The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-10-28

/ " q CdtdpuiC, ana 1elI CO1o0 tD0L
away with crash that resounded
through the tent. For q moment we
thought he was seriously injured, but
he rose and staggered unsteadily
across the ring.
! Grimthrope stood tapping his rid
ing boot with his whip. II have twen-
ty notes here" he said, "for the man
who can ride him"
Jack Grieve got up from his place
In the front row and walked forward,
! carrying his heavy saddle, with the
stirrup irons jingling in his stride.
| They took off Hughes saddle and
put Jacks in its place. The big horse,
now thoroughly reused, struck and
plunged, and it took twelve minutes
to saddle him, while the crowd
hummed with excitement: "By
| heaven, that horse can buck!" Jack
can never ride one side of him."
Nor any ether man on the Lachlan
| River!"
| In dead silence the famous horse
breaker stole into the saddle, the
cloth was pulled from the horses
! eyes, and up he went in savage
| buck. Jack Grieve loosened his reins
and drove home the spurs; with @
roar of pain the great horse gave one
bound into the air, and surely never
| before or since did horse buck so
big and high; like an arrow from
| bow the trim little figure OF the
| breaker shot through the air, and he
landed twenty feet away at Grim
thorDe's feet, while shout of wonder
and 6iSmav 70
The horse was caught and unsad-
| died and Jack Grieve went back to
his place, and under the tan his face
| was very white.
Grimthorpe smiled at the audience
1T takes the cattlemen to ride a
horse like that" he said, with quiet
scorn. Il should have brought some
thing easier down here"
There was some Kissing and booing
from the back Of the tent at this
| speech, and somebody called out,
Lets see you ride him yourself!"
But Grimthorpe only tapped his
boot with his riding whip and smiled.
1 looked across at David Wilson.
Dave had reputation second to no
man as buckjump rider, and If any
|
l knew it was the tall, 1.-the overseer
or Mulga Plains. A far finer rider
than Hughie Warren, but less ad-
dicted to displaying his prowess, we
knew at once that if Dave consented
to try we should see such n battle
between man and beast as had seldom
been seen before.
| Try him, Dave" I said. But he
shook his head. Somebody heard me
and caught at the name. Dave Will
son. Dave Wilson! Now then,
| Davie,"
In moment the cry was taken I'D
by 2 hundred throats.
Dave" 1 said, remember the
honor of the station"
| A sudden gleam awoke in his keen,
honest blue eyes. If there was one
thing above all others that was a
cherished fetish with David Wilson,
1t was the honor of Mulga Plains. His
ambition was that our station should
! be first in stock, first in honorable
dealing, and, before everything, first
in sport, and that it should be beaten
in horsemanship was a thought intol-
cradle to him. He turned to me
quickly:
Run and fetch your little hunting
saddle, Billy!"
1 hesitated. "But Dave" said.
the little saddle-hell let you-"
Hurry up" he broke in authorita-
lively, your hunting saddle!"
L was out of the tent in a flash.
When 1 returned with the dainty
English saddle on my arm the BUSH
men stood up all around the ring
and cheered Justify. Dave was talk
ing to Grimthorpe. He turned to me,
took the saddle and unstrapped its
silk web Sirths and surcingle, and at
tached the leather gear from
Hughes.
In few minutes the big black
horse was ready for the fray, and
Dave stepped forward, cool, watchful
and determined. Before we had real
lied that he had gathered the reins
he was safe in the saddle, and up
Z went the black with a snort of anger.
Coming down with a nasty turn in
the air he lost his footing and fell,
but Wilson sprang clear, and, still
holding the bride, gave the black a
kick in the fibs.
The horse rose, and as he did so
Dave threw his leg over him, and as
man and beast leaped six feet in the
air a great cheer burst from the
crowd
Then began royal battle for su-
premacy; the outlaw bucked straight
forward big and high, side-lurched,
bucked backward, reared and turned
In the air. or spun like a top in one
place; but through it all the tall,
1.-THE figure of the rider swaved aasilu