"Papa!" "Papa!" "What now, Hildy?" "Look!" "Gee whiz." "Again." "What´s the matter, Gus?" "Cigarette." "Ken riding her?" "He was, but not now." "Hildy." "Whoa, whoa." "Doggone that kid." "Look at this." "I hope he´s all right." "Young´uns fall light." "He´s used to it." "He could get hurt." "Saddle Shorty." "I better go see." "Ja, Boss." "Never mind, Gus." "Ken." "Yes, sir?" "Come here." "You all right?" "Sure, I´m all right." "Cigarette toss you again?" "Yes, sir." "You ""digged"" your heels in her." "I didn´t." "Did you, Son?" "Yes, sir." "Ken, aren´t you ever going to grow up?" "I´ve told you not to clap your heels into her." "Look at that bridle." "Second one you´ve broken this week." "I´m sorry, Dad." "Oh, you found the saddle blanket." "What saddle blanket?" "I lost it yesterday afternoon." "You forgot to cinch the saddle properly." "Yes, sir." "Gee whiz, it´s all ""tored.""" "Will you keep quiet?" "It got caught on some barbed wire." "You´re the doggonest kid... for losing, busting, and forgetting." "Breakfast is all ready." "Where´s Ken?" "He´s coming." "Cigarette tossed him again." "I don´t know what I´ll do with that boy." "Doesn´t pay any attention to what I say." "Always losing equipment or breaking it somehow." "He´s still a child." "He´s old enough to have his wits about him." "He´s walking around with his head in the clouds." "It´s a wonder he doesn´t trip." "Morning, Mom." "Come on, darling." "Eat your oatmeal while it´s hot." "Good heavens." "What is it?" "Ken´s report card." "I suppose you´re not surprised you haven´t been promoted." "No, sir." "Here, look at your marks." "Let him eat his breakfast first." "Just as a matter of curiosity... how do you go about getting a zero on an examination?" "40 in history, 1 7 in arithmetic, but a zero?" "Just as one man to another, what goes on in your head?" "What have you got to say for yourself?" "Nothing, sir." "What were the questions you missed... in that English exam?" "We were to write a composition." "Couldn´t you think of anything?" "I was going to write... about how you lost your polo mare... how the albino stole her from Banner." "Well, why didn´t you?" "I got to thinking." "I thought we had time." "I thought the hour had just begun... when the school bell rang." "You never even got started." "Not a single word, Ken?" "No." "Just daydreaming, huh?" "No, I was thinking about" "About what?" "About my colt." "You haven´t got a colt." "Dad, give me a colt, won´t you?" "You´ll get one when you learn how to treat one." "You´ll have to buck up." "Trouble is, you don´t try." "I do try, Dad." "I´d like to see some proof." "Meantime, you´ll study an hour a day... to make up your work." "[Knock On Door]" "Come in." "Good morning, Missus." "Good morning, Gus." "What´s today, Boss?" "Good day to move the horses." "It´s time they were off the meadows." "A storm´s cooking up." "Can I help?" "Four older horses have to be in shape for the rodeo... and those three-year-olds have to be broke." "Can´t I help move them?" "Great guns, no." "It´s tough enough to move 1 00 horses... all fresh as blazes after a winter out... without a kid along to make them nervous." " I´ll be right out." " Ja, Boss." "Want another cup of coffee, dear?" "No, I had enough." "Got to get started." "Kenny, you can ride any horse on the ranch." "Why are you so set on having a colt?" "It isn´t just riding." "I want a colt to be friends with me." "I want a colt of my own, all my own." "You better start your studying." "Get it over with." "Bye, Daddy." "Bye." "Ken, what are you doing?" "I´m doing my arithmetic, Mom." "[Alarm Rings]" "Where are we going?" "To watch Dad bring in the horses." "We can take the shortcut." "No, you better stay here." "It´s tough enough bringing in 1 00 horses... all fresh after a winter out... without having a girl tagging along making them nervous." "Those horses ain´t scared of me." "Good morning." "Nice work, Banner." "Banner don´t let those mares get away with nothing." "Banner´s got everything it takes to make a great horse-- brains, heart, and courage." "If he´d just pass it on to all the colts." "What horses we´d have then." "Whoa now!" "Whoa now!" "Whoa there!" "Look out, Gus." "They´re stampeding!" "Gus, try to head them off." "Stop them, Banner!" "They´re making straight for the rock slide." "Head them off, Banner." "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "What are you doing here?" "I--I came to see the horses." "I didn´t mean to do it." "I didn´t mean to scare them." "[Whinny]" "Jeepers, if I could ever have a colt like that." "Are we on the downgrade?" "I never had so many bills and less money to pay them." "We can´t sell our horses at a profit." "They´re good horses with good blood." "Mm-hmm, all but that albino strain." "They got a crazy streak in them." "No use trying to sell them." "I wouldn´t even get back the cost of raising them." "I´d rather shoot them." "I would, too, if they weren´t so doggone fast." "I hoped to get one decent colt out of that bunch." "Rob... give Ken a colt." "Huh?" "I want you to give Ken a colt." "After that stunt he pulled this morning?" "You know he didn´t mean to." "He doesn´t deserve a colt." "Won´t you ever give him one?" "Sure." "I´ve been expecting to." "If he pays attention to his studies" "Uh-uh." "No." "That´s another thing." "That isn´t going to get anzwhere." "Didn´t he study today?" "He exposed himself to his books." "Good heavens." "Nothing I say to him makes any impression." "He wants his own colt." "He can´t think of another thing." "But that´s all backwards." "You don´t bribe children to do their duty." "It´s not a bribe." "What would you call it?" "I just have a feeling..." "Ken isn´t going to pull anything off." "It´s time he did." "Maybe a little thing like this... would turn the trick." "That isn´t a little thing." "It isn´t easy to break and school a colt." "I won´t have a good horse spoiled by his carelessness." "Rob, it´s important." "He´s got to succeed at something." "What he needs is" "Is to snap out of it." "If you want to put it that way." "He needs to grow up." "How would having his own colt help?" "Oh, you know." "Something of his own... responsibility." "He´d have something real that he cared about... more than those things he goes mooning about." "Don´t go." "I´d like to give Ken a colt." "I´d like to get closer to the boy somehow... but every time I get set for a get-together session... he hands me a facer like what he pulled today." "Rob, didn´t you ever want anything... more than anything else in the world?" "Yes." "You." "You do understand." "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "[Humming]" "Where´s Ken?" "Probably looking at the ducks on the landing." "For Pete´s sake, what ducks on what landing?" "That old print of mine." "He likes to look at them." "Gus says Rocket broke away last night." "Thinks she´s got a colt somewhere." "We´ll have to look for her." "I´ll find her." "Good." "I´ll go with you." "Son, I´m taking back yesterday´s order." "You can forget that hour of study." "Thanks, Dad." "And, Ken..." "I´m going to give you a colt." "A colt?" "A colt of my own?" "Mm-hmm." "I´ll give it to you a week from today." "That´ll give you time to make your own choice." "I can have any colt on the ranch?" " Ayearling?" " That´s right." "Gosh." "Jeepers, maybe I can have the one I saw yesterday." "Come on, you old jughead." "Come on there." "Oh, come on." "Come on." "Oh, step on my foot, would you?" "Come on." "Why don´t you take Highboy for your colt?" "That chump?" "Don´t think I´m riding Cigarette because I want to." "It´s because I have to." "Then how about Lassie?" "She´s as fast as anything and black as ink." "Who said I wanted a black horse?" "How about College Boy?" "He´s smart like a fox." "I´m going to pick a filly." "I know the one I want, too." "I hope I find her." "Hey, don´t do that again, Hildy." "Cigarette´s kind of nervous." "She might kick you." "She better don´t." "I´ll kick her back." "Thanks, Tim." "OK." "Ready, Ken?" "Yes, sir." "Don´t see why I can´t go, too." "You´re a girl." "That´s why." "Check your cinch?" "Yes, sir." "Let´s go." "Ken, don´t you want your hat?" "Oh, thanks, Mom." "Don´t see why I can´t be a boy." "Even you´re a boy..." "I guess." "Maybe you think it´s funny, giving you a colt... when you deserve a good hiding." "Flunking all your exams... then pulling that stunt yesterday." "Don´t think I´m letting you off." "I´m not." "I haven´t gone soft." "Don´t get that into your head." "I expect as much now as I ever did." "This isn´t any reward... because you haven´t won any reward." "This is a partnership." "One of these days, I´ll need your help." "You have to be trained so you can give it." "Every man needs training." "Discipline." "I got mine at West Point." "And how." "You´re going to train that colt." "I´ll help you with the first breaking... but you´ll train it, and it´ll train you." "Yes, sir." "You and your mother may have to care for this ranch... without me pretty soon." "Where will you be?" "I may have to go back into the army." "You understand, don´t you?" "Yes, sir." "You make a good pony out of that colt... and let it make a man out of you." "Yes, sir." "I rode all through here yesterday." "I didn´t leave any colts behind." "If Rocket had a colt, she wouldn´t leave it." "I saw a colt yesterday... that got separated from the bunch in the stampede-- a sorrel filly with a cream mane and tail." "Sounds like Rocket´s yearling." "Rocket´s?" "The filly sired by Banner last spring." "That´s what was wrong with Rocket-- she missed that little filly." "She´d very likely console herself with a yearling." "Should pick up a track around here someplace." "Hey, Boss!" "A cat." "That´s a mountain lion, all right." "Ja." "A big one." "Haven´t had one around here for a long time." "Good thing we got the brood mares out of here." "Maybe we better look around that cave." "Well, it got one of them." "It´s dark brown." "It´s Rocket´s, I guess." "Tim was right." "She had one." "Didn´t she know it was dead?" "Yes and no." "Mares are funny about death." "They´ll leave a dead foal... then remember it and hunt for it." "Will the mountain lion get any other horses?" "Not now, Kenny." "They´re all out on the range." "Can´t he get the horse and colts there?" "Not where there´s no cover." "Their only chance is surprise." "If a horse is off by itself... a lion will jump on it, bite through the spine." "Quick kill." "[Whinny]" "It´s Rocket." "And her filly." "What a pretty little flicka she is." "Flicka What does that mean?" "Swedish for :" "little girl."" "Flicka." "That´s what I´ll call her." "My colt." "Your colt?" "Yes, sir." "That´s the one I want." "Rocket´s filly, Ken?" "Yes, sir." "I hoped you´d make a wiser choice." "You know how I feel... about Rocket´s line of horses." "But she´s fast." "Rocket´s fast, too." "They´re my worst horses." "There´s not one among them with any real sense." "The mares are hellions, the stallions outlaws." "They´re untamable." "I´ll tame her." "Nobody´s ever been able to tame a one of them." "You want a horse that´ll be a friend?" "Yes, sir." "You´ll never make a friend of her." "Look what they did to get back together." "No fence in the world will ever hold them." "You better change your mind." "No." "OK, Ken." "I promised you could make your own choice." "But remember-- Rocket´s loco... and 1 0-to-1 the colt is, too." "But she may not be." "Banner´s her father." "All right." "We´ll bring her in tomorrow or the next day." "It´s silly to write horses´ names on things." "Horses can´t read." "People can read." "But Pop can´t." "Besides, you ain´t even got a horse yet." "What do you mean I haven´t got a horse?" "Well, it ain´t here." "Dad´s bringing her in today." "[Honk Honk]" "[Honk Honk Honk]" "That´s Mr. Sergent." "He´s got lots of race horses." "He´s got a fat belly, too." "Hey, Gus, is Rob around?" "Ja." "He´s in the house." "Hi, Rob." "Hi, Charley." "How you been doing?" "Good." "You?" "Swell." "Glad to see you." "Sit down." "Rob, I´m shipping a carload of horses to Los Angeles." "Maybe you´d like to go in on the deal... and share the shipping expenses." "Might do that." "There´s room in the car for four more horses." "Sounds pretty good." "You know, Pop says Flicka´s loco... like her mother." "Don´t say that, Hildy." "Well, ain´t her fault." "She can´t help it if her mom´s crazy, can she?" "Banner´s got sense." "She could be like her father, couldn´t she?" "I don´t know." "When I do something dumb..." "Mom says I take after the old man... and when I do something smart..." "Pop says I sure don´t take after the old lady." "You haven´t got anything like Rocket." "That she-devil can outrun... any animal you´ve ever seen." "You´re crazy." "Like to make a bet?" "Hello, Charley." "Well, hello there, Nell." "No." "Don´t get up." "I only have a minute." "What are you two talking about?" "Rocket." "If I could get a mare to do #5 miles an hour" "She´ll make you a fortune... if you could break her." "My broncobuster can break any horse." "He can do it if she´s worth breaking." "Worth it?" "Didn´t I tell you?" "How much do you want?" " 500." " 500." "Dollars." "You got a stopwatch?" "No." "I got a speedometer." "Good enough." "Let´s go." "I´ll get lunch ready for you." "[Honking]" "There they are." "Isn´t Flicka beautiful?" "[Honk Honk]" "She´s heading for the north range." "We´ll clock her there." "The ground´s flat." "[Honk Honk]" "She´s like a locomotive." "Does she always run with her nose up?" "Yeah." "She´s a stargazer." "[Honk Honk]" "[Honk Honk]" "Look at the speedometer." "Faster, Boss." "She ain´t half trying." "[Honk Honk]" "If she does #5, I´ll buy her." "Jumping jeepers!" "Well, what do you say?" "It´s a deal... if she´s delivered sound in wind and limb." "Just how you´ll do that is anybody´s guess." "You leave that to me." "Look out for Rocket." "Get in there, get in there!" "Tim, throw a rope on her." "[Whinny]" "Won´t be easy to get her in." "Stay with her, Tim." "Come on!" "Get that noose off her neck." "Be careful, Rob." "Think I´d deliver her with string hanging on her?" "I put it on." "I´m going to get it off." "Look out!" "Open that chute gate so she can see through." "Get in there." "Shut the gate." "Get the truck." "Whoa." "That´s it." "Sergent expects her in good shape." "Try not to skin her up." "Get her out of here." "Well, that´s that." "You mean that´s $500." "It´ll come in mighty handy, won´t it?" "Dad, look!" "Oh, Rob." "That finished her." "Well?" "She´s dead." "Poor old Rocket." "It´s too bad, but these things will happen." "Just takes little lick to kill horse." "There´s one thing I can still do." "Hello, Williams?" "This is McLaughlin." "OK." "Thanks." "Look, Williams, I got a load of horses for you." "Yeah, those albinos." "Yep." "Every one of them, Rocket´s whole tribe." "There should be some good horseflesh among them." "All right, your own price." "Good." "Yep." "There are nine of them." "Wait a minute." "There may be 1 0." "Ken, come here." "Here´s a chance to do a sensible thing." "I want you to choose another colt... and let me sell Flicka to Mr. Williams." "I´m asking for your sake as well as mine." "What´s the use having another Rocket?" "You saw what happened." "I´m going to tame Flicka." "That´s impossible." "Sometimes bad horses get tamed." "You don´t want a loco horse, do you?" "I want Flicka." "Look at me." "Dad, please." "She´s mine." "Sorry to keep you waiting, Williams." "I thought there was one more." "No." "There are only nine." "Right." "I´ll send them over." "So long." "Haw!" "Haw!" "Git!" "Well, that´s that." "Sure is a wild one." "We´ll let her think it over." "She´ll go right through that wire." "She´ll never go over." "It turned her." "Dad, she has got sense." "Flicka!" "I knew it, that crazy" "Rob, hurry!" "Whoa, whoa!" "Whoa." "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "There now." "Don´t think she´ll pull out of it." "Maybe it´s just as well." "Hadn´t been this way, it would´ve been another." "A loco horse isn´t worth the bullet... it takes to shoot it." "Now easy, girl." "Flicka." "Eat your dinner, Kenny." "Do I have to, Mom?" "You heard what your mother said." "Flicka, she´s" "Let him go to her." "He can´t do her any good." "Gus and Tim dressed her cuts." "She snaps out of it, she´s got water and oats." "Oh, Flicka, I didn´t mean to hurt you." "Get well." "Please be all right." "Gee, she was pretty." "What do you mean :was"?" "She is." "She´s beautiful." "I meant when she was running back there." "Say, Ken." "Tomorrow, if you want to take care of her..." "I´ll do your work for you." "Would you, Hildy?" "Gee, that´d be keen." "Sure." "I´ll exercise Cigarette... bring in the wood, and dry the dishes." "You can stay with Flicka all the time... except when you´re sleeping." "Thanks, Hildy." "[Rooster Crows]" "[Ring]" "Gus, she´s going to be all right, isn´t she?" "Pretty good chance... if we could get her to eat." "Maybe she don´t like oats." "I´ll get her some hay." "Whoa." "Don´t run away, Flicka." "Don´t be afraid of me." "I´m Ken." "This is hay." "You´ll like it." "Have some." "Take it easy." "She´s been scared pretty bad." "She´s eating." "She´s going to get well." "Ja." "It´s good sign." "Move her to the calf pasture." "There´s shade there and a running stream." "And she´ll be alone." "I thought horses like company." "Not her." "She´s a lone wolf." "She might jump out of the calf pasture and get away." "She won´t jump out." "She won´t jump anything for a long time." "[Whistling]" "Ken." "Breakfast." "Coming, Dad." "What´s he so chipper about this morning?" "Flicka." "She´s better." "Coming along, huh?" "Mm-hmm." "She´s almost well." "The cuts are all healed up... and she´s eating like a horse." "Ooh." "Maybe we´re going to have a pleasant summer after all... if she doesn´t turn out to be another Rocket." "Oh, I hope not." "Ken, what kind of manners is that?" "Sorry, Mom." "Morning, Dad." "Morning, Ken." "How were the ducks on the landing this morning?" "What ducks on what landing?" "Oh." "Those." "Hardly noticed them." "Been so busy with Flicka." "Now that Flicka´s getting better... don´t forget you´ve got other duties." "Oh, yes, sir." "Give some time to your colt... but not all your time." "I won´t." "Will you come down... and look at Flicka this morning... see how she is?" "Will Her Highness let you get near her?" "Well, not too close." "She´s still a little scared." "But she´ll let you look at her... from the other side of the fence." "That´s big of her." "After breakfast, I´ll take a look." "Oh, swell." "Ooh!" "Kenny." "Good morning, Flicka." "Flicka, Dad´s coming to look at you." "Be a good girl and don´t run away." "Well, she does look good." "Her cuts are all healed up... except for the one on the right front leg." "It´s almost well." "She´s beautiful." "Dad?" "Do you think she´s... loco?" "I´d have sworn it by the way she´s behaved... ever since she was born." "In fact, we´ve never seen her... except when she´s looked terrified." "Every horse looks wild in the eye... when it´s terrified." "She tried jumping that fence." "Anyone can try the impossible once." "There´s the old saying-- :" "It couldn´t be done... but the darn fool did it anzway."" "Horses have jumped over 6 feet." "Maybe Flicka thought she could do it." "We´ll forgive her that one." "Point is, will she learn?" "Can she learn?" "Rocket couldn´t." "Or wouldn´t." "Dad, maybe I´ll never get her trained." "Heavens, Son, what have I been telling you... all these weeks?" "Didn´t you understand?" "What did you think loco meant?" "Sort of goofy or wild-- hard to handle." "Oh, no, Son." "Much more serious than that." "There´s inherited insanity among animals... just as there is among humans." "Bad blood carries on... and albino blood isn´t safe for any filly to have." "But you said... maybe it´s just because she´s been scared." "She´s got a very intelligent face." "Much better than Rocket´s." "Fine, delicate mouth." "And such lovely eyes." "Mm-hmm." "Set far apart." "We´ll have to see how she responds to training." "How can I train her?" "All you can do is try and win her confidence." "You know, Son, if you take everything away... from a living creature-- freedom, friends, its home, habits... happiness-- it´ll turn in sheer need and desperation... to the one thing that´s left." "In this case, that´s you." "Me?" "Yes." "You´re her whole life now." "Make her to like it." "Oh, I will, Dad." "I will." "Give her love and companionship." "Talk to her." "Will she understand me?" "Of course." "A horse can tell you a lot of things, too... if you watch and expect it to be sensible and intelligent." "Pay attention to all the little signs." "The way it moves its body." "The ears." "The eyes." "The whinnies." "That´s its way of talking, Ken." "That´s right." "There´s a neigh of terror." "A scream of rage." "A whinny of nervous impatience." "[Flicka Snorts]" "The nicker of longing or hunger... or friendliness." "You learn its language, and it´ll learn yours." "And never forget-- horses understand everything you say to them." "Everything, Dad?" "Everything." "[Flicka Snorts]" "You mean..." "if they´re not loco." "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "All right, all right... you´re hungry for your oats... but I´m hurrying as fast as I can." "There." "There you are." "Come and get it." "Good, isn´t it?" "You do understand me, don´t you, Flicka?" "Eat it all so you´ll be big and strong like Banner." "You´ve got a very smart father, Flicka." "You´ve got to forget all your wild ways... and be just like him." "Who are you talking to?" "Flicka." "Aw, horses can´t understand people´s talk." "That´s all you know." "Flicka understands everything I say." "What´s more, she talks back to me." "Aw, poo." "Maybe you don´t know it... but horses got a language all their own." "There´s a neigh of terror... a scream of rage... a whinny of nervous impatience... a nicker of longing" "Eee-h-h-h!" "There´s a nicker of hunger." "R-r-r-r." "Can you wiggle your ears?" "Oh..." "[Whinny]" "What´s she saying now?" "Oh, she´s telling me she´s finished her oats." "Oh." "Maybe she´s saying thank you, too." "Maybe she wants more oats." "[Whinny]" "Maybe she´s had too many." "Maybe she´s got a pain in her stomach." "Maybe she needs some castor oil." "Only gluttons need castor oil." "[Whinny]" "[Whinny]" "She wants something." "Oh, I know." "She´s thirsty." "Why don´t you go and get a drink?" "There´s a whole lake full of water." "Oh, all right." "Boy, you sure are getting spoiled." "Oh, gosh." "I forgot." "Your Pop´s back." "For Pete´s sake." "Why didn´t you tell me?" "I´ve got to see him right away!" "[Whinny]" "You hear that?" "That means she doesn´t want me to go." "Aw, I betcha it just means... she´s got gas on her stomach." "[Whinny]" "Bet you I didn´t forget anything this time." "Flour, salt, ham-- What about my hairpins?" "How could I forget anything as important as hairpins?" "They´re in there." "Dad!" "Dad, did you get it?" "Get what?" "You know." "Sorry." "I forgot all about it." "You did get it, didn´t you?" "Sure, I did." "It´s a beauty." "Where is it?" "Well,just a minute, Son." "Your work done?" "Yes, sir." "Did you exercise Cigarette?" "Yes, sir." "She´s in her own pasture... and I tied the gate." "Good." "Is she hot?" "No, sir." "I cooled her off on the way home." "Give her a good workout?" "Yes, sir, and I didn´t lose or break anything." "Good work, Son." "You´re really coming along." "Can I have it now?" "It´s in the front seat." "You were right, Nell." "The filly sure did the trick." "He´s a changed boy." "Flicka!" "Flicka, I´ve got something for you!" "Look." "Brand-new saddle blanket." "Tailor-made especially for you." "Isn´t it keen?" "When you grow up, we´ll put it on you." "Won´t even know you´ve got a saddle on your back." "We´ll go riding on the range... fly like the wind." "Look." "Got your name on it." "Oh, Flicka, I didn´t mean to scare you." "Honest, I didn´t." "Come back, Flicka." "Oh, please come back." "You don´t have to have it." "I won´t ever ride you... or put a saddle on you... if you don´t want me to." "You´ll just be my friend." "[Whinny]" "Mom... did you ever want anything terribly?" "Most everyone wants something, dear." "But you´ve grown up." "You´re married." "You´ve got Dad and me." "Why, you´re finished." "Then I shouldn´t still be wanting, should I... if I´m finished?" "But people do, Ken." "Everyone?" "Always, Mom?" "Don´t you ever really get finished?" "Yeah, I wonder." "Maybe sometimes, for a minute or two." "What is it you want now, Ken?" "I do so want Flicka to be all right and not loco." "Oh, perhaps she isn´t loco, dear." "We don´t know yet for sure... but if she is, Ken... wanting won´t change it." "If she is, it´ll look bad for her, won´t it?" "Let´s see what happens when we try to halter-break her." "Does she have to be?" "We´ve got to find out, don´t we?" "I suppose so." "As soon as she´ll let you touch her... we´ll have a try at it." "What if she won´t let us?" "She loves you, doesn´t she?" "Oh, yes." "I´m sure she does." "Well, that shows she´s intelligent." "How does it, Mom?" "It´s just a way of putting away fear." "Don´t you understand, Ken... that if you find love... if a person or an animal finds love... it´s the same as finding safety." "It´s comfort and friendliness and help." "Everyone longs for it." "And if Flicka´s found it... and yet doesn´t have sense enough... to know she´s found it... and goes around being crazy and silly with fear, then" "Then she´d be loco." "[Humming]" "Good morning." "Where´d you catch them?" "At that deep hole under the falls." "Put them in here." "Thank you." "Well, Boss, what today?" "Look over the mowing machines." "We have to get at the haying soon." "Those stackers need repairs." "Oh, Gus." "Before we begin..." "I want to help Ken halter-break his filly." "I want you and Tim to be on hand." "Where, Boss?" "The calf pasture, and we´ll do it right now." "But, Dad, maybe... maybe we better wait a little while." "She´ll let you close to her now, won´t she?" "Oh, yes." "Flicka´s my friend now." "She likes me, but" "Good." "I´m glad to hear that." "It´s a fine thing to have a horse for a friend." "Flicka´s never had a rope around her neck." "She may fight us putting one on her now." "Maybe she´ll act like she did when she arrived." "Maybe she´ll act like Rocket." "She has to be halter-broken sometime." "Might as well get it over with." "Get ready." "I´ll be right down." "Didn´t you find a broken mule shoe last night?" "Yes." "That´s good luck, ain´t it?" "Yes, but if I make a mistake..." "Dad may blame it on Flicka." "And then he wouldn´t" "Call her, Ken." "Flicka!" "Have your loop ready, Tim." "[Whistles]" "Put your bandanna around her neck." "Tie it in a loose knot." "Easy, Flicka." "Easy." "Now take your belt off." "Slip it through the bandanna." "Now take ahold of the belt and lead her around." "All right." "Now bring her back." "Let go of the loop." "Hold your hand under her chin." "That´s it." "I´d call that halter-broken." "But it isn´t a halter, Dad." "You really take some convincing, young man." "All right." "Give us the halter, Gus." "There you are." "Put it on her." "Go ahead, Son." "But how, Dad?" "Just the way you put it on Cigarette." "All right, now lead her around again." "How did she get halter-broke, Dad?" "That´s the way we break horses... on the Goose Bar ranch." "You figure it out, Ken." "Come on, boys." "Let´s get at those machines." "Then she´s not loco." "She´s not loco." "You could have knocked me down with a feather." "I knew she liked me pretty well, but gosh... she let me halter-break her... without even an argument." "Flicka´s a smart filly, just like her father." "All girls are smart like their pops." "[Whinny]" "She´s calling me." "She sure is, Kenny." "That´s the nicker of friendliness." "Bet you she´s just hungry." "Gus, something´s happened to her!" "She´s limping." "Something´s wrong with her front leg." "Flicka, what´s the matter?" "What´s happened to you?" "It´s that barbed-wire cut." "But that was all healed up." "But it didn´t heal right." "The leg´s swollen." "Is that bad?" "Means infection." "Infection?" "That´s dangerous, isn´t it?" "You betcha." "Hildy, you talk too much." "I think it hurts her." "She ain´t bearing any weight on it." "What do you do for a horse infection?" "Just the same like for people-- put on poultice so it´ll drain." "I´ll get Mom to make a poultice." "Ja, I think you better." "She has got sense, hasn´t she, Mom?" "She knows we´re helping her, doesn´t she?" "Of course she does." "She´s a good little girl... and we´ll get her out of this in no time." "Slack off!" "." "Rip it!" "Dad, I´d like to talk to you." "What about?" "About Flicka." "For the love of Mike, can´t you see I´m busy?" "Can´t be worrying about that filly." "I´m sorry, Dad." "Just a minute, Ken." "What is it, Son?" "Flicka worse?" "Dad, she´s so sick." "Will you come down and see her?" "Maybe you can do something to help her." "All right." "I´ll come have a look at her." "She´s lying down again." "Good heavens." "What´s happened to her?" "She´s been getting awfully thin." "Thin!" "I´m afraid she ain´t going to pull out of it." "Pull out of it?" "She´s dead already." "How long´s she been like this?" "She´s been real sick the last few days." "It´s the fever." "It´s burning her up." "She´s going to die." "We´ll have to put her out of her misery." "Oh, no, Dad." "I´m sorry, Ken." "It isn´t fair to an animal... to let it suffer like this." "Pick a time when Ken isn´t around." "Gus!" "Gus, when are you going to do it?" "I was--I was going down soon now, Kenny." "Don´t do it tonight." "Wait till morning." "Just one more night." "Gus." "Well, in the morning, then." "It´s got to be done." "Your father gave the orders." "I know." "I won´t say anything more." "[Dog Barks]" "Shhh." "I´m coming, Flicka." "I´m coming." "Flicka?" "Flicka, where are you?" "Oh, my little Flicka." "Give him one of these every hour." "I´ll call to see him tomorrow morning." "He´s a very sick boy." "It isn´t only the cold and fever" "He had a shock, Dr. Scott." "Something happened" "He´s been sad about a horse I gave him." "It´s been sick." "Oh, I see." "Well, you´d better have this prescription filled right away." "I´ll follow you into town... and bring it right back." "Don´t worry." "How is the little boy, Missus?" "Gus, he´s so sick." "Poor little boy." "[Thunder]" "Gus, is Flicka dead?" "No." "Tim and me fixed her up in a blanket sling." "She can´t stand alone... but she drank a bucket of water." "Did Rob say you didn´t have to shoot her?" "No, but I couldn´t do it." "When I found them like that this morning, I" "I know what you mean." "She´s got plenty of strength." "Sometimes I think, Gus, miracles can still happen." "It was the water washing the fever out of her... but it was Ken giving her courage." "All night that little fella sitting by her... saying, :" "Hold on, Flicka." ":" "I´m here with you." "The two of us together."" "I´ll tell Ken." "Maybe it will help him get well... knowing she´s still alive." "There´s a storm coming up, Missus." "I´ll stay here if you need me." "Thank you, Gus." "[Thunder]" "I thought you´d never get here." "How is he?" "Better." "He´s been resting." "Good." "We need some hot water." "Did you do as I told you?" "Boss, I couldn´t." "I gave the order, and you´ve had plenty of time." "I just couldn´t do it." "Where´s the rifle?" "In the bunkhouse." "Go get it." "Oh, Rob, please don´t." "He knows she´s alive." "He thinks she´ll get well." "Give him something to hope for." "[Thunder]" "Would have been better if she were shot weeks ago." "It´s been nothing but misery for everyone." "Look what it´s done to Ken." "I wish you wouldn´t, Rob." "He needn´t know." "He´ll hear the shot." "He´ll think it´s thunder." "He´ll know it´s the rifle." "I´m sorry, but... it´s just no good letting sick animals live." "It´s raining." "The rain won´t hurt her, darling." "Flicka´s been out in thunderstorms all her life." "That was Dad´s car, wasn´t it, Mom?" "Yes, dear." "[Whinny]" "[Growl]" "Please, darling." "It was only the thunder." "[Whinny]" "Don´t worry about the cat." "I´m staying with you for the night." "Feel a lot better if I had a drink... and some dry clothes." "I´m a drowned rat... but so are you." "Rob!" "Oh, Rob." "Yeah?" "You all right?" "Sure." "Ken´s asleep." "Gus is with him." "I got worried about you." "[Whinny]" "But I thought" "I heard a shot." "It was a mountain lion." "Did you get him?" "I will before morning." "I couldn´t do it." "She wants to die, she´ll have to do it by herself." "Ken heard the shot." "How´d he take it?" "Well, he took it." "He didn´t question it, he didn´t seem to rebel." "If he wakes up and asks... don´t tell him she´s still alive." "But, Rob" "She may be dead by morning." "Wouldn´t surprise me." "He´s accepted her death." "If he knows she´s still alive, he´ll be all upset again." "I won´t tell him." "[Nickers]" "[Whinny]" "Thanks, Flicka." "[Whinny]" "Morning, Dad." "How do you feel this morning?" "Much better, thanks." "Enough better to go out in the warm sunshine?" "I guess so." "It´s doctor´s orders." "Come on." "I´ll help you get dressed." "Dad...where are we going?" "The calf pasture." "That´s right, Son." "[Whinny]" "Flicka." "It is Flicka." "But I thought" "I didn´t shoot her." "I couldn´t." "That shot you heard?" "That was the mountain lion." "I killed him." "Ohh." "Ohh." "Easy, Ken." "[Whinny]" "Flicka." "[Whinny]" "Oh, Flicka." "She did get gentle, didn´t she, Dad?" "Gentle as a kitten." "She´s given us a lot of trouble, Son... but she´s taught us some important things, too." "You, responsibility." "Me, there is such a thing as hope beyond hope." "That sometimes, when things are at their lowest ebb... all we need do is have a little more love... a little more patience, and a little more faith."