The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-26

of confidence in the horse that had played
her this trick, She began to suspect
that he was not frantic at all, but only
in earnest. lie seemed to know per-
fectly what he was about and to be sat
isfied that it was the right thing exactly.
1t seemed as though he fully understood
what Dick Mayhew was working for,
and was trying his best to help him.
But why Dick Mayhem or anybody
else should risk his neck in a race with
that herd of cattle was a thing that puz-
zled the girl. Nothing could stop them.
An army of horsemen could moi make
them turn back. Yet all the time her
cowboy friend rode close beside the lead
ers of the herd, now firing a pistol in the
air, now waving his arms frantically,
now uttering sudden wild shouts.
And at every fresh surprise the leaders
nearest the cowboy edged a little away
from him and showed the inside cattle in
the same direction. So, little by little,
the man was forcing the head of the mad
procession farther and farther from the
straight line OF march.
All at once Polly understood the whole
thing. She had heard her father and his
men talk about winding up a STAN
peding herd. The thing to do was to
push the leaders gradually around in a
circle. The others would follow. and as
the circle grew smaller and smaller the
front OF the column would oyeftake the
rear, and finally the cattle would be SO
h~elplessly wound up that they would
stop in sheer bewilderment. This was
what she was helping Dick Mayhem to do.
Suddenly her horse swerved a little
and thrust his head fairly against the
side OF one of the maddened cattle. A
pair of red. angry eyes were turned in
Polly's direction, and they seemed to see
for the first time this meddlesome out
rider. With a below of rage the crea-
ture lowered its wide spreading horns,
and without further warning straight
way charged upon the horse and its help
less rider.
Polly did not scream. A tightening at
her throat made her voiceless. Her dan
ger was fearfully great and she knew it.
In an instant the terrible enemy was
upon her. He had dashed away from
the herd beyond her horse. and then
turning with lowered head was making
his onslaught. The girl saw that even
if she escaped death on the points Of
those dreadful horns she was likely to
be cast headlong upon the bristling
horns of the ~galloping herd.
But the wise old horse saw the danger
as quickly as she, and knew far better
how to manage it. just as the lowered
horns almost touched him he swerved
suddenly, turned sharply about and gal
loped to the rear. So the horns aimed
at the horse struck a member of the herd
and aroused great anger III him.
In a moment the horse had turned
again and was in full career toward the
front cree more. With difficulty Polly
had kept her seat through these swift
and surprising eyolutions. Now, when
members OF the herd detached and in
hot pursuit, not of her, but of Dick May
hew. Ii one horse could not be over
thrown another would serve!
In one awful second the girl realized
both the peril of her faithful friend and
her own inability to ever warn him. In
another instant the shock would be upon
him and lie would be killed before her
eyes. If only he could be made to know
of his dangerl If only she could attract
those furious creatures to herself once
more!
With q flash Of Inspiration Polly saw a
faint possibility of rescue. With cries
and with blows from her small fists she
urged the horse TO g swifter run, SO that
the distance between her and Dick be-
came less and less. And then. laughing
aloud 1T the absurdity Of her device, she
bent down ana u~nslunS her umbrella
from the saddle.
As she grasped the handle she was close
behind the cowboy. But so We're the
pursuers she strove to rescue him from.
Before She could cry out both the en-
ragged creatures had struck Dick May
news horse, and the poor animal lay
bleeding and disabled on the ground,
while his stunned rider struggled to free
himself from the ENHANCEMENT which
held him.
The force of the collision threw both
the assailants backward toward the
herd. Before they could recover from
the recoil and renew their charge the
horse which had begun the disturbance
swept, with his plucky young rider, be-
tween them and their victim.
AS Dick Mayhem struggled TO his feet
.e saw the amazing apparition Of Polly