Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-09-16

tain complications which, when Pam.
.cho's cinch was loose. always rose
when he had been beaten for shying
and had promised faithfully to do bet
ter. & q
I rolled my coat into a tight ball,
reckoning that Its sudden advent into
the road would percipitate these com
pllcations.
On came the dust-muffied patter
OF Pancho's swift lope. He approach
ed the clump Of brush that screened
my boulder AS he came opposite
shot the coat fairly under his heels.
With frightened grunt he darted
sidewise into the brush. AS though
himself a part of the animal the
stranger sat him. keeping the bal
ance OF himself and the saddle, and
finding time to draw revolver and
fiatten couple Of bullets against my
boulder.
I had thrown myself fiat behind my
IL
dropped toward his holster. and / lay
there notionless. feeling rather scared
and chilly. Then heard the sharp
funk! funk! Of stiff-legged jumping.
and divining that the tall stranger
would be too busy for further shoot
Ing, ventured to peer round the cor
ner OF my boulder. /.
Pancho, his betasseied tail rotating
like a screw-propel!er, his head be-
tween his forefeet, his neck stretched
so angularly groundward that II APP
peared like an exaggerated fifth leg.
was doing some prodigious bucking.
His nerves seemed completely I'M
strung. and knew 1t was on account
OF the coat and the air-sDace between
the cinch and his belly.
The robber sat him with the fear
less alertness Of professional rider.
and yet he appeared very insecure,
for his saddle had slipped forward
and jutted several inches over The
PERCEPTIONS front end OF the contor-
ZIONIST Pancho.
Up and down, back and forth. round
and round--it made nc dizzy to view
them. 1t was wonderful bncklng, of
set by wonderful riding; and yet there
could be but one Termination.
The inevitable came when, wish a
lightning side jump, Pancho turned
the saddle and slammed the stranger
to the ground with terrific violence.
! was watching for this Vancouver
and leaped at the robber the moment
l saw him falling. But he lay so
limp and pallid that was shamed
by my appraised cudgel, and casting
1t aside. disarmed him, tied his legs
and hands, and began work for his
termination.
While ! loosened his Shirt and bath
ed his temples from flask which !
found in his pocket Pancho. with the
saddle dangling beneath him. was re.
ducing fifty-foot circle OF brush to
dust and splinters.
My mule and must have finished
our respective tasks at about the
same moment, for just as the dazed
robber recovered sufficiently to be
raised to sitting posture, Pancho.
bare-backed now and joyful, trotted
forward and mutely requested that
the corners Of his eyes should be
freed of dust and perspiration.
4 carefully performed this service,
then proceeded to saddle him on the
lines pioneered by my small nephew.
First l drew the cinch as tightly as
the expansion OF his ribs would per
init. then. mounting without fastening
the latigo. trotted him up the road.
The obtuse rascal always considered
expansion while travelling. unpeces
sary. and as his sides shrunk to
normal.I pulled up the slackened
girth, and Pancho's saddle was again
Wiz tie intention 81 taking & I
prisoner to the nearest ranch-houss.
! released his legs and covering him
with my revolver. ordered him TO get
into the saddle. Strangely enough. he
demurred, saying:
You can shoot me dead, bur you
don't get me on that mule again"
At this juncture an overheated
reputy United States marshal ap,
preached, identified my unruly patient
as mnch-wanted smuggler whom lie
was trailing, and gladly took him into
custody.
Then, with my reputation, my em-
ployers' thousand dollars and the Ex-
pansionist Pancho firmly In hand, !
cheerfully resumed my journey