The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-07-15

along, KNOWN they can stay with my
wife while there, and have a dance
that night returnin' the next day.
1t wasn't but IL miles. so they
come
Now, on the way up to the Double
Two, Tip gifts to hurrahin Bud about
them bein rivals.
Let's Just make her say which 10
the best man before we git back to
Square Deal tomorrow" he suggests to
Bud. winkn' at the girls.
Course Bud, havin' no self-confl-
dence, hates to see 1t come to test
hathaway, him bein' willin' to take
what treatment SHE gives him and
thank you, too.
But Tip insists on a showdown and
at last Nettie lays down the rules OF
the contest
What | really Bike" she says, is
good ridin'. The best rider Is the best
man with me-"
I'm afraid that lets me out" says
Bud, duckin' his head to one side.
"Tip'll ride any outlaw you can put
up, and I'm afraid to set on the fence
and watch EN- pitch
They got here just In time for din
ner and the chuck wagon was drawed
up by the side Of the barn and sheds.
/ Tip was just goin to pot for his
fourth helpin' of frijoles, him havin'
noble appetite, when he thinks OF his
rival.
Where's Bud?" he asks "Oh, there
he isl" he says, "settin on the grind
stonesto sharpen his appetite. Eat
hearty, Bud" he calls out, we've got
them stunts to pull off after while"
Il amt hungry" says Bud. I'm
just feelin' real common today"
That makes Tip pretty near fall In
the campfire laughin, and he looks at
Nettie, and mods his head towards
Bud, then stomps his foot and laughs
some more, though she don't take no
I notice of him at all
And of all the wild and reckless
stunts Tip does EN- that afternoon,
whilst Bud does all the work they're
both sent to do, cuttin' old man Gresh-
ans stock out Of the herd. and after
wards pennin' EN- fer the night
About the time they had finished
brandin' the last calf In the bunch
we had sold, old Mankiller come up to
the trough for water.
Those old horses 60 several days
without liquid refreshment In the win.
ter because they're too blamed lazy
to walk the three or four miles to
git It.
This horse must have been pretty
thirsty, for he's old wolf that's killed
two men and Is so wild he won't usu-
ally come up where humans are.
The notion strikes Tip Taylor to
ride him and, In spite Of the outlaws
PAWN and bitin', Tip has roped him
and got saddle on him in less time
that 1t would take to tell how he
done 1t.
He wasn't even satisfied with that,
for with all Of US lookin on, and the
women screamin' and Begin him to
git of, his daredevil spirit. is aroused
right.
Along comes a wild hog out from
the shinnery just as Tips castin'
around for something more reckless to
do, and this here fool slams his rope
on the "javelina."
Well II the thing had been excitin'
before 1t was plumb perilous now!
That hog drove his tushes in the
ground. and jerked, and fought, and
old Mankiller begins to bite the rope,
and right In the midst of Il all the
horse gives sudden turn SO the rope |
which Of course Is fastened to the sad. |
die horn, gifts stretched across TIPS |
leg and begins to cut down into the
flesh.
You could see the boy begin to cit
white and sick, for that grass rope
was grindin into his leg, and the hog
was holdin' 1t tight at one end whilst
old Mankiller plunged and couldn't
be turned.
About Is cow-punchers stood help
less while the women stopped
screamin' and everybody seemed to
hold their breath for an instant.
Then through the air few a pair of
frnged leather leggin's and the man
In EN- covered the space between us
and Tip In just exactly nothing.
We saw a pair of arms grapple with
that old man-eater's snarlin', hitin'
head and, when 1t was tucked between
his right arm and pressed tight to
his side, he goes In his pocket with
his deft hand and rips out a knife.
which he opens with this teeth and
cuts the rope right at the saddlehorn
Just as we run up.
The man was Bud Regain.
We are Just in time to ketch Tin as
he topples out Of the saddle In a dead
faint and we let old Mankiller go,
saddle, bride and all, for the time
bein.
The ladies bein' on horses, galIoped
up and ask anxious If Tip is hurt bad
all but little Nettie Brockton. She