East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-09-10


snubber was standing on one foot in
the off stirrup. while the gray had
both front feet braced wide apart for
ward. Blue BlaZes breathed deep
with rumbling exhalations.
In the grandstand there warn't
sound to be heard except the deep,
excited breathing OF the multitude.
The helper passed the girth under
to Summers, who caught 1t, slipped
the cinch straps and began tighten
ing IL up. Blue Blazes pulled farther
back. sustaining her weight against
the halter rope which was snubbed
body on her front feet. Tighter and
tighter Bud drew the clnches, while
S,ue Blazes groaned at every ting and
sank lower and lower toward the
ground. II looked for the minute as
If she must fall down. But the snub-
Der threw his weight farther on the
opposite side of his horse and the gray
braced her front feet farther apart and
dropped slightly down on her haunch-
es
There he goes!" 1t was a common
impulse The people in the grand
stand breathed 1t with one accord.
Slowly Bud Summers put his left
foot in the stirrup, caught the horn
of the saddle and gave it a hard.
steady pull. Blue Blazes grunted with
anger and fell back harder on the
halter rope. Slowly, with caution.
Summers lifted himself into the sad
ha IN
him and the hitch taken from the
horn OF the snubber. Summers set
himself in the saddle. The snubber
grabbed the gunnysack from off the
eyes of Blue Blazes and, spurring his
mount, was away, leaving Blue Blazes
standing quivering. shaking, startled.
alone in the big arena with a man on
her back.
II was not the first time that Blue
Blazes had found herself in that same
condition. But she had never grown
accustomed to II, or reached that stage
of subjugation where she would sub
NIT to it without voicing her rispleas-
ure with all her soul and strength,
and with every art and vile she knew
All her life she had run wild and free
over in the beautiful Harney country
And now. at the tender age OF three
she had been rounded up with others
of her kind and thus disgraced. 1t
was a condition of affairs that her wild
nature could not accept
Her finely shaped flanks quivered,
her nostrils burned red. her eyes
glowed with the force of anger as she
blinked once or twice at the sudden
| flood Of sunlight, and then all the re-
/ sentiment OF her wild nature mustered
itself in a mighty effort to hurl this
! thing from her back.
! Lowering her shapely head until her
nose was almost between her front
| feet, she gathered her strength and
went into the air, coming down to the
earth with all four feet planted firm
ly on n patch of ground not larger
/ than a mans hat. her back bowed
until the saddle rocked on a round,
quivering. earthquake stricken prom
ontory. Scarcely had her feet touched
the ground when she whirled half ar
ound and was in the air again. the
saddle rocking alarmingly. the man
braced with his feet forward, his
shoulders back and his knees grip
| ping her ribs in a visit of steel, try
! ing to regain his equilibrium by strong
pulls on the halter rope. Again with
snort of rage she went into the air,
quarter turning, struck the ground
with her four feet in that narrow
space and with a ''woof' of disgust
sprang sideways
I
! During all this time the grandstand
had been as silent as the grave. But
at the last turn of Blue Blazes there
burst forth a mighty roar, roar OF
! derision, laughter and glee. The peo-
pie stood up and yelled.
In the arena three men on horses
dashed toward the bucking Blue Blaz-
es one caught her halter, pulled her
| head up and started her to running,
while another rode to the opposite
side and, giving Bud Summers as
sistance. transferred him from his
saddle to a mount behind the cantle
The roar in tie grandstand con-
tinued. turned to first one and then
another with, whats the matter
what is it?' but no one had time tc
answer me. Every one was yelling
some epithet at Bud Summers or pour.
ing volleys of Western slang at the
Squaw Creek bunch on the top rows
As far as l could see there had been
no reason for this putting an end to
the show. Blue Blazes was still buck.
ing. and Bud Summers was still in the
saddle. couldn't understand it.
bud Summers pulls leather on Blue
Blazes." bawled the man from the
judges stand through the megaphone
Bud Summers pulls leather on Blue
Blazes," he repeated TO the bleach.
ers. at both ends.
At each announcement OF this feat
either wonderful or disgraceful.
didn't quite understand which, n nigh.
ty yell went up. l afterwards learned
that for a rider there is less disgrace
in hitting the ground" that is being
thrown outright, than in pulling
leather" which is grabbing the sad.
die horn or some part of the saddle
to hold on.
"Shucks, Bud never could ride"
said the burly cattleman. "I knowed
1t all along. But you just wait til
Sid gets a chance at 'em. He car
ride"
But the Squaw Creek crowd wa.
doomed to disappointment. when Sic
rode HAT" a big, bulky, elephant
shaped farm horse, about two storie,
high with a good cement foundation
In the first place Sid was disguised
that he should have had the luck tt
draw such a nondescript steed, ant