Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-07-12

tree; he saw a riderleSS horse COM
ing, his bride flying loose. With
leap he reached the frightened AMI
mails head, caught the reins and
chung by main force. There was an
instant Of intense action, the horse
plunging and kicking, then the man
conquered and scrambled to the
saddle. The flames seemed to have
gained new fuel; when they died
down in one place, they leaped up In
another. Everything that could burn
was afire. The wind carried burn
ing brands and tossed them on mad
ly whirling horns, bulls gored each
other in sheer terror; the distant
ranch-house shone white in the re-
Election, the mountains doomed black
against silver sky.
The young man who had never
seen the like of this before, held In
the frightened horse and thrilled
with new emotion; he tasted free
dom, adventure, the Joy Of living.
He knew nothing of herding these
wild things, but he longed to ride
into the midst of it, though he felt
his horse trembling under him.
Then, in flash, he saw a big car
speeding toward him; the moonlight
showed it clearly, when it stopped
and man leaped out and came rum
ming into the thick of it. As he came
he recognized him; it was Jim KEEL
lerl Back before he was expected.
A moment before he would have
been safe, but the herd had broken,
some of the yearlings had turned be-
fore the shouts Of the vacqueros.
With rush they came straight for
the single figure In front Of them;
in half a second it would be too latei
Hazlett had no spurs, but he struck
his heels into his horses sides.
Frightened, the animal shot forward
in front of the oncoming rush, In
front of Jim.
keep behind my horse-quicki"
The young man felt in his pocket al
he saw Jim stop and reel with
surprise. He rode his horse across
the space and turned to face the
danger.
Flame and moonlight outlined the
black forms and white horns, fifty
sixty-he could not count them. The
earth seemed to shake under them;
his horse plunged and he swung In
his seat. They were coming, they
were almost on him, they would
trample horse and rider! Then he
did the one thing he could think Of,
he fired point blank at the front row.
There was terrible plunge and bel
low, and big steer crumpled and
fell to its knees. Its mates fled from
it, parting in two streams and flow
ing on either side. In the center the
horse and rider whirled in wild
semi-circle, shielding the man on
foot. Again and again he fired, and,
when he hit, they gave way, below
ing. Flames were behind them, the
vacqueros were shouting on their
right; they hurtled themselves at
the bridge, jammed it, toppled over
and went into the water. AS the
stream of maddened beasts parted
and swept past and left them, the
young man dismounted.
'Take my horse, Mr.. Keller" he
said.
Jim looked up at him, dazed.
who are you? My God, I was a
fool; you saved my life!"
The dawn was breaking behind the
mountains when Hazlett limped up
toward the house. He had been with
the other men in the saddle all
night. AS the day broke the vac
queros had been able to count the
damage-the burning gates and
brush, the stampeded yearlings, two
horses gored to death and heavy
toll of cattle. Meanwhile, Jordan
and his confederates had made good
their escape; that hit the enraged
cowpunchers more sharply than KEEL
ler's losses. Hazlett could hear them
swearing in queer medley of Span
ish and English. By this time they
all knew of Jim's narrow escape
and made room for the newcomer
more readily, but they drifted past
him now to storm All Ling's kitchen.
Hazlett came slowly, his eyes on
those windows into which he had
looked the night before. Stenhart's
stricken face seemed to rise before
him again. He laughed bitterly to
himself, then old Mac, coming out
of the house, saw him and stopped
to slap him on the shoulder with his
well hand.
Gosh, you're trump, Hazlettl"
he said heartily. "You sure saved
the boss. He wants to see you; I
reckon you can get any place you
want round Las Palomas now!"
Hazlett stared down at the mud
and dust that covered him from
head to foot.
"He nearly broke my head; the
honors are his" retorted the young
err man grimly.
Old Mac nodded. That's like
him, the fox! Come on over to
breakfast after you've seen JIM"
Mac pointed toward the front door
and the young man, still reluctant,
z~1ccal tho ,rrtI4