One of the great things about thundering around the countryside on the actual Sam, the hero of my book "Sam (a pastoral)," was knowing that all my neighbors were dead certain that 'that hoss is gonna kill that kid.'

Sam was very large imposing, wild-looking and full of zip-a-dee doo-dah. But my neighbors were mistaken about his murder potential.

I kept it a secret that Sam was a lamb. He had good ground manners as well as a doglike obedience under saddle. That he could have killed me in any number of ways is beyond question, but it was not in his nature at all.