Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-10-13

The loop of Holden's cable lit fairly
over the widespread horns; but his
hand was hardly quick enough in
closing it. While it hung slack the
steer leaped with both front legs
through it, and then Holden's tardy
jerk brought it ight around the grizzly
TANKS.
The beast beloved as the plunge
of his great gray body drew the turn
of the rope swiftly from the saddle
horn. Vainly Holden tried to stay it.
Recklessly he threw the slack end in
hitch around the steel horn and
clapping his hand over it braced his
horse for the shock
With forelegs outplanted and quar-
ters lowered, the stubborn blue out
law stanchly set himself to the tight
ening rope. For an instant he was
ierked along, stiff-legged, then over
they went, dragged down, fierce horse
and reckless roper.
Clearing his legs, hanging at the
side of his struggling horse, Holden
still held the saddle horn with power
full grasp. Another bawl, plunge
that no cinches could withstand-and,
10, the saddle was stripped from the
outlaw and jerked high and far from
Holden's hand
Navajo Jim checked his horse, but
"On!' roared the young foreman, and
on the obedient Indian spurred after
the wild steer and the flying saddle.
The great steer seemed scarcely to
feel the 50-pound drag of the bump
ing saddle. Yet it tightened the rope
about loin and tanks, and by making
it harder for him to breathe so lessened
his speed that Jim easily kept him in
sight. Through yielding brush and
swaying thicket, through punches of
frightened cattle that split to let him
pass and came stringing after, bucking
and bawling in sympathy, the brute
plunged on.
Each bawling bunch in turn was
distanced. The brushy slopes broke
away. AS the mesa, sprinkled with
pinons, began to offer to Jim smooth
spaces for handling his horse, he un-
buckled the strap that held the coil Of
his rope, but still, as every leap of
the steer took him the nearer to the
corral, the wise Indian only held the
rawhide ringed ready in his hand
Down the rapidly narrowing tongue
! of the mesa the mesa which tipped
precipitously out into the river gorge
and was bounded on either side by an
abyss-the trapped steer sped. He
must soon be at a standstill or at
tempt to return on his tracks.
The Indians eyes had already kim
died with anticipation of triumph, when
at the last of the pinons the humping,
hurting saddle caught fast between
projecting roots. 1t scarcely checked
the steer! Holden's cable tore loose
from the saddle-horn, and its slack
ened loop was speedily kicked from
the steers high-plunging launches.
Once more the great gray brute was
free.
''Ah, he on the push noww said
Jinsand looked to his loop as the steer
reversed his big body, gave high,
writhing leap over the spurned rope,
confronted the herder with the threat
ening crescent of his sharp horns and
plunged forward to the combat.
The Navajo lifted his horse aside
with the spurs, swung the loop open
in his right hand and rose, half turned
in the stirrups, in quick underthrow
for the front hoofs Of the steer as he
lunged by.
Jim's eyes saw Tor sn instant, low
cred hsfRs eua uplitted hoofs mingled
together, and his throw WAS true. But
so quick was the play of the ponder
GUS feet thai the loop caught one fore
leg only and passed over the face and
hung across the horns.
The loop, drawn tight by the roper's
instantaneousjerk and kept from slack
ening by his nimble horse, bound horn
and hoof together. Now the steer
was in sad plight. With head drawn
sidewise, with tongue lolling from
open jaws, believing, he surged on
three legs, but his spirit was un-
| broken.
The roper slowed his horse to the
strain. From horn to cantle the sad
die creaked as, trampling and tugging
in a wild, wide waltz, straining horse
and hauling steer made the mad cir
cult of the precipices.
The Navajo, active in the saddle
with rein, spur and rope, was, in spite
of all his efforts, dragged past the
break where the trail ran down the
slope. His horse, always straining
desperately, was tugged on and on
until he circed along the perilous
porphyry brink, and jim glanced
iongingly from the saddle on the cor
raj, seemingly almost directly beneath
him, its great square shrunk to the
measure G. ais saddle blanket.
Holden, pounding down bareback on
the blue roam, had stopped to gather
up his rope, but now Jim heard his
encouraging shout. The quickened
tramp of his rushing horse, the whirr-
ing of his big rope as he swung it
aloft, sounded close at hand, and the
sweating roper relaxed his strain.
The steer, alert to the slack, ierked
his Aoof from the loop Needless of
the cutting rope, instantly tightened