He had a peculiar desire, also, to be up there beside the grey mare.

Their meeting had been, indeed, only in the passing, and yet there was about her--how should one say ?--a certain something.
The moment he had made up his mind, Alcatraz flung himself about the herd and advanced with high head and bounding gallop on the new leader; but the latter had seen his former master fall and apparently had no appetite for battle.

He shortened his pace to a hand gallop, then to a mincing trot, and finally lowered his head and moved unobtrusively to the side with an absorbed interest in the first knot of bunch-grass that came his way.

To force battle on such a foe was beneath the dignity of Alcatraz, but the whole herd had stopped, every bright eye watching him; perhaps there might be others more ambitious than the bay.

He put up his head like the king of horses that he was and stepped proudly forward.