The Portland daily press., 1899-09-08

| lay upon the slecper's neck.
The snoring stopped on the instant.
The tenderfoot made convulsive move
mcnt, and then they heard him groan as
his body became rigid, Grigsby drew the
rope slowly toward him. and Ringer as
slowly paid ii out on his end. AS it pass
ed over the tenderfoot's throat he moan
| ed audibly, but did not dare to stir. 1t
1 took some time to pay out the 40 feet of
length in that lariat, but as its end fell
! from his neck the tenderfoot rose with
yell that would have done credit TO
| Comanche ind bolted out Of the door In
an instant the cowboys were at his heels.
| whats wrong with your demanded
Griesby.
"Rattlesnakelv gasped the tcnderfoot,
whose white face was wet with pcrspira-
| ton and whose knees were trembling vio-
icntly. "The horrible thing lay right
across my throat for an hour. It's in
there yet
We'll have look for it." said Ringer,
and he lighted a candle.
The tenderfoot followed them back and
stood cautiously near the door as they
lifted and shook out their blankets. Lang
ford got his feet tangled up in the rope.
Hello" said he, whats thisY' As he
lifted it from beside the tenderfoot,s
blankets and passed it toward him the
cowboys groaned in concert.
The tendcrfoot strobe In among them
and faced the cowboys. Il can lick the
man that did this" he said quietly, but
clinching his fists.
Ringer dropped the candle, and they
all made dive for their blankets.
Il can lick the man that did it," re-
peated the tenderfoot, but the cowboys
were snoring again, and that was all the
notice they took of his challenge
In the morning, as they started out on
the fiat to mark and brand the animals
captured the day before, the tenderfoot
touched Ringer on the shoulder. ibid
you hear what l said last night?, he
asked.
80 Bout that rattlerY' quericd the cow
boy. grinning.
mo. About being able to lick the man
who put up that job" rctorted the ten
derfoot.
You'll have to join some other hunt il
you want to lick anybody in this one,'
SAID Ringer. Well fight for each other,
but we'll never be caught fighting one
another. Don't take joke too hard, old
man."
Il like jokes, but ! don't like snakes.
Please to remember that, if you are GO
ing to hide behind ranch rules" And
the tenderfoot mounted and rode out
with the rest.
Hell pay you off for that one.
Frank" said Langford, who had over
heard the conversation. Better keep
your eye peeled. He's gritty"
III try his nerve out there on the
fiat" replied Ringer. "I'll dare him to
ride that black bull roped yesterday"
Fingers bull was the last to be brand
ed. As they cropped one ear and sharp
ed the other Grigsby called out:
Who can ride this maverick p
That's the new mans job" said
Langford
"rhe new man declines the mount" the
tenderfoot replied
Fraid?" queried Ringer. n
"Of snakes only" was the answer.
IN take the mount" cried Ringer.
'l'll show this youngster how to sit on
a bucking bull"
lariat was passed around the bulls
body just back of the shoulders and
drawn tightly and knotted. Two other
lariats were joined, and the moose of one
of them was thrown over the bulls horns,
while the other end was held by two of
the cowboys to prevent the bull from get
ting away until they had tired of the fun.
Then Ringer slipped off his boots, 50
that he could get a toe hold in the rope
around the bulls body, Straddling the
bull, he called out, Keep your eye on
me. youngsterr and then. Cast OFF,
Langford slipped of the leg ropes, ana
the bull sprang to his feet He made
run on the rope, but the cowboys surged
back upon it and caused him to turn
For few seconds he bucked in circle
with Ringer yelling in his ears like an
Indian and the others cheering him on.
Then the unexpected happened. IL
working his toes into the rope for a stif.
rup hold the rope slackened a little, and
both of Ringers feet went through. Al
the same moment the bull stumbled and
fell. With his legs tied to the animals
sides, Ringer went down with him, and
~ bull rolled over upon him. As the
cowboys dropped their rope to run to
Ringers assistance the bull scrambled to
his feet and made off so fast that when
the cowboys grabbed for the anchor rope
1t was jerked through their hands, and
the bull was free, with Ringer practical
ly tied to his back. He had lost his
hand hold and was trying desperately
now to free his feet.
hundred yards away was the edge
of the cedar brake, and for that the bull
vas headed. Once in that thicket Rim
ser would be torn to pieces and his
brains dashed out against the low hang
ing limbs of the trees. The cowboys ran
madly for their mounts in n forlorn hope
that they might be in time to head the
bull back out ON the Hat.
The tenderfoot had taken up a position
between the cowboys and the brake to
watch the proceedings. He was almost
in the path of the runaway. For a mo-
ment hcsSesitated. Then in two jumps
be placed himself directly in the course
of the infuri tied beast and waited. As
the bull charged he sprang out TO meet
him. The hull had lowered his head
and the tenderfoot landed fairly between
his horns. In an instant he had seized
the loose ends Of the slipknot in which
the body rope had been tied, and as the
bull tossed him he chung to them.
The rope turned, aud he was dragged
along at the bulls feet for half a dozen
strides. Then, almost at the edge of the
l,.e,1 4