Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03

me on my back, with his horns plow
ing the ground on each side of me.
His legs were crumpled under him or
he surely would have finished me that
time.
'I still had him by the horns. When
we were on our feet again l noticed
that we were working over toward the
edge of the shelving rock where there
was drop of forty feet or so to some
sloping, shaly ground with a patch
of brush below / began to wonder if
/ could let go of him and beat him to
the edge. and then step aside and let
him go on past and over. but l was
too tired to try.
There was blood all over me by
this time, and my arms felt as if they
were asleep. 1t was a cool morning,
but the sweat was running down my
forehead and into my eyes. That, with
the dirt that had got into them, nearly
blinded me. Pretty soon I saw dimly
the top of a fir tree beyond and above
the rocks, and / knew that marked the
edge of the precipice. / decided that
If / could get near enough to it
would make a jump for the branches
of the fir, which would break my fall
and perhaps hold me- / was ready to
take any reasonable chance to get
away from those hoofs and horns.
Every time the buck threw me toward
the fir held tightly to his horns and
let my feet slide, steering him as best
/ could round rocks and through the
brush.
1.-The bucks sides were heaving, but
the bristles on his back were still
standing out stiffly, and l could hear
him grind his teeth. / relaxed my Wig
ilance somewhat, and as a result a
cruel blow from a sharp hoof slashed
leg. l knew that / should have to
give up soon. and it sickened me to
think of what would happen when 1
should let go of his horns.
Everything began to swim in front
of me. 1 got so dizzy I could stand
only by leaning against the bucks
horns-several times 1 believe I would
have dropped if the pain from them
against my chest had not revived me.
Suddenly my head cleared, and real
lied that my last and only chance had
come. leaned against the buck, who
was standing directly in front of the
top of the fir tree, and not far from
it. l could gee it hazily over his arch
ing back.
"As he tossed me about, my foot
swung out in front of me and held
against the root of a manzanita bush.
For a moment stood balanced on the
edge of the precipice. Leaning inward
I braced myself and bent the bucks
neck back with a twisting motion,
slowly forcing him nearer to the edge.
With all the strength left in me 1 gave
his neck a final wrench that made
him bawl as sent him topping side
wise over the precipice.
st could feel the sharp prongs tear
through my hands as ] let go of his
horns and fell with my arms hanging
over the edge where he had disap-
peared A great cloud of dust came up
from below. and could hear the buck
snorting as he rolled down, carrying
the shaly rock along with him and
crashing into the patch of brush at the
bottom Then I must have tainted.
when l opened my eyes the sun
was shining. My clothes were torn to
rags, and was so lame and sore
could only crawl at first. l managed
to get back to the cabin before dark,
and for the next three months I lived
on beans and bacon. / didn't care for
venison and besides, I was too busy
getting well to go out after it,
Youths Companion.