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One day Jorth rode hohts Ellen heard the clip-clop of, horses long before she saw them

"Hey, Ellen! Come out heah," called her father

Ellen left her work and went outside A stranger had ridden in with her father, a young giant whose sharp-featured face appeared ht, fuzzy beard He was long, loose jointed, not heavy of build, and he had the largest hands and feet Ellen bad ever seen Next Ellen espied a black horse they had evidently brought with the a rope halter At once the black horse struck Ellen as being a beauty and a thoroughbred

"Ellen, heah's a horse for you," said Jorth, with so of pride "I entle for ht visited Ellen for the first tiood horse, and never one like this

"Oh, dad!" she exclairatitude

"Shore he's yours on one condition," said her father

"What's that?" asked Ellen, as she laid caressing hands on the restless horse

"You're not to ride hireed All daid black, isn't he, except that white face? What's his naan unsaddling his own horse "Slater, what's this heah black's narinned "I reckon it was Spades"

"Spades?" ejaculated Ellen, blankly "What a naood as any He's shore black"

"Ellen, keep him hobbled when you're not ridin' hi advice as he walked off with the stranger

Spades et and dusty and his satiny skin quivered He had fine, dark, intelligent eyes that watched Ellen's every ed and jah trails It did not take her long to discover that this horse had been a pet Ellen cleaned his coat and brushed him and fed him Then she fitted her bridle to suit his head and saddled him His evident response to her kindness assured her that he was gentle, so she ait she had ever experienced He walked and trotted to suit her will, but when left to choose his own gait he fell into a graceful little pace that was very easy for her He appeared quite ready to break into a run at her slightest bidding, but Ellen satisfied herself on this first ride with his slower gaits