"Maybe I get a horse wide," he said to himself, for he was about as
eager over horses as his sister or brother, and, so far, the only
rides he had had were when he sat in the saddle in front with them or
with his father, and went along very slowly indeed. For they dared
not let the horse go fast when Trouble was with them, and Trouble
wanted to go fast.

"Me go get wide myse'f," he murmured, and then, when no one was
looking, he slipped under the corral fence.

He was now toddling close to the heels of the bronco.

"Nice horsie," said Trouble in his sweetest voice. "I get on your
back an' have nice wide!"

Trouble always had hard work to sound the r in ride. "Wide" he
always called it.

Nearer and nearer he came to the bronco. The animal, without turning
its head, knew that someone was coming up behind. Many a time a
cowboy had tried to fool the savage horse that way, and leap into the
saddle without being seen. But Imp, as the bronco was named, knew all
those tricks.

He turned back his ears, and when a horse does that it is not a good
sign. Almost always it means he is going to bite or kick.

In this case Imp would have to kick, as Trouble was too far behind
to be bitten. And Imp did not seem to care that it was a little boy