The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-25

repnes to the rough jokes that were
showered upon him. He was not at all
the sort of person that could enjoy a
Joke when at his own expense.
The herd reached the river and the
yellow spray was flung high in the air.
Then they slowed and stopped, heaving
to and fro. They were prevented from
breaking down stream again by the
cowboys, who stood ready to foil every
such attempt, and try as they might
/ they could not return-but not an inch
forward would they stir. The river was
rising fast. and more short handed than
ever. now that Hollis was unhorsed, it
was all that we could do to hold them
where they were.
Ear in the van Of the herd stood
Hollis pony, girth deep in the water
Hollis caught sight of him. Retarded
by his cowboy boot heels. three inches
high. Hollis walked laboriously through
the deep, soft sand toward the herd that
stood punched together, half in, half
out of the stream Going up to the
! nearest COW, Hollis put his hands on
ner shoulders and vallted realty aatride
! Of her lean back, and before the aston
ished animal had time to demonstrate
IL any way he had swung from her back
to that of another which was standing
next to her. From this one he swung to
| a third until at last he reached part
of the herd near the middle where the
animals were so packed together that
they were almost inca Fable Of move
ment Then be rose to his feet and
started to walk. stepping from one
backbone TO the next.
1t was crazy thing to do. Once be,
fore had seen man attempt to swing
from back to back, and it was dan
gerous feat enough. Such feat as
Hollis was now attempting was ten
times as dangerous. Should he fall be-
tween the cattle they would close over
his head and almost certainly drown
him.
For some distance Hollis succeeded
we'll enough Each back WINGED as his
foot pressed it. and the head belonging
to the back would toss angrily. The
heads were all pointing in one direc-
tion, and in order to avoid them Hollis
passed diagonally across the herd in
much the same manner that a boat
beats to windward. He completed his
first tack. With one foot on the back of
a COW, the other pressing the spinal
column Of vicious cream colored bull,
Hollis tried to turn The bull threw up
his head and attempted to plunge. He
was too closely confined to succeed in
this, but he unbalanced Hollis, who,
withdrawing his foot from the back CT
the bull. placed it on the creature that
stood directly behind MIN. tottered for
an instant. then regained his balance
and brought his foot forward once more.
replacing it on the bulls back. Just at
this time Spider came galloping down
the bank. Pulling his horse almost on
to its haunches. he stared in blank
amazement. He would not have been
more astonished, be told me afterward,
if Hollis had appeared in the guise of an
angel flying over the herd and be
..couldn' think er nothin more unlike
ly'n that. >
Hollis saw Spider at the same mo-
,, ment. Once mere he tried to turn, and
this time he succeeded. As he did So his
foot slipped He made couple of quick
steps to recover his balance. He more
than recovered it. He threw it the other
way and fell backward at full length
between the cattle
Hollis struggles to rise probably
frightened the cattle even more than his
fall had done. They heaved and surged
srantica]ly to clear themselves CT their
burden, and in an instant lad opened
space between them through which
Hollis dropped with scream that
heard. distant as l was, far above the
noise of the cattle and the shouting.
Then the SPACE closed over his head.
Not fer moment did l suppose that
should again see Hollis aliye-nor once
in thousand snch occurrences would
have bad an opportunity. As it was, by
miracle Of good fortune, he came up
near tho heads of the cattle between
which he had fallen. saw his hand
clutching at horn. The head to which
the horn belonged beloved and tossed
in its efforts to free itself. Twice II
broke his hold and twice Hollis reap
peared. eraspiEg for his life at the
nearest support
Spider instantly turned his horse and
spur7ed straight into the press Of cattle,
striking and shouting and trying to
scatter it. Only on the edge of the herd
did he succeed. The rest of the cattle
were packed tco closely. and there was
not time for them to move. Still spur
ring Spider snatched his larlat from
where it hung en- his saddle, closing the
loop in order TO increase its length. lie
swung it and cast. The rope fei! far
and true across the neck OF the steer to
which Hollis was clinSing Hollis grasp