The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-15
Howl" said Frank. puzzled.
"Whv- vnm won him y


why. you won him"
"oh, pshawl" said Franklin. hon
sensel | wasn't wrestling for your
horse. only for a ride. Besides,
didn't have any horse put up against
yours. | couldn't lose anything.
That's So" said Curly. II hadn't
thought Of that. Say you seem like a
white sort o. Teller. Tell you what III
just do with you think a heap o. my
saddle, an longs you amt got no
saddle yet that you have got used to,
like 1t don't make much difference to
you If you get another saddle. But you
just take this here boss along. No.
that's all right. kin git me another
back to the corral jUst as good rs this
one. Jim Parsons, Teller on the big
bunch o. cows that come up from the
San Marcos this spring. why, he got
dlled night before last. I'll just take
one o. his bosses, reckon. kin fA
Il so'st you kin git his saddle, II you
take a notion to It."
Franklin looked twice to see IL theirs
vas affectation in this calm statement,
but was forced, with a certain horror,
70 believe that his new acquaintance
spoke Of this as a matter Of fact, and
as nothing startling. He had made no
comment, when he was prevented from
doing so by the exclamation of the
cowboy, who pointed out ahead.
There's Batty's place." said he, IAN
there's Batty himself. Git up, quick;
cit up, an ride in like a gentleman.
It's bad luck to walk
Franklin laughed and taking the
roins, swung himself into the saddle
with the ease of the cavalry mount,
though with the old.fashioned grasp at
the cantle, with the ends of the reins
IN his right hand.
We'll, that's a id funny way
ylttin' on top Of boss" said Curly.
are you 'fraid the saddles goln to
git away from you? Better be 'fraid
bout the hoss.-Git up, Bronchl"
lie slapped the horse on the hip
With his hat. and gave the latter a
Yhirl in the air with a shrill
"Whoooop-eeei which was all that re-
NAMED needful TO set tho horse off on
L series Of wild, stiff-legged plunges-
the "bucking" of which Franklin had
heard so much; maneuver peculiar
70 the half.wild Western horses, and
one which is at the first experience a
desperately difficult one for even a
Skilful horseman to overcome. II per-
haps did not occur to Curly that he
vas inflicting any hardship upon the
hA 90
really anticipate what followed on the
part either OF the horse or its rider.
Had Franklin not been a good rider,
and accustomed to keeping his head
while sitting half.broken mounts, he
must have suffered almost instantane.
Gus defeat In this sudden encounter.
The horse threw his head down far be-
tween his fore legs at the start, and
then went angling and zigzagging
away over the hard ground in wild
career OF humpbacked antics, which
Jared Franklin to the marrow of his
bones. The air became scintillant and
luminorsly red. His head seemed
filed with loose liquid, his spine
turned into a column OF mere gela-
tine. The thudding OF the hoofs was
so rapid aud so Furnishing to his
senses that for moment he did not
realize where he actually was. Yet
| with the sheer instinct of horseman.
ship he chung to the saddle in some
fashion. until finally he was fairly
forced to relax the muscular strain.
and so by accident fell into the secret
OF the seat-loose. yielding. not tense
and strung.
Go IT, go it-whooop-e-e-e!" cried
Curly. somewhere out in dark world.
"Ee.elkee-hooo! Set him fair. pard.
nerl Set him fair. now! Let go that
Ieatherl Ride him straight up! That's
right"
| IT. ha ooptIpuadN