Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-12-01

speed of a frightened deer. Seeming |
to realize just what was expected of it /
the game little horse could scarcely |
curb its impotence when the animal |
left the gate, and when the word was
given and the spurs touched its culver
ing TANKS it got down to its work in |
the most gallant style. So great was |
the speed of the steer that it was |
almost lifted from the ground by the |
run on the rope" and so heavy its fall
that it lay as if dead until the cowboy
bent over it and seized it by two of the
legs and drew them together for the
tie. Then began a struggle which
filed the breasts of those who had
money on the boy with dire apprehen-
sion, for seconds were precious to their
interests, and the most brief delay
might cost them dearly. But with al
most incredible skill and dexterity the
tying was accomplished despite the
struggles of the PROSTATE animal, and
amid storm of cheers the boy assumed
an upright position, his hands raised
aloft.
Time, forty-nine seconds
Not up to his previous record, and
yet one which few thought the Texas
man could reach. So sanguine of success
offer odds on their man. but large sums
were already at stake and but few
more bets were placed.
It was observed that the boy from
the Brazos was a trifie nervous as he
mounted his horse and rode to the
scratch, yet there. was a look of de-
termination on his face which inspired
his friends with strong hope that he
might vet win. The steer released for
him was a large. kingly-looking fellow
of a red color, beneath whose rapidly
beating hoofs the ground seemed to
tremble. Like flash horse and rider
were in close pursuit, and with a yell
of triumph the expert roper caught the
steer in unequaled time and checked
his horse. A moment later the great
assem- blage rose to its feet amid ex-
clamatious of horror from the men and
shrieks of fear from the paling lips of
the ladies, for, through some uneven
ness in the ground, the horse was vio-
lently thrown by the jerk on the rope
and the rider hurled over his head with
terrible velocity. Brought to sudden
stop, but not thrown from its feet, the
Infatuated steer turned, and, seeing the
PROSTATE man, rushed savagely upon
him, caught him upon its horns and
tossed him high in the air. When he
alighted it again leaped toward him,
but ere it could reach the spot where
he fell the rope of the New Mexico boy
had encircled its murderouS horns and
a quick run by the horse brought it to
it's knees within three feet of it's in
tended victim. By this time the Ari-
iona rider had mounted his horse and
galloped to the spot, and, dexterously
roping the steer around its hind legs,
| the believing animal was soon thrown
| and securely tied.
| Brazos Tom was unconscious when
| picked up and borne from the Enclosure.
1t was found that his right leg was
| broken above the knee and that he had
sustained some internal injuries, but
he soon regained consciousness. and, as
| his first words were curses and male
dictions on the luck which caused MIN
| to lose the match, the physicians eX-
pressed the belief that he would ulti-
mately recover.
| Under the rule above referred to, the
! first money and the championship were
awarded to Red Bill. When the one
thousand dollars were handed to him
he carefully counted out two hundred
! and fifty dollars of the sum and handed
it back with the remark:
Here, judges, jest put that atop O.
| Toms pile, an that'lI make it even
money atween us. 'Twant his fault
that he got done up, an nothin' but a
| even divvy I'll settle matters atween
me and him accordin' to my way o
sizin' it up. The poor boy I'll have to
hold a bed down a long time now an
pile up big doctor bill, and if this
stack o. stuff don't see him through
you know whar to round me up
Twas but a characteristic of the
western cowboy. Brave, fearless. reck-
less and often rude in his behavior, an
accident to comrade or a cry of dis
tress from any quarter reaches that
tender spot in his heart which all the
roughness and danger of perilous life
cannot harden. and his hand and purse
are ever ready to extend needed assist
ance. During several years spent
among the fearless riders of the ranges
the writer often noted this leading
| trait of cowboy nature, and the thought
| has at times presented itself that when
| the great books above are opened,
many "a page of recorded wickedness
| entered therein against the reckless
knights of the saddle and rope will be
found to have been Cancelled by deeds
| of generosity and sympathy, which
were Christianlike in every feature
Chicago Tribune.
Our GrandmotLers.
In an eastern paper appears lament
over the departure of the typical
| grandmother. A pretty picture is
drawn of the gray-haired old lady that
is a memory of childhood, with her
sweet and patient face and gentle man.
ners. Then it is affirmed that she is nc
more. In her place has come a woman
who uses rouge and has her children's
! children call her 'saunty." There
would be reasons for lamentation had
the grandmother really vanished, but
she hasn't. The eastern writer may
have been deprived of one and may
have seen a specimen or two of the
bogus aunty. But the grandmother is
| a fixture. In many household she is
the central object of affection, as sweet
and gentle as ever. Manners of living
change, and not always for the better.
but they have never changed so radi-
| cally and badly as to eliminate the
grandmother, and when they do the
time will have come to write civiliza-
ton 4 failure.-San Francisco Exami-