The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-07-03
A Deadly Broncho.

Two men with wide-brimmed hats
and weathcr-bronzed countcnances sat
in the Sturtevant house with a report
or for the Mail and Express, smoking
and talking. They were cattlemen and
owned ranches in New Mexico and
Colorado. They were talking of ranch
life experience and the checkered ca
reer and sudden end of some of their
cowboys. The ranchman from Colo
rada, who had once visited the New
Mexican, asked him if Greaser Pedro,
the Mexican cowboy, who could ride
any animal he could straddle, was still
at his ranch.
':No," was the answer. "He is
dead. I will tell you about it. One
day, at a roundup, Greaser Pedro was
Dragging of his ability to ride any crea-
ture on legs. He dashed about among
the cowboys, throwing his lariat and
cutting all sorts of didos on his horses
back. Finally one of the cowboys
said: Say, Greasy,'-they always call
him Greasy,-I'll bet my lariat agin
yourn and pint of whisky thrown in
yer can't ride that piebald broncho
Gizzard Jim fetched here yesterday
The bet was accepted by Pedro. The
broncho was lassoed, and after several
attempts a saddle was buckled on him.
All the cowboys mounted their horses
to follow up the broncho if he ran and
see the fun. The little animal looked
sleepy-eyed and tucked its tail between
its legs and trotted around stiff jointed.
With one bound Pedro leapcd into the
saddle and cried, let got The cow
boys gave wild Comanche whoop and
away dashed the sleepy-eyed broncho.
He ran quarter of mile in q dog
gallop, the boys all keeping along and
trying to frighten him. Then he chang
ed his tactics, and began to run around
in a circle and buck. The greaser
stuck to him like leech, but the vio-
lent bucking shook the color out of his
face. The broncho had not taken his
tail from between his legs, and this
| gave the cowboys hope that no would
yet throw the Mexican. Another run
of twice the first distance and then a
wild bucking spree, but the rider SEEM
ed glued on the animals back. Over
half an hour had passed in this wild
and exciting pastime, and it looked
very much like the greaser would win
the bet. The broncho all at once
seemed to gather new vitality and new
strategy. He laid down and rolled
over, but as soon as he regained his
feet Pedro was in the saddle. A wild
bucking dash forward and sudden
halt; then rearing up quickly the pie
bald animal fell backward, full on tho
body of Pedro, who did not have time
to jump off and save his life. He roll
ed over the Mexican and then got up
and turned and looked ut the figure on
the ground Us if he expected it to rise
and jump on his back again. But he
didn't rise, and lay there stone dead,
his head alongside of cactus plant.
That broncho kind o. smiled and rubbed
his nose against his master, Gizzard
Jim, who came up to catch him.
I've won, said the cowboy.
"'You will have to divide with me-
replied Gizzard Jim.
"'Why will Ip'
." DO you think l have trained that
broncho to fall back on Mexican greas-
ers without payp He fell back on two
half-breeds last week at Sye Kutchen's
ranch and settled 'em. Kutchen paid
me for the job. want pay for teach
ing them tricks to him. l do
"Gizzard Jim is making money in
New Mexico by renting out the trick
broncho to ranch-owners and cowboys
who desire to got rid of greasers. "
NeW York Mail and Express.