Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-06-28
FOURTHOF JULY RIDING AT GA[FNA

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f, When got down the nat was cleared
for action. and the man called Curlew
was preparing to ride.
He had barely time to draw his
sleeve across his perspirlng face when
the half-choked and bewildered pony
had leaped. like n flash. to his feet:
at the same fractional part OF a second.
Curlew was lightly ensconced In the
saddle. stirruped and pulling OF the
pony's hood. Blinded by the sun. dazed
| and frightened by tho weight on his
back. the bay stood quivering for
short space. But n singing cut from
Curlew's quirt discovered his bond
age to him. Up he reared. straight
and unhesitatingly. till. losing his bal
ance. he dropped over backward with
an ugly thud. the broad horn OF the
COW saddle digging into the ground
Just where Curlew should have been.
But the red-haired rider was to one
side. waiting. He must have been
quick as light. for ! assure you the
| play OF the pony was not slow. Again
and again the bay rose In the air
and repeated the backward fall. Curlew
each time Guiding It and each time
swinging In the saddle rs the playful
brute came to his feet. II was all
incredibly rapid. and how the boy
handled his long, oose-jolntcd legs
Is yet n mystery to me. There were
i: of these backward half-somersaults
In that so-foot corral. and then the
manocuvrc was over. forming merely
an unostcntatious prelude to the real
tactics Of the n.ht.
With a shrlll whistle OF rage that
brought my heart against my ribs the
bay made several sharp sidcions Jumps
and then took to running. Through
the corral gate. across the fiat. up the
steep pitch. and into the town he went.
the whole company OF interested spec
tntors following at their variously bes,
PAGES. Curicw sc, him with swayins
ease. tho haekamore rope hanging
loose In his hand: he made no attempt
to stop or to guide.
In tho midst OF the town the run
ended In the Inevitable buck. and
;hence:orth the fun waxcd fast and fu-
rious. We were not mistaken In our
horse: the brute was all his looks In
dieaicd-and moro. Tho battle only
lasted some iS minutes. but In tina,
short space OF time no called into ac-
tive use every resource of equine trick
cry and threw himself Into every start
ling contortion that horse anatomy
permits Of He buekcd straight and
sideways. and turned and fell. aaa
reared and kicked. squcaiins asain AMI
again In that fierce. unholy manner.
I'll IL seemed impossible tina, the
plneky rea-hairci rider could longer
endure the awful baek-~rcnchIng
strain. A fall. too. mean, death. for
the horse would have siashca him be-
fore he touched ground or struck with
front feet as he lay. During tho era:
J.: or IL minutes Of tho nsh: that
boya i!sc vas no, worth the value OF
a cigarette: between rage and fear the
horse was stark mad. and had there
been the sign OF an opening would !
have lcapcd hcailons into tho rcpu,ci |
Inferno half a mil. below.
As the moments wore on and his |
whole repertoire OF strength and STRAIT !
Grey was worked through. without In |
the ieas, unaxinE his rider. the white
eyed pony began to lose heart: 1, was
the frst time that any man had been
so tenacious Of grip. and gradually his |
leaps became weaker and less vicious
Then Curlsw's quirt and biocd-scckins |
spurs urged him TO more vigorous cf- !
forts. but even these could not much
longer sustain the engagement. Drip
ping with blood and sweat. nearly
dead with fatigue. he finally sue.
cumbed. and permitted himself to be
guided by the rider at will. A hearty
cheer burst from the crowd. and Cur
lew. rather pale and weak. but ever
smiling. was sap;uronsly dragged from
the saddle and carried into Diiion's,
an inert monument of glory to his
memory and-dcmonstrative friends.
After the hero. his worshippcrs. the
antagonistic party. and all outsiders
had been duly refreshed. which re.
guired some little time. we bent our
selves again TO the matter in hand. |
and prepared to witness the second
bout OF the man against horse battle.
There was almost as wide a differ
ence Of the two riders as between the
bay and the buckskin. The South
Valley champion was much shorter
than Curlew. and better knit. II III
had not seen the confusing dcxterity
of the lanky. red-haired boy. 1 should
have esteemed this the likelier man.
His movements were alert and he
showed much experience: in complex
Ion almost black. with bearded ani
somewhat sinister face-"Charley Raw
Inns. late av N'Mixico. an bad whin
he's dhrinkin.'" as Dillon catalogued
him.
The buokskin pony remained In his
downcast posture and allowed the
New Mexican to saddle him unresis;-
ingly. merely cooking his hairy ears
nrn fnrMnrh md tho nihrr hnrE-nr