Weekly journal-miner., 1919-06-25

| the hands of the gateman, and as ht
 passed the dead line the white flag
 dropped and Lazy S was leaning
 low in his saddle, easing out the
 singing riata as the pony swept after the longhorn.
 Runs like a scared wolf" the
 punchers over by the fence were say. ing, but Lazy S. saw only the wide
 horns and the swift low-humn1ing
 loop. He did not know it had left
 his hand till the pony whirled, set
 back with aK his weight, and the
 steers horns were cutting two sharp
 ruts in the grass.
 It seemed less than a long breath
 till the man was throwing mp his hands in signal and the judges rode over to the steer, struggling in inn potent fury and fright With all four feet securely "nog tied "Forty-five seconds" the captain was saying, but '"Lazy s" was seeing a bit of white
 fluttering in brown hand at the front of the grandstand. Saddle or mo saddle there was prize enough in the eyes of the littlest Circle U girl. The next steer was a sure enough hobo;" he strode off at calm walk across the field, one wicked eye on the rider behind, but before the rope had poised above his head he had wheeled like hend and gored the horse deep through the shoulder.
 The man grabbed desperately for his siX-shooter and pressed the mug gle against the shaggy head: steer, horse and rider rolled over in a heap, hrt the bullet mad gone home and the big red bulk strengthened out limp on the trampled grass,
 It is one thing to tie down steer in the course of the days work with nobody to see your your range part ner. or 2 lean coyote standing like a gray shadow on the crest of a ridge; here in front of the laughing, yelling, staring crowd, cattle, horses, and men felt strange tremors.
 Diamond J." best rspcr and bash fullest man on the range, handled his riata like tenderfoot, dropped it in sheer awkardness, and let the steer chase him off the field in abject, de- feat.
 Happy Lands" steer set back on the rope, jerked the cinch in two, and the saddle shot over the pony's head and careercd along in the wake of the racing long-horn with the luckless puncher still in the seat and what had happened. He walked up a minute later looking into a pair of red eyes and calculating whether he could draw his gun be- fore those black horns struck home. The froth-fleckcd nose fell against his chest when the steer staggered down on the held-and Happy Land" scrambled up and made an but whole-hearted run for the fence while his range mates sang joyfully his favorite song: There is a Happy Land, Far, Far Away"
 The laughter that applauded Hap py Lands" unhesitating flop over the fence ended in sharply indrawn breath and silence. Down the track, led by two mounted buckaros, came the man eatin' appeloosa,' his blue roan coat, flea-bitten with flecks of shining like a sheet O.. rust-spotted steel. His long, dean legs showed wire-likc knots and strands of muscles and his clean black hoofs struck the dusty field dis dainfully. That thin arched neck, that high-curved nose, those still stubborn ears, the somber dull-light- ,d eyes trimmed with too much white, bespoke a mighty temper, tameless md contemptful. The ''palomina" would have fought the saddle to the ast second; the roan stood patiently luiet and watched with a look of sar- Ionic interest the tightening of cinch md strap. His mole-blue velvet l!uzzle touched almost caressingly 1 he hand that slipped the hackamore ,n his head.
 Reckon he aint goin' to do nothin his time, Bill Mcbbc High Stir ups" is got walk-away."
 Walk nothin'" Bill growled. You cllers keep them ropes stretchin hat neck O his good an plenty till High Stirrups" gifts hisself glued to hat saddle-au' when you turn i'm oosc do it runnin'.'
 High Stirrups" was d short-lcgged | nan whose stirrups struck the tall oan's sides; his lips were pressed . nto a straight line as he went into he saddle with the spring of a cat. Turn 'i1a loose" he ordered. Bill vas already on his own horse and d lo2cr yards away One Q: the herders" cast off his rope awkardiy, bringing his right hand near the oan's head; a swift glcam of two ows of white teeth and the buckaro ode off with blood streaming from a orn and manglcd hand.
 "I told ye," said Bill ill disgust. Git. I'll herd fer yc."
 The crowd in the grandstand and