I kin fix it so'st you kin git his saddle, if you take a notion to it." Franklin looked twice to see if there was affectation in this calm statement, but was forced, with a certain horror, to believe that his new acquaintance spoke of this as a matter of fact, and as nothing startling.
He had made no comment, when he was prevented from doing so by the exclamation of the cowboy, who pointed out ahead.
"There's Batty's place," said he, "an' there's Batty himself.

Git up, quick; git up, an' ride in like a gentleman.

It's bad luck to walk." Franklin laughed, and, taking the reins, swung himself into the saddle with the ease of the cavalry mount, though with the old-fashioned grasp at the cantle, with the ends of the reins in his right hand.
"Well, that's a d----d funny way gittin' on top of a hoss," said Curly.
"Are you 'fraid the saddle's goin' to git away from you?
Better be 'fraid 'bout the hoss .-- Git up, Bronch!" He slapped the horse on the hip with his hat, and gave the latter a whirl in the air with a shrill "Whoooop-eee!" which was all that remained needful to set the horse off on a series of wild, stiff-legged plunges--the "bucking" of which Franklin had heard so much; a manoeuvre peculiar to the half-wild Western horses, and one which is at the first experience a desperately difficult one for even a skilful horseman to overcome.

It perhaps did not occur to Curly that he was inflicting any hardship upon the newcomer, and perhaps he did not really anticipate what followed on the part either of the horse or its rider.

Had Franklin not been a good rider, and accustomed to keeping his head while sitting half-broken mounts, he must have suffered almost instantaneous defeat in this sudden encounter.