McGraw©Hill/

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My Friend Flicka P. 538/

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R7N32

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Report cards for the second semester were sent out soonafter school closed in mid©June.

Kennie's was a shock to the whole family.

"If I could have a colt all for my own," said Kennie, "Imight do better."

Rob McLaughlin glared at his son. "Just as a matter ofcuriosity," he said, "how do you go about it to get a zero inan examination? Forty in arithmetic; seventeen in history! Buta zero? Just as one man to another, what goes on in your head?"

"Yes, tell us how you do it, Ken," chirped Howard.

"Eat your breakfast, Howard," snapped his mother.

McLaughlin finished his coffee and pushed his chair back. "You'll do an hour a day on your lessons all through the summer."

Nell McLaughlin saw Kennie wince as if something hadactually hurt him.

Lessons and study in the summertime, when the long winterwas just over and there weren't hours enough in the day for allthe things he wanted to do!

Kennie took things hard. His eyes turned to the wide©openwindow with a look almost of despair.

The hill opposite the house, covered with arrow©straightjack pines, was sharply etched in the thin air of the eightªthousand©foot altitude. Where it fell away, vivid green grassran up to meet it; and over range and upland poured the strongWyoming sunlight that stung everything into burning color. A bigjack rabbit sat under one of the pines, waving his long ears backand forth.