The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-08-05

. O most SkllIul laSS0 thrOWer
4 y in the Southwest, where it
RcN is conceded that the most
wonderful manipulators of the lasso
have their homes.
Some of Juan's exploits sound in
credible. He engaged in numerous
contests at Albuquerque, Tombstone,
Tucson, Phoenix and many of the
|frontier posts, and in every one he was
the victor. Many time he would
dash forward at full speed, lean over
from his saddle, scrape a match on a
stone and light his cigarette, as he
swung back, and then t1irt the loop of
his coiled rope under the heel of some
galloDing bull, and whirl over the
latter in flash on his side.
y. AS is well known, the ranchmen in
the Southwest used to suffer a great
deal from the ravaging Apaches, but 1t
the time referred to most of them were
,/Ap. their reservation and comparative
MILEAGE reigned. Now and then MAYER
ick was killed and roasted by some
n prowling bucks, and occasionally shots
were exchanged with them, but moth
ing took place to cause general alarm.
Nevertheless, the cowboys were too
wise to trust an Apache. Kindness
\ and charity to any Of the scowling
miscreants was quite certain to be re-
paid with robbery and assassination.
1t was during the illness of his two
men that Juan set out to bring back
half score Of cattle that had drifted
away from others. He went on the
journey alone, though he half suspect
ed some wandering Apaches were at
the bottom Of the trouble. He told the
other men to give their attention to the
main herd, browsing couple of miles
distant, while he set. out to round up
and bring in the estrays.
Juan followed the cattle by means Of
the trail they had left, and had not
/ gone far before, from the imprints on
the hard earth. he discovered that it
was as he suspected. Three mounted
Ducks had managed to cut out the cat
Tie unseen, and were making toward
%ue mountains with them.
' The discovery angered him, and in
Ftead of riding back for help he pushed
on alone. He knew that If he took
time to 60 after some of his comrades,
the thieves would get off beyond re-
covery.
Besides, there were only three of
them, and he was not afraid to pursue
and fight them.
Juan always had his lasso coiled on
his saddle hook. and the afternoon was
well advanced when he came to deep
depression, where there was slight
growth Of brush and stunted grass.
1t was Of such slight extent that he
could see the open country beyond,
and with no thought of coming upon
the thieves, he spurred his pony into
the place, expecting to debouch on
the other side and speedily run the
rogues to earth.
At the moment of entering the I'M
81 ergrewth three Winchesters We're dis
Enlarged together, and his horse lunged
forward and went down on his nose,
breathing his last within a few
seconds.
The Apaches could not have aimed
ut the rider, for they fred at such
short distance that it was impossible
to miss, and it would have been unac-
countable that they should have wished
10 kill only the horse, except for the
" Incidents that followed and explained
y heir action.
The fall from the pony was so sud-
T'den that, despite his fine horseman-
snip, Juan was flung several yards
over his head. and was slightly dazed
Tor the moment.
He was in fury, for he knew that
I thre7 cowardly Apaches had done him
'thls grevious wrong, and he was eager
get within reach of them.
ut was an instructive action on his
part, as he was on the point Of shoot