The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-31


a little canon.
Jerome was angry at his comrade.
He was the youngest man at the
rodeo, and his skill as a cattleman
had twice been discredited by some
unfortunate chance to-day. Bernal
would have some sarcastic remark
about his horsemanship now, when
they rode into camp; he had crowded
Jerome out Of the chase purposely.
The Crescent-H ride felt his repu-
tation was at stake; he could never
yield the disputed ownership of the
red calf before his fellows at the
rodeo now. He clattered along In
the dust which the Mexican had left
in the arroyo.
A hundred yards up ths canon o
| riderless cow-pony dashed past Jer-
ONE SO fast that he barely recognized
1t as Bernal's pinto The American
refined In to scan the rocky canon-bed
In astonishment. Where was the
dark-skinned vaquero with his won
derful skill in riding and roping? A
cowboy unhorsed on the range is like
fish out of water. Some evil had
befallen Bernal.
Jerome rode rapidly on. The ar
royo opened out on a steep gravelly
slope on one side, which ran down
hundred yards to the edge of sheer
precipice. Over this cliff it was a
| drop of two hundred feet to the
creek-bed, whence came the shouts
of the men and the bawling of the
calves on the parada grounds. The
| cowboy stared down this slope in
surprise. The arroyo ended here; on
one side the rocks barred the way, on
the other was the sloping stretch to
the edge OF the cliff Bernal was
not to be seen.
The COW with the Dry Creek brand
suddenly clattered past Jerome, be-
ing turned from her flight by the
unscalable rocks beyond. Then, half
way down the slope, the cowboy saw
the red calf fiat on its side. roped
about its forefeet, helpless and
stunned, with Bernal's long riata
trailing back in the soft lava rock
and dust. Farther down was the
line-back COW, making furious
plunges on the very edge of the
canon, grinding the rocks with her
hong horns.
Jerome stared at her, a reassuring
satisfaction rising even through his
| wonder, for the Crescent-H COW was
In all the savage fury of wild moth
er protecting her offspring. No cat
tleman would doubt for an instant
to whom the red calf belonged, IL he
saw this frantic maternal solicitude.
The scissors-brand COW had thought
only OF escape. But how came the
calf to be roped and abandoned, and
where was Bernal?
Jerome sat in his sweaty saddle on
top of the terrace-like top of the hill,
watching the line-back's exhibition.
A wild mother cows rage is to be
approached with caution. A man
might dismount, secure the RATA, and
then drag the calf up the slope. while
the COW was raging along the edge
OF the cliff below; she could hardly
charge up through the soft crumbling
lava stuff in time to reach him. Ber-
nal must have gone over the cliff
in some fashion; he was inevitably
killed, IL such was the case.
The gaunt line-back COW was on
her fore knees, scraping her horns in
clump Of greasewood that grew on
the edge of the cliff. She threw bits
of froth over her sides at each sweep
Of her head she beloved at each
futile plunge of her horns into the
bush, and then Jerome saw what SO
excited her animosity.
Bernal lay half over the chasm
clinging desperately to the grease.
wood roots and the crevices of the
} rocks, and the frantic mother was
at each plunge, tearing his support
from the soil.
, Jerome whirled his pony on the
narrow fat to come nearer to the
, spot. He shouted at the Mexican
} whose head and shoulder he could
} just see. The rest of the mans body
actually appeared to hang over the
| precipice.
Bernal heard, and turned his heat
5 leebly.
D Loco! loco!" he cried. "shoo
heem!"
: Jerome's six-sheoter was in hi
J, hand at the suggestion. But he hesi
tated. It was long distance to us,
! aNrevolver; he might hit Bernal, or
b IL he simply wounded the enrage,
= animal, he would in nowise assls
her victim. And II a bullet strucl
y her dead she would plunge squarel,
8 upon the Mexican and carry hin
d down to the rocky creek-bed two hun
a dred feet below.
a Shoot! shoot!" shrieked Bernal
IS in crevice of the precipice.
1t seemed as II the terrible horn
= were smashing his very knuckles q
Is he clung to the greasewood Tn
p animal almost lay In the hole she ha
l. torn out of the loose soil on the edg
le of the cliE. At any moment sh
10 might dislbdge the last root OF tn