The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-01-04

Nh} v big, good-natured
" Indian, with a
face about MS savage as that of the
man in tho moon, should attach the
suggestive name of Geronimo, but
wo did know that he was the best
rider, the best hand with q 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 an entirely new outfit.
No one questioned Geronimo; even
the new boss, who was not 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 tho monotony of riding herd he
would disappear, eventually return
ing after several months absence,
| TuBUtus buIclOOb anu nunRIY.
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 hnd accumulated after stay of one
or two months on cattle range. So,
when he rode up to the outht on his
pinto pony and, with a broad grin on
| his face, mumbled his "Buenos dias,
senors," before renewing his acquaint.
ance with the cook, We took no moro
notice of him than if he had but re-
turned from n brief errand to the
ranch h-house. There was one thing
at which his pride baked, and that
was the contraction of his name to
IRONY" by Lthe Americana vaqueros,
but constant repetition finally accus-
toned him to even that.
1t was day or two after his return
from one of his semi-yearly vacations
| that he took his rifle and followed the
trail OF 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 u
shadow, as though his namesake was
after him. "a bear, 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 picketel. Three Of the
Mexican vaqueros leaped to their feet,
and, running to their horses, also took
up their lariats aud mounted. 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 and watch?" 1 agreed, and we
galloped into the canon.
1t 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 and had dreache an open
spot among the trees whel, yelling at
the tops of our voices, we spurred our
horses in wide circle around him;
ho stopped, and, rearing on his
launches, waited on the defensive.
The vaqueros faced him aud rowelled
their trembling ponies within forty
feet OF the big, ugly-looking brute.
Once, twice, three times Rony's
rope circled around his head, and then
he launched it whistling through the
air, and tho loop, settling over one
big, hairy forepaw, was drawn taut.
The bear dropped on all fours and
made Il leap in the direction of Rony,
whose pony wheeled as il on pivot
and bounded away. taking up the
slack. One of the Mexicans threw his
rope and caught the bear by 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 four
feet and lunged at the horse and rider
nearest him; then the fun began in
earnest, and certainly was exciting.
Growing, swapping, snarling, lung
ing, and rolling over and over, the
bear worked himself into a perfect
frenzy of impotent rage. Sitting mp
right on his launches, he would tug
desperately at lariat, and then fol-
lowed veritable tug-of-war between
the bear and the pony, the other va
queros stacking their ropes. The
pony, badly frightened, would strain
fearfully, but as he saw and felt him
self dragged nearer and nearer his
more powerful opponent the physical
and possibly mental strain became too
much for him, for with fearful, half
human neigh of terror, he would relax
his efforts, and, just as the danger
point was drawing nervously near, the
others would tug the bear over in the
direction he was already braced.
During one OF these tugs a rope
broke and over and over went horse
and rider under the sudden swapping
of the tension. With a snarl of
vengeance the bear made lunge at
his PROSTATE foes, but was checked by
the others within length OF his re.
venge. To those not familiar with
the use of d lariat it may be we'll to
state that as the rope is fastened to
the saddle-horn the horse "backs"
and pulls, facing the weight, except
in the case of dead pull, when the
rider throws his leg over the rope and
Darmita the horaa IN mil uaturallv.