Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-10-09

By RALPH COWNOR

Author of


by the bride he snorted and sided
about with great swiftness and stood
facing me with his feet planted firmly
in front of him as if prepared to re-
ject overtures of any kind soever. l
tried to approach him with soothing
words, but he persistently backed away
until we stood looking at each other
at the utmost distance Of his out
stretched neck and my outstretched
arm.
At this point Jack came to my assist
ance, got the pony by the other side of
the bride and held him fast till / got
into position to mount. Taking firm
grip of the horn of the Mexican saddle,
I threw my leg over his back. The
next instant was flying over his head.
My only emotion was one of surprise,
the thing was so unexpected. l had
fancied myself a fair rider, having had
experience Of farmers colts of divers
kinds, but this was something quite
new. The half breed stood looking on,
mildly interested: Jack was smiling,
but the boy was grinning with delight.
"Tll take the little beast" said Jack
But the grinning boy braced me up and
I replied as carelessly as my shaking
voice would allow:
"Oh, I guess I'll manage him." and
once more got into position. But nc
sooner had l got into the saddle than
the pony sprang straight up into the
air and lit with his back curved into 9
bow, his four legs gathered together
and so absolutely rigid that the shocb
made my teeth rattle. 1t was my first
experience of "bucking," Then the lit
tie brute went seriously to work to gel
rid Of the rustling, Tapping thing on
his back. He would back steadily fol
some seconds. then. with two or three
forward plunges, he would stop as II
shot and spring straight into the upper
air, lighting with back curved and legs
rigid as iron. Then he would walk on
his mind legs for few steps. then
throw himself with amazing rapidity
to one side and again proceed to buck
with vicious diligence,
"Stick to himw yelled Jack through
shouts of laughter. You'll make him
sick before long"
l remember thinking that unless his
insides were somewhat more delicately
organized than his external appearance
would lead one to suppose the chances
were that the little brute would be the
last to succumb to sickness. To make
matters worse, a wilder jump than
ordinary threw my cape up over my
head, so that | was in complete dark
ness. And now he had me at his mercy
and he knew no pity, He kicked and
plunged and reared and bucked, now
on his front legs, now on his hind legs
often on his knees. while in darkness
could only cling to the horn Of the sad
die.
At last. in one Of the CLEANS OF light
that penetrated the folds Of my envel
opins cape, | found that the horn ha6
slipped to his side. so the next time he
came to his knees | threw myself off
l am anxious to make this point clear
for from the expression Of triumph OF
the face Of the grinning boy and his
encomiums Of the pony gathered thai
he scored q win for the cayuse. With
out pause that little brute continued
for some seconds to buck and plunge
even after my dismounting as If be
were some piece Of mechanism thai
must run down before it could stop.
BY this time | was sick enough ant
badly shaken In my nerve, but the trl