Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-12-31

faint popping OF six shooter, supple
mented by distant roar Of Scrub Oh,
grub' announces the hour for dinner.
Spectators and racers rush back to the
plaza.
Back of one Of the principal saloons.
between it and the base of the noun
tain, a long trench has been dug and
filled with mesquite wood, burned to
clear, red Goals Over these Goals, rest.
ing on we'll soaked green poles. quarters
Of beef have been roasting for the last
10 hours These quarters are hung in
the different verandas, and from them
each man cuts such portion as seems
good to him and retires to eat it, to-
gether with whatever provisions he may
have brought with him, while in the
burning sun of the plaza the Indians
and dogs dispute for and gorge them
selves on the refuse.
Soon there is general movement to-
ward corral at the foot of the plaza,
where the principal business of the day,
from a sporting standpoint, is to begin.
For week the founders of the feast
have been collecting cattle suitable to
their purpose, and the cottonwood pole
corral is as full of them as it will hold.
Twenty feet in front Of the corrals
u long line has been drawn in the sand,
then an interval Of 40 yards and anoth-
er A little to one side the timekeeper,
| watch in hand, sits on his horse The
| first contestant, in this case hand
some young Mexican, places himself
| with his back to the corral, and the
fore hoofs Of his pony just toeing the
| first line.
The bars are lowered and a long
legged red COW is allowed to escape
| Across the space she runs like grey
hound. The instant she crosses the Sec
ond line the vaquero plunges in his big
spurs and starts in pursuit, his RATA
whistling around his head. The COW
points straight for a growth of scrub,
as though she knew that no lariat could
be thrown in such place. The little
horse gains on her rapidly. Before she
has made more than third of the dis
lance to her goal he is at her flying
heels. Then the rope flies out SO quick
ly that the eye can hardly follow it,
but the COW makes quick turn and
gallops on, still free.
The Mexican makes no second at
tempt. The loss of time caused by his
first failure would prevent his winning
the coveted prize. So he sulkily with
draws and his place is taken by anoth-
er, who sits with straining eagerness
as gray bull is sent careering across
the dead line.
"Off fore foot" he cries as his pony
springs forward. Then follows quick
cast, couple of turns around the sad.
dlehorn, and the horse braces back,
tucking his head we'll down to keep il
, out Of the way-while the bull. hit
: flight suddenly arrested, turns a hall
. somersault and lands on his back
caught by the leg his captor has named
Securing the line, the man dimount,
and runs toward his prey as fast as hill
, high heels will allow. It struggled
fiercely, but the pony is far too well
8 trained to let the bull rise, and, with
l Tightening of the lariat, neatly foil
l every attempt. The captured fore lug
quickly made fast to hind leg-"ho
tied"-and then the cowboy holds q
: his hand to show that it is completed.
, The judges having pronounced til,
J the animal is properly secured, the tim
taken to accomplish the feat is enterd
, and another man tries his skill.
The twilight comes at last. Duck
! soon followed by darkness in these lat
tudes, and hardly has it fallen when IL
strains of rude music announce IL
/. | opening of the great social feature
f the day, the ball. The ballroom is I'll
b whole upper floor Of the hotel. I'll
s walls are of rough adobe, the floor ;
! unplaned planks. From the rafters
! the fat roof hang all the lanterns th3
. can be borrowed in the neighborhood-
that is, within radius of ten mil
and candles burn on bits of boar
a stuck in the interstices of the sun bake
q brick of the walls. Benches of plank
t laid across boxes line three sides of til
S room. At one end of the hail. on
9 rough stage erected there, sit the mu
sicans There are three of them, al
!. Mexicans, one playing a squeaky fiddle
. the other two guitars. All of then
: wear their hats and smoke crooked ciga|
9 rettes of brown paper as they play.
t There are about 30 girls, many Q,
9 them pretty and all Of them dressed
! with neatness and taste quite remark
. able when one considers their limited
resources. About the same number oI
older women complete the feminine con
q tingent and all are in demand, for the
: men number hundred or more.
. The men are all dressed for the occa.
: sion, each in the manner that happens
to suit his fancy. Many retain theil
, spurs, in which they are popularity sup
posed to sleep. One young fellow is esI
. pecially swell, wearing white shirt
t and red necktie under long blac1
e cutaway coat, and clad as to his netheI
i man in the leather "chaps" of the cow
boy, with the jingling 'petmakers1
2 still fast to his high heeled boots.
81 Dance follows dance in rapid succeed
= sion. The measured pounding Of the fee
r as they noisily caper over the reseund
: ing boards almost browns the music.
g is thoroughly enjoyed until nearly day
t break, when the company dispersed
!. Horses are saddled, blankets unrolled
4 and soon, save for the snarling of TIL
: coyotes as they quarrel over the remain
a of the supper, the little village is silent
-l-Philadelphia Press.