Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-16
CHAPTER u-(Continued.)

raised by his angrily paving hoofs
the act both threat and challenge
Perhaps full minute the two beasts
so stood facing each other. Then the
bear shook himself, voiced a furious
growl, and began SWIFT advance
This was precisely what the bull nae
been waiting for, obviously y, 1oi
scarcely had the bear got under ful
Roadway before the bull charged MIN
The impact was terrific. AS they
came together two great claWed 1ee'
for 4 second ripped and tore the CLOS
sy red shoulders, but in the very same
instant one long, swordlike horn
plunged full length into the bears
chest. The speed Of the bull was such
that. checked by his terrific thrust
he turned a complete somersault, and
hit the gound on his back with force
lust SUFFICIENT, SO it sounded, to burst
him asunder.
But. no; it did not seem even to jar
him. In an instant he was up. and
once again he sank the same red
dripping horn deep into the bears
still ouivering flank, backed away, as
II realizing his task was finished, as
In truth it was, and then walked SLOW
" round the ring, eyes gllntlng 1ury'
head tossing proud challenge for a
fresh antagonist.
Tut his triumph was brief. Directly
into the ring rode two beautifully
mounted vaqueros, and scarcely had
he turned upon them when one drop
ned a rope over his horns, the other
shared both his hind feet, and the
splendid little battler was stretched
HELPLESS upon the ground. Then 9TH
ers entered. mounted dropped ropes
on the stiffening bulk of the van
ouished bear, and dragged him from
the ring.
The, moment the ring was cleared,
right there the Mexicans sprung
trick that was new even to my mates.
with the help of shoemaker's wax
they stuck twenty-dollar gold piece
fast between the bulls horns just
above the eyes. Then, when the
horsemen had retired and the one
footman remaining In the pen mad
loosened the rope with which the
bulls feet had been "hog-tied.' and
had leaped over the barrier, and the
bull had Jumped to his feet madden
than ever of the rough handling he
had received, those beauties OF Next
cans yelled that the twenty dollars
was hung up as prize for any gringo
(American) who could take 1t or
without the use of horse.
What do you think of that? and
that little chunk of brute dynamite siz-
cling for an explosion of wrath that
left him no pretty thing for even
wellmounted man to tackle single
handed!
Nobody showed any evidence OF ap-
petite for that twenty dollars. Peach
and Cox sat silent awed as | dare say
every one was, by the devilish lngenu-
ity OF the Mexicans in planning such
a test of our nerve. In fact, neither
made any move until, finally, Mexi-
can ran up in front OF the three OF
us, and cried:
You!" You, there; it's you the
twenty dollars is hung up for. Get it.
one Of you, If you are not all coyotes!'
It is miracle George Cox did not
kill the speaker; but instead, before
Peach. or had so much as contrived
to speak, Cox was in the ring. In
stantly out flashed my pistol, for
was sure we were in for finish fight
and was scared half to death.
Peach grabbed my wrist and whis.
pered:
"stow the gun, kid. Leave it to
Cox, and watch him make those
damned greasers run rings round
themselves"
And then, right there, I sure enough
nearly froze stiff, for instead of open
ing on. the Mexicans, as supposed he
would, Cox at once made 1t apparent
that he contemplated the infinitely
more nerve-racking stunt of accepting
their challenge.
Indeed, the utter recklessness Of his
deed did not fully appreciate until
when, years later, learned that no
Spanish bull-flghter, banderillero or
matador, even ventures near stand
ing bull. They always wait at some
distance until, by stamping the ground
and waving flag or sword the bull is
melted to charge at full speed; then,
and not till then, they advance at a
run for the chance to affix bander-
lilo in the bulls shoulder, or deliver
fatal sword-thrust, and affect safe
side-step.
This for the very good reason that
until the beasts great bulk is at full
speed no man can count on safely
lodging him.
Cox's leap into the ring had attract.
ed the bulls attention, and it turned
and faced him, CORY head lifted high,
motionless, save-for an angry switch
ing of the tail The distance between
the man and the beast was about six
ty feet.
For more than minute Cox stood
still, until he had fixed the bulls at
tention. Then he began brisk, even
paced walk straight toward the bull,
never shifting his steady gaze straight
into it's face.
The noisy, jeering mob about the
pen fell silent. All present must have
held their breath; l know I held mine.
Steadily Cox advanced, and still the
bull stood as if dazed by the audacity
of this puny antagonist At last, af-
ter an age, it seemed. and just as the
bull began to paw viciously, the in
domitable little man stepped within
arms length, reached out, plucked the
coin from it's waxen setting, and be-
gan stepping slowly backward
If not for Cox's own, at least for the