But proudly, defiantly, he still ran wild in the Great Basin. These cowboy-trained wild-horse hunters of Nevada had an exciting and an exacting occupation. They were just about one hundred per cent efficient. And they needed to be, for the least desirable broncho which they captured had endurance and alertness and was exceedingly capable in taking care of himself. Many of these horses long succeeded in keeping beyond the reach of a rope, and were wary enough to detect the most skillfully placed and thoroughly camouflaged corral.
 Everything that can be said for any thoroughbred horse in the way of grace of line, of colour, of ease of action, of pride and head poise, could be said of Black Diamond. In addition, he had exceptional endurance and alertness. After all, he was a thoroughbred—a full-blooded Arabian. The Spanish conquerors of Mexico had brought in a number of thoroughbred Arabian horses. A few escaped and quickly produced herds of wild horses. They scatted northward and were assisted in rapid, wider distribution by the Indians. In a few decades there were thousands of wild horses in the Southwest.
 These horses possessed all the good qualities of the original stock plus the additional development of a peculiar environment. The grasses of the plateaus were nourishing the year round. The high altitude gave increased lung development. There were carnivorous animal enemies and trying weather conditions which exacted great physical endurance and mental alertness. These horses may be said to have been raised under conditions, though different, as helpful for best results as man could have given them. Black Diamond had generations of these Nature-trained horses behind him, and possessed the transmitted triumphant traits.
 The first drive for Black Diamond brought in sixty wild horses. Before they could be corralled, Black Dia-mond broke away and led all but a few into freedom of the wilds again. On the second drive, he was the only horse to escape. The following year additional help was recruited for a big, final drive. The morale of the cowboys in the drive was the best. The horses were to be driven up into a broad canyon. A cliff blocked the upper end and formed one side of a corral. A short stretch of fence barred one possible outlet and a deeply eroded, dry gully prevented escape on another side. The cowboys trusted themselves to hold the narrow entrance behind the horses if they succeeded in getting them into the corral.
 About thirty horses came galloping over the alkali stretches, tossing their tangled manes, Black Diamond leading. The cowboys hurried up form three points of the compass to run them into the corral. In they dashed. Black Diamond discovered the trap and like lightning wheeled to escape. He avoided the cowboys and daringly sought escape across the gully.
 In the lower end the gully split up into three branches with narrow, island-like, steep-walled bits of earth between. These tongue-like islands stood from ten to fifteen feet above the bottom of the gully. With a vigorous, picturesque leap Black Diamond cleared the first gully, landed on an island in safety, and then cleared the second. Racing along this narrow, tongue-like stretch to its narrowest separation from the mainland, he made a splendid leap and cleared the third gully.
 But the bank where Black Diamond landed was undermined and the jar of his landing caused it to collapse beneath him. He rolled into the gully fifteen feet below. But on his hind feet in a flash, rearing up almost vertically on hind legs, he reached up like a goat and climbed the nearly vertical, crumbling wall. Just as he gained the solid earth of the farther side the noose of one cowboy's rope fell over his neck and that of another caught a forefoot. In a few seconds Black Diamond was down and securely roped.
 Though purely wild, Black Diamond was an animal who had full measure of what we call horse sense. He ceased to struggle with the rope the instant this became a waste of energy. Many wild horses when roped struggle until completely exhausted. They literally fight the men trying to secure them; they strike, bite, kick, and stamp. Occasionally a man is killed. Utmost skill is required to master one of these horses, for when in this fighting frame of mind, he is an extremely dangerous beast with which to deal.
 The foreman of the horse hunters wanted Black Diamond for his personal use, and ordered him to be saddled and broken at once. The usual method of breaking a horse who is at all spirited is to saddle him while blindfolded or tied. The cowboy swings into the saddle an instant in advance of the releasing of the of the ropes or removing of the blind. With quirt and spurs he endeavors to excite the horse to use energy rapidly, and to exhaust himself in ways least likely to disconcert the rider.
 Black Diamond was a superior horse, but this was not even considered when it came to riding him. He was handled as though a man-killer. Each would-be rider in turn treated him like a beast. There was no opportunity for him to act calmly. However, he exerted little effort until the first would-be rider swung into the saddle. Then, so to speak, he "set things on fire". His moves to throw the cowboy were lightning-like and calculating. There were no mad, blind, exhausting efforts.
 One, two, three riders, in rapid succession, he tossed to the earth. The instant the first rider was thrown the horse relaxed, and walked to the edge of the corral, seeing everything; but as there appeared no opening—no opportunity to escape—he put up his proud head and looked around. As a fourth crack rider swung desperately into the saddle, Black Diamond reared to the vertical, wheeled quickly, facing about, and came down on his forefeet so violently that the rider, already tilted in the saddle, caught the shock on his left thigh. This snapped the bone and flung him heels over head to the earth.
 The foreman ordered this outlaw—Black Diamond— to be shipped that night with two carloads of saddle ponies that were consigned to a Colorado cattle company for cowboy use.
 At least a dozen of the crack ranch "busters" at Bar "J" Ranch "forked" Black Diamond, and each had been promptly and ingloriously tossed to the earth. Again an outlaw, Black Diamond was allowed to run with the other saddle stock that was unassigned. He had his freedom throughout the summer. He never made any trouble breaking away, as did some of the ponies when they were being driven into the corral.
 He had won his reputation and often was the subject for conversation or banter. The mere mention of his name would instantly silence any cowboy who became unduly reminiscent concerning the bronchos he had elsewhere conquered.
 After dinner the boys seated themselves in a row at the side of the barn for a little rest and a smoke before resuming broncho-busting activities. A job was framed up among them to assign "the outlaw"—Black Diamond—to Sam.
 Upon inquiring concerning the use of the substantial and stockaded circular corral, Davis was told that it was used chiefly for the purpose of subduing refractory bronchos. Into this stockade the horses were driven, roped heels and head, thrown, and hog-tied.
 "That's cruel. That's wrong," drawled Davis; but his comments were drowned amid the jeers and roars of the cowboys.
 Davis was given a saddle and directed to the corral in which was his allotment of saddle ponies, including Black Diamond.
 "Hey, there!" roared the foreman, "two or three of you fellows get a move on you and help Sam get Black Diamond."
 Half the bunch leaped to their feet and came merrily forward, eager to help out for the privilege of being a close spectator of the exhibit which they had scheduled to take place when Sam made the acquaintance of the outlaw.
 To the astonishment of everyone, Sam announced that he did not want any help, did not want any one to frighten his pony with their cruel and crazy methods. There was a quiet sneer and much nudging among the bunch as Davis, with coiled rope, started for the corral alone, whistling a low, lively tune.
 He was a dark, athletic fellow, about thirty-five, and had the shuffling, straddling walk of the cowboy. As he strode off he rolled and lighted a cigarette with startling dexterity. Young Porter, the wide-awake son of the ranch owner, realized from this dexterity that Davis might prove a star actor; he was, perhaps, about to give a startling performance.
 Davis went into the corral alone. He stood for a moment. Getting his eyes on Black Diamond, he stopped whistling, commenced humming, and advanced slowly toward the horse, quietly edging his way among the ponies. Presently he not only had Black Diamond alone in the corner, but the horse was interested and curious concerning this big, slow-moving, quiet-going fellow. At last, Davis laid his hand gently upon Black Diamond's side, rubbed him easily, and commenced to talk to him in friendly tones.
 Many a sensitive and superior horse has become an outlaw through clumsy or cruel handling. Just average thoughtfulness will improve any horses; most horses quickly respond to friendly advances, quiet movements, and even, friendly tones.
 After a minute or two, Davis placed the rope over Black Diamond's head; swift, accurate moves of hands followed, and the rope became a hackamore that involved the horse's head. Turning, and still talking to him, Davis led the horse to the gate and then out of the corral.
 The cowboys gasped. But this temporary placidity on the part of Black Diamond, they thought, meant preparation for a more terrific explosion than he had ever shown. This exhibition would happen—it always had  happened—the instant after the rider swung into the saddle.
 Davis closed the gate. Spoke a few words in an undertone to the horse, and then, without saddle or bridle, climbed awkwardly upon his back. The expectant cowboys held their breath. Horse and rider, in friendly unison, cut lightning-like circles and figures. Black Diamond plainly enjoyed the performance and made no attempt to dislodge his rider. The cowboys were over-awed, sobered, and then amazed. Leaping off, Davis said, "Come, Black Diamond, follow me and I'll put a saddle on you." Black Diamond obeyed and followed!
 The astounded cowboys did not wait to witness the second performance. They slipped away by ones and twos to attend to their own affairs! 

Copyright 2000 Enos Mills Cabin, Temporal Mechanical Press
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