The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-06-04

II was natural IHdL she SuOuIO
want to see the rodeo, even in what
Dirk felt must be their unsympathe-
tic company. The rodeo was the sort
of horse-show to which she had been
bred.
Dirk watched the bronco riding.
wondering why he had never
thought to visit a rodeo before.
Isabel watched too, apparently less
bored than usual. wearing a dark
sports+suit, and a boyish hat.
She would be bored before it was
over, but now she was interested
even in the cowboys who, not taking
part in the events, squatted on their
heels about the arena, looking on.
Sometimes when a COW or bucking
horse became too general in its &C.
tivities they leaped aside, climbing
the chutes or the rails of the boxes.
Rupert asked Hope why they were
there, and passed her reply along to
Dirk and Isabel.
They're studying the hors e S,
watching to see if a horse takes a
long neck, or a short one"
1t was during the steerwrestling
that a vast scramble occurred in the
arena, and a cowboy leaped neatly
into their box,
That's the craziest steer we've
got" he apologized, as Rupert rose
to make room for him. Some devil. r"
Dirk had been watching the steer.
and the cowboy who, mounted on a
pinto pony, was flying after him.
Even as they looked, the boy left
his horse, leaped to the steers hack.
grabbing him below the horns. The
steer whirled and twisted, lay sud-
denly ON the ground, all four feet
extended. -.
The cowboy in the box heaved a
sigh and smiled.
Lucky Dams in the money, all
right" he said. 81 thought he was
crazy, trying to wreStle Lucifer.
None of us thought New York kid
could do it. Lucifer's killed two
men. Westerners."
Rupert was interested.
Lucky Dan from New York;" he
asked.
$50 they say" answered the cow.
boy. 81 sure don't believe it now"
"Why not?" inquired Isabel. The
visiting cowboy was tall with keen
gray eyes and skin as brown as a
mango. eve have ranches here" she
added.
He appeared to observe her for
the first time. His gray eyes held
admiration, and repressed amuse-
ment.
eyes, Ma'am," he agreed politely,
and leaped over the rail.
Rupert sat down again, but not
before Dirk had seen Hope. leaning
forward in her chair, staring into
the arena with white face and fixed
eyes. She was watching the New
York cowboy, listening to the mega
phoned voice of judge proclaim
ing Lucky Dams triumph over
Lucifer.
There was an immense sound of
applause, and Lucky Dan took off
his sombrero, disclosing a grave
young face, and blond head. He
bowed, never smiling, scarcely SEEM
ing to care.
Dirk watched him leave the arena.
Something in his walk, something in
the way he had taken off the SOM
brerO-
Where, Dirk asked himself, had
he seen Lucky Dan before? Where
witnessed those automatic gestures,
that slightly bowed gait? Did he
imagine he held a memory of them
because the boy was so plainly
Hopes reason for being here?
NEXT day Dirk inquired at the
rodeo-officeS about Lucky Dan.
He had come, indeed, from a ranch
upstate. had only lately entered the
contests, under the management OF
his father, a bellicose individual
named Jones.
AS for the boy" said Dirk's In.
formant, an arena director in a ten.
gallon hat, "as for that kid, he's got
the face of an angel. Golden hair and
blue eyes,"
What do / know about him
That's enough, amt it? Neither him
nor his dad mixes much with the
crowd, so it's not easy to know 'em
Nobody likes Jones. He DULLES the
kid, but the kid don't seem to mind
Dirk asked when Lucky Dan
would ride again.
Cant tell you that, at least not
in advance. He got in late, and he
has to wait every time till somebody
drops out. OF course we knew ahead
when he was goin' to wrestle Luci
fer. That's how he got in, offerin' to
bulldog old Lucifer."
And that was how Hope had
known that she wanted to see the
rodeo on the twenty-fifth. Dirk won
dered if she would ask to go again
That night he directed the detec
tives TO, look up the history of the
JonseS, father ana son. That history
he. had no doubt. was closely wover
with tlie'riddle of Hope.
| (CoPySts1t. 1925. Margaret Bs1 RoEsscs:
luA..IiAl. -