To all that followed—­the blind-folding, the bridling, the jerk which urged him to his feet, the saddling,—­Alcatraz submitted with the most perfect docility.  He understood now that he was to have a chance to fight for his liberty on terms of equality and his confidence grew.  In the old days that consummate horseman, Manuel Cordova, had only been able to keep his seat by underfeeding Alcatraz to the point of exhaustion but now, from withers to fetlock joint, the chestnut was conscious of a mighty harmony of muscles and reserves of energy.  The wiles which he had learned in many a struggle with the Mexican were not forgotten and the tricks which had so often nearly unseated the old master could now be executed with threefold energy.  In the meantime he waited quietly, assuming an air of the most perfect meekness, with the toe of one hind foot pointed so that he sagged wearily on that side, and with his head lowered in all the appearance of mild subjection.

The cinches bit deep into his flesh.  He tasted that horror of iron in his mouth, with this great distinction:  that whereas the bits of Manuel Cordova had been heavy instruments of torture this was a light thing, smooth and straight and without the wheel of spikes.  The crisis was coming.  He felt the weight of the rider fall on the left stirrup, the reins were gathered, then Perris swung lightly into the saddle and leaning, snatched the blindfold from the eyes of the stallion.

One instant Alcatraz waited for the sting of the spurs, the resounding crack of the heavy quirt, the voice of the rider raised in curses; but all was silence.  The very feel of the man in the saddle was different, not so much in poundage as in a certain exquisite balance which he maintained but the pause lasted no longer than a second after the welcome daylight flashed on the eyes of Alcatraz.  Fear was a spur to him, fear of the unknown.  He would have veritably welcomed the brutalities of Cordova simply because they were familiar—­but this silent and clinging burden?  He flung himself high in the air, snapped up his back, shook himself in mid-leap, and landed with every leg stiff.  But a violence which would have hurled another man to the ground left Perris laughing.  And were beasts understood, that laughter was a shameful mockery!

Alcatraz thrust out his head.  In vain Perris tugged at the reins.  The lack of curb gave him no pry on the jaw of the chestnut and sheer strength against strength he was a child on a giant.  The strips of leather burned through his fingers and the first great point of the battle was decided in favor of the horse:  he had the bit in his teeth.  It was a vital advantage for, as every one knows who has struggled with a pitching horse, it cannot buck with abandon while its chin is tucked back against its breast; only when the head is stretched out and the nose close to the ground can a bucking horse double back and forth to the full of his agility, twisting and turning and snapping as an “educated” bucker knows how.