The suburban citizen., 1900-01-06

suggestive name OF Geronimo, but
Se did know that he was the best
rider. the best hand with a rope, the
best trailer, in fact the best all
around vaquero on the range. He
was the oldest man, in point OF SER
vice, on the ranch; had been there
before the new owner purchased it,
and employed au entirely new outfit.
No one questioned Geronimo; even
the new boss, who was not a tender
foot, accepted him along with the
other fixtures, and the Indian came
and went as he pleased. Always on
hand at the spring and fall rodeos, or
roundup, where the rush, excitement
and danger were as exhilarating to
him as mescal, and where he was in
valuable for his knowledge of every
brand in the Southwest, when it came
TO the monotony of riding herd he
would disappear, eventually return
ing after several months absence,
ragged, barefoot and hungry.
We did not question him; we knew
where he had been without that-he
had been in the mountains or desert,
throwing off the surfeit Of civilization
he had accumulated after stay Of one
or two months on cattle range. So,
when he rode up to the outfit on his
pinto pony and, with broad grin on
his face, mumbled his "Buenos dias,
senors," before renewing his acquaint.
ance with the cook, we took no more
notice Of him than if he had but re-
turned from q brief errand to the
ranch-house. There was one thing
at which his pride baked, and that
was the contraction of his name to
IRONY" by Ethe Americana yaqueros,
but constant repetition finally accus-
/ toned him TO even that,
II was a day or two after his return
/ from one of his semi-yearly vacations
/ that he took his rifle and followed the
/ trail of a mule deer into broad canon
| filed with live-oaks. He had not been
| gone over half hour when he came
bounding back light and swift as a
shadow, as though his namesake was
after him. ga bear, a bear" he SAID
in his cultural Spanish, as he ran up,
"un grande oso, and began coiling in
/ his hand the hair rope with which his
COW pony was picketeI. Three of the
Mexican vaqueros leaped to their feet,
and, running to their horses, also took
up their lariats and mounted. 1 knew
what was coming; they were going to
lasso bruin; they had often told me
how it was done, and now | should
have an opportunity of witnessing the
sport. "But would the senior, if he
please, not assist, only sit in his sad
die aud watch?" / agreed, and we
galloped into the canon.
It was not over mile to where the
bear, big cinnamon, weighing at least
1900 pounds, was quietly roofing
around under the trees and munching
acorns. The soft, dry sand in the bed
of the canon had given no warning Of
our approach, and we were within 100
yards Of him before he threw up his
big. shaggy head Then he numbered
up the canon aud hadreached an open
spot among tho trees when, yelling at
the tops OF our voices, we spurred our
horses in a wide circle around him
he stopped and, rearing on his
launches, waited on the defensive.
The yaQueros faced him and rowelIed
their trembling ponies within forty
feet of the big, ugly-lookilg brute.
Once, twice, three times Rony's
rope circled around his head, and then
he launched it whistling through the
mir and the loop, settling over one
big, hairy forepaw, was drawn taut.
The bear dropped on all fours and
made q leap in the direction of Rony,
whose pony wheeled as if on q pivot
and bounded away, taking up the
slack. One Of the Mexicans threw bis
rope and caught the bear hy one of his
hind feet checking him; up went his
bearship again ON his launches, and
third moose settled on the other fore
paw. Down he went again on his foul
feet and lunged at the horse and rider
nearest him. then the fun began in
earnest, and certainly was exciting.
Growing, swapping snaling, lung
ing, and rolling over and over, the
bear worked himself into perfec
frenzy Of impotent rage Sitting mp
Eight on his launches, he would tue
desperately at a lariat, and then fol
owed q veritable tug-of-war betweer
The bear and the pony, the other va
Queros stacking their ropes Thu
lony, badly frightened, would strain
'eariully, but as he saw and felt him
self dragged nearer and nearer hi
| more powerful opponent the physica
nd possiblymental strain became too
much for him, for with a fearful, half
human neigh OF terror, he would rela'
his efforts, and, just as the DANCE
noint was drawing neryously near, tn
others would tug the bear over in tn
direction he was already braced.
During one of these tugs a ropr
broke and over and over went hors,
and rider under the sudden swapping
of the tension. With a snarl o
$ vengeance the bear made n lunge a
: his PROSTATE foes, but was checked b,
the others within n length of his re
venge. To those not familiar witt
the use Of a lariat 70 may be well II
state that as the rope is fastened t.