“Then,” Steve went on hurriedly, “I’m going to pull his hindquarters over as you let the chain down again. But you’ve got to do it slowly, Pitch.”

Pitch looked puzzled. “You mean turn the wheel backward, letting him down again?”

“You don’t have to turn it. His weight at the end will take care of that. You’ve just got to see that the wheel moves backward only a few inches at a time. You can do it by keeping hold of this bar of metal that fits into the teeth of the wheel.”

“I don’t see how you’re going to—”

“You won’t be letting him down into the pit again, Pitch,” Steve interrupted. “You’ll just be giving me more chain, so I can pull his hindquarters closer to the rim of the pit as you let him down.”

Pitch’s face lit up. “I see now,” he said. “His forefeet will act as the pivot while you swing his hindquarters over.”

Nodding, Steve widened the noose he had made with his rope; then he went down to the rim of the pit, with Pitch close beside him.

Pitch’s arm encircled the boy’s waist as Steve hurled the lasso at the stallion’s hindquarters. It took several attempts before the noose settled over the quarters and encircled the stallion’s girth. With Steve carrying the end of the rope, the two made their way up to the top of the pit again.

“You’d better move over closer to him,” Pitch said.

Steve nodded and walked around the pit. “Let the chain down slowly, Pitch,” he cautioned. “Very slowly.”

Steve shortened the rope until it was taut, then, bracing a foot on a rock, pulled the stallion’s hindquarters as far toward him and the rim of the pit as possible. “Now, Pitch,” he yelled.

There was a sharp click as the wheel turned backward a few inches, then held again. Steve pulled on the rope, drawing Flame’s hindquarters closer to the rim. Again there was the click of the wheel’s teeth—and again Flame’s hindquarters swung closer to the rim. Again and again the clicks sounded until the stallion’s hind legs were almost above solid ground.

Flame had raised his head. He knew something was happening. Snorting, he resumed pounding his forefeet.

Pulling on the rope, Steve saw Flame’s hind feet touch the rim of the pit.

“Now, Pitch!” he yelled.

And the clicks came faster as Pitch lowered away until the noose hung loosely about the stallion’s girth.