The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1908-04-21

at each plunge. tearing his support


from the SOIL
narrow fiat 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 head
feebly.
Loco! loco!" he cried. Shoot
heem!"
Jerome's six-shooter was in his
Eand at the suggestion. But he hest
tated. 1t was a long distance to use
a revolver; he might hit Bernal, or,
IL he simply wounded the enraged
animal, he would i'm nowise assist
her victim. And IL a bullet struck
her dead, she would plunge squarely
upon the Mexican and carry him
down to the rocky creek-bed two hun
dred feet below.
Shoot! shoot!" shrieked Bernal,
in crevice of the precipice.
1t seemed as IL the terrible horns
were smashing his very knuckles as
he chung to the greasewood. The
animal almost lay in the hole she had
torn out of the loose soil on the edge
of the cliff. At any moment she
might dislodge the last root OF the
tough brush, or even get low enough
to stun Bernal with a blow on the
head.
But Jerome dropped his pistol back
in it's holster. He would take no
chances with shooting the cow. He
spurred his reluctant pony over the
fiat. and was plunging down through
the sliding lava stuff toward the edge
of the cliff. The red calf struggled
feebly in the RATA as Jerome's pony
stumbled past 1t. The rider had
hoped to draw off the mother, but
she would not be enticed from her
victim. A man dismounted will in
stantly arouse the savage instincts
of the range cattle in the Southwest;
the old line-back seemed bent upon
revenging all the wrongs of her kind
upon the unfortunate Mexican.
Again he called upon his compan-
ion to shoot the animal. The grease
wood was cracking; there was moth
ing else to stay his fall. Bernal's
body simply lay in a crotch of the
bush pulled down over the cliff.
But Jerome spurred his snorting
pony in half-circle about the COW
some yards away. Then he Embossed
his RATA, measuring the distance.
The line-back's head was so constant
ly down in her efforts to get at the
Mexican that roping was no easy
feat. And in the struggle she might
go over the cliff, dragging horse and
rider after her, for there would be
no time to escape If she fell.
Already Bernal seemed to be Slip
ping from his last clutch. So, gath
ering in his bridie-reins, that he
might urge the stout little pony for
ward If the throw was good, Jerome
sent the heavy RATA whirling down
the slope. The maddened cow had
just bowed her neck for final sweep
at the brush when the rope struck
her. She threw back her head, and
the rawhide fell clear about her nose,
tightening with jerk. Jerome's
spurs sent the pony up the slope in a
desperate plunge. and the cowboy
was plying his qulrt and yelling as
the line grew taut.
The line-back COW was upreared;
then she toppled and rolled, fighting
the line, almost to the edge OF the
cliff. 1t was a critical moment; once
the brave little pony lost his feet in
the loose, treacherous rock. Then he
was up, making plunge after plunge,
until the heavy animal at the end OF
the line was choked into helplessness.
The heaving body of the cow lay
with her hind feet over the cliff in
Bernals face, when Jerome at last
stopped the trained pony with sim
gle word. But the wise brute still
hung forward. keeping the line tight.
His rider dismounted, and ran to
help the Mexican. Bernal was weak
enough as he staggered up the slope.
He had roped the calf, but a broken
cinch had given him a hard fall on
the rocks, and he had scrambled up,
to find himself dismounted and pur-
sued by the COW, maddened by the
bawis of her offspring.
II jumped behind the bush on the
edge OF the canon" said Bernal, as
he watched Jerome releasing the sub
dued line-back and her calf Dat
COW push dat bush clear over the
edge. She tear it to pieces! Dat
calf yours all right. wouldn't have
heem. / tell the rodeo boss I put
the Crescent-H on heem myself!"-
Youths Companion.