The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-02

4 AHGW LOO LII III
his rope gyrating in long slow sweeps
about his head OH but it was beau
tiful TO see. The steer swerved like
a bent bow to the right. and Denny
was almost on him; there was much
dust and an occasional shout from the
stand. Denny leaned forward and cast,
the long rope uncoiling IN graceful
curves through the air. Denny drew
in his horse sharply. the steer way
cred as the rope struck him, then with
a shrug he threw it aside and dashed
onward.
Get him, get him; try him again,
Denny" roared the crowd.
The steer had turned and Denny was
after him again, riding at fun speed
and drawing in and coiling his rope
at the same time. Round and round
swept the coil. and then it SHOT straight
forward, the loop was in the air like
fattened o. Denny's horse went back
on his launches. the steer Ieaped high
in air. and fell fun length. Denny was
off, pulling the short tying rope from
his belt as he ran. He stopped over
the steer, tying two front and one
rear legs-hog tying they call tin
incredibly short time. Then he sprang
TO his feet. arms in air. Ii was the
signal that he work was finished. The
judges came up and declared the steer
properly tied. The timekeeper called
out:
zone minute, fifty-eight seconds
Denny is out of it," observed Bud
Oliver. He should have made it in
one throw"
Denny came in. hot and grimy with
tn 4 y.xfr ~
again like a trombone heard afar off.
The pool seller bawIed his bets and
Turk McGlory saw girl in blue and
white in the grand stand. Turk was
shaking with excitement; he felt that
he never could throw his rope. What
a fool he was TO compete with these
old ropersl How they would laugh at
hint
A little fellow With silver spurs, and
a feather in his hat, came next, and
fumbled his rope so that il was past
two minutes before his steer was down.
He was hopelessIy beaten. and he came
in bedraggled but grinning.
When Buster Graham went TO the
line there were shouts of encourage
ment, and acquaintance from the
stand and tie pool seller franticaily
ran up his bets Buster and Bud Oh
liver We're plainly the favorites, with
little leaning toward Bud, as Turk OBJ
served with rising pride. After all.
there was no man like Bud Oliver of
Texas.
Buster Graham was a handsome fell
low, slim and tall, with long black hair
and the smallest feet that ever went
into twenty dollar SfeXican boots. On
his horse he was a very CentaUr.
swaying and flowing with every mo
ton like the animal itself. Turk never
had seen a man ride so easily before.
1t was a splendid big steer. too. and it
ran as If with a feeling of the sport
a wild, straight charge across the cor
raj. swerving neither to right nor to
left. How still the crowd was! Buster
seemed in no especial hurry. There
was little sign of confusion or dust
When his horses nose was nearly
over the steers flying TAIL ne sWerved
easily to the left and cast bis rope.
The steer seemed to set a front leg in
the moose as if the performance had
been reheaTsed. An instant later Bust
err was tying, with inimitable swiftness
and dizziness, and then his arms were
up and his long black hair was loose
in the wind. What gift it is to do a
thing like a young god, And how the
crowd rOared.
"Buster-Buster Graham
The timekeeper could hardly make
his voice heard
"FOrty-nine- seconds
The people were standing up now and
roaring, while Buster came in as cool
and undisturbed as if he had been rid
ing for an airing.
That was a good job, Buster" said
Bud Oliver heartily. and the boy in
Turk McGlory spoke out in his eyes
at this big fTiendliness of a rival. and
he crowded up 10 Buster to shake
hands, and drew back before ne had
done it. The betting was now all
against Bud Oliver. but that hero
seemed I'm nowise concerned, though
he knew it would require the greatest
SIKH and luck TO beat such a record as
Buster had made.
Wien Halversen came Hp TO the line
Bud Oliver observed that he was tying
his rope. ATexaswise. to the pommel OF
his Saddle. The Arizonian ordinarily
uses a long rope. sixty feet at the least.
and throws il free, at the last giving
the end hitch around the saddle POM
mel, so that he can let go in case of
accident. The Texan burns his ships
behind him; he uses a short rope. ties
1t fast and takes the consequences.
Look how you tie that rope" shouted
Bud good naturedly.
Halversen paid no heed. and when
the flag went down he was. off like a
flash. 1t was runty red steer. and the
rope, opening from Halverson's hand
Ike coil spring. settled over the
steers horns. There was wild. scrafn-
bling rush. Halversen's horse turning
10 one side to trip the plunging animal.
The rope pulled taut with a snap, and
the steer turned a somersault in the
dust; but the strain on the single-cinch
saddle was too great. and it turned.
Halversen, still clingIng TO the rope.
was jerl5ed TO the ground, his horse
leGping 10 one side and kicking himself
wildly clear of the saddle. For sin
gle instant Halversen was able TO re-
gain his feet, and then he went down
and the steer dragged him in the dust,
rolling him over and over with the
saddle. The crowd was shouting its
excitement: the judges, the flagman..
and most Of the cowmen came riding
hard to help. Halversen, grit to the
backbone, Sprang to his feet, still
clinging to the rope. At that instant
the steer, headed off. turned sharply
to the right, and Halversen, instantly
seeing his opportunity. ran 10 the left:
then. suddenly. he snubbed hard on
the rope, jerking the steers feet from
Under him. II is q thing that the best
cowb0y can. DO only occasionally. Hal
ve-sen darted forward 60 tie bit the
steer. having time TO recover from the
force Of the fall, was hind feet up when