The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-11-09

81 saw the lads hand reach for hi
belt and come away empty. Hi
dirk had slipped its sheath when b
fell from the saddle. But he dui
into his pocket and brought out |
c1asp-knife. I had opened can o
tomatoes with it the night before, ant
knew how sharp it was. Also knew
how hard it is to cut a rawhide rope
"There was still quarter of mill
between ns and the brush ; but tina
quarter of mile wasn't going to las
long, for the bear was getting used t
his harness, and was running better
every minute.
"Then l brought out trick l haC
learned of the Mexicans. The han
die end of the RATA, if you call i
that, tapered into six-inch buckskir
pepper. I could throw my rope full
length and rap an animals nose will
that pepper nine times out of ten
And when it raped, the hair flew
and the animal turned back, if there
was any turn back to him.
Il tried this on the bear, and il
worked like charm. Riding abreast
of him, / raped him as fast as I could
coil my RATA and throw it.; and each
time he edged off good bit from his
bee line for timber.
"Soon I had him running parallel
to the beach. There were rocks and
driftwood ahead, so I headed him
still farther round, till he was rum
ming toward the ocean.
Bill yelled, cant you cut the
roper
He was hacking away at the raw
hide like a good fellow. but his eyes
were full of sand and his progress was
fitful and jerky. The combination
worked against him and his aim was
pretty bad. Then again, as / told
you before, his knife lacked a lot oil
being razor. Anyway, I could see
that Bills buckskins would be fric-
toned to wafer before he could saw
that rope in two.
IT began to wonder what would
happen when we reached the ocean.
At that moment the same idea came
to the bear, and he doubled like a
jack rabbit, all but running over Bill
as he cut back for the forest.
"And this time he was surely head
ing for cover. Nothing that I could
do could swerve him an inch. / rode
alongside as before and raped his
nose as viciously as I knew how but
he only rooted his head down and dug
out for the brush harder than before.
"a mouthful of sand had long
since hushed Bills cries for help, but
now I began to get scared for him on
account of what might happen. If I
had had steady horse things wouldn't
have looked so bad but the one !
was riding, as / told Bill to begin
with, hadn't been broke to hold, and
besides, being young, was tender I'M
der the saddle. It was ten to one he
would buck if hitched to that run
ming brute. In fact, he had bucked
the day before, when hitched to a yearl-
ing calf.
"But close on ahead was line of
low hills, piles of sand, really, that
the wind had drifted against the tim
Der. From the sight of them I got
an idea that gave me strong hopes for
the owners nephew.
"'Billp I shouted. Bill! Can
you hear mel'
HE spat out lot of sand, and
finally said he could.
"'I'm going to rope him when we
get to those sand slides. This horse
won't hold for cent, but can give
you short minute to clear yourself
of that rope
"While I shouted was coiling my
lariat for cast. I was ready, with
no time to spare, when the bear struck
the sand hills, luckily at the bottom
of good loose slide. I rode abreast
of him till we were halfway to the top,
then snapped my RATA over his head.
s'My horse didn't buck, as / had
expected he couldn't to advantage,
being nearly winded and up to his
knees in sand. But nc wouldn't
stand for the strain at all, and in his
hinching and Sinking, turned side on
in spite of me, and was pulled over.
stayed with him and kept the turns
round the horn of the saddle.
"a glance as I went down showed
me Bill doing his best to clear him
self, but if he was succeeding at all,
he was mighty slow about it. 1t
looked as if the bear would roll down
on him at any moment, and 1 did
some swift thinking for couple OF
seconds. Then I knotted my rata
fast tc the saddle-horn, and as my
horse hounoered to his knees, flung
myself clear of him. That left the bear
anchored, but far from stationary.
ct had knife in my pocket that
1 could shave with, and jerking it
out, I made for Bills lariat, and cut
it with one slash.
Now you get 7 said 1.
"And he scooted. for the bear was
fighting the rope like demon, and
rolling straight for US. left by way
of the horse, now foundering and
sliding down the hill parallel to the
bear, and in passing, cut my RATA.
Then we scattered, Bill one way,
the other, my horse for the home
ranch, and the bear for the brush.
ST promised Bill not to tell the
other boys; and he was a good, mod
est side partner ever after. - YOUTHS
COMPANION.
IN TOLEDO, Ohio, recently, an
Irishman was hard at work painting
the top of a telephone pole a bright
green, when suddenly the pot Of
paint slipped and splashed on the
sidewalk.
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