The San Francisco call., 1897-10-17

Bang, bang, bang! The signal for help
was suddenly heard. This was followed
up by the mum ber given 10 Sam-"spelled
out with pistol" as Tom said.
Tom. who was Sprinter, easily outran
the others. He was many rods in advance
OF his comrades when he rounded bend
in 4 trail and there saw Sam. One look
was enough to show that Sam had Nellie
in his arms, and Sans expression was
enough to show that, while she was per-
fectly still, she was not dead.
Tom took the child, Hello, SAM" he
said suddenly, noticing for the first time
that blood was trickling down Sans right
hand from a bandaged wound on Sans
right arm, Hello. what is all this?"
Over there, go into the thicket and
you will see.
There the boys went, and they found
real Texas steer, with horns sharp as a
needle ana wide spreading. The steer had
been neatly roped. On one of its horns
was stain of blood, showing bow Sam
got hurt. All around, the ground was
trampled and covered with broken tree
limbs. The steer looked sullenly up at the
boys, and there was u wicked expression
| in its eyes.
Tell us the story, Sam
81 was coming through that open SPACE"
said Sam. when saw little Nellie asleep
on the ground under a tree. A sound as
ii an express train was running away
came to me just then, and ] looked up to
see that brute charging after me with
horns lowered and meaning business.
Nellie was at the other end of the glen and
1 was between the brute and our little
girl. 1t was either for me to step aside
and let the steer trample little Nellie or TO
make some sort of a stand. L had my
lasso IN my hand, and, rs l am reasonably
sure with that and am not so good a shot
with a pistol as might be, / let go the
lasso without really taking any time to
think. Then l jumped aside just in the
nick of time and pul ed back bracing
myself as hard as possible. The steer
graZed me as he ran by.
Il lell and the lasSo got snarled up in
some way, and the steer just before he
got to Nellie, felt the rope draw, for it n ad
him by one forefoot. He was going so
fast that he was switched up against a
tree and the shock seemed to stun him for
second or SO. That proba bly, saved me
from being dragged to death over the
trail. l was up in fash and took turn
around tree with the rope and stood by
to see what would happen to the steer.
He made mad rush for me, after stopping
minute to paw up the ground and below.
L will confess that his below seemed very
fierce to me. Now came a race around the
tree. The steer came straight on and
would have trampled me if the rope had
not held. As it was, he was turned, and
went spinning around the tree half a
dozen times, ana | was only e few feet
ahead as he chased me. When the rope
h; d about dozen turns in it l jumped to
one side, and there the steer was tied up
all right. then got branch of a tree
you Will see several broken branches there
and with one of these / hammered the
! steer until he did not want any more.
| Then L cut of piece of the Iasso and
tied his feet. He was so angry that he
threw himself, and there he is''
As Sam said this he fell forward in a
faint. The boys ran for some water and
threw 1t in his face. Then they saw that
he had not only one wound, but half 4
dozen. So be had not told half the brave
story. He had had a harder fight than
he had described. His modesty had kept
back much. But the boys thought all the
more of him for that When he went into
camp with little Nellie in his arms she
was still asleep and he gently placed her
in her mothers outstIe;ched arms and
bIushed like girl when she thanked and
praised him the boys were ready to do or
dare anything for him. 1t was agreed
that the Los Angeles lad had performed
the most valuable service of any of the
boys and the camp kettle was voted to
bt,, toll Of 10 ha ;oL
by Sam as a souvenir.