The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 16, 1904, Page 8

Out fre: a dusty road for a race in one corne tight saddling and for lared the Pasco's Steer cattle a sunshine. rite spor daily work has in wild sport. e corral, o's heavy upon heat and somehow that e women knew, public rop- they knew that this was t ing. He wishe they also knew of his wild rig g and tying with the Lazy A outfit, and then he w ad they didn't. Out on the plains be had felt the strength of every mauscle in his lanky six feet, and he was certain of winning; but now he feit needlessly loose, obstructiv and for one panicky second he was riding away, ¥ s to the wind. Then he clapped and dismounted. he said, “I'll stay.” the pen, where a dozen wild crowding and panting, the cowboys and their mirers, Carver and his judges, and all men who were betting. With hrob of the heart Turk recognized ud Oliver, to him the greatest man the cattie range. No man between Texas and Los Zngeles was his equal 1 roping and tying. Turk McGlory ould rath have been Bud Oliver an Governor of Texas. Turk was the mpion, receiving his friends like a lug, giving them an offhand word or & clap on the back—a hopelessly inimit- Able perfection of guod-fellowship. And then there was Buster Graham, the champion of Arizona, and Halversen, a Square man with a jaw like a bulldog’s; By — Here steers were were knotted who had roped with Buf- o Bill, and a number of others whose mes were great in the roping field. heart went dowh and : down of nd though these aped up with tk was in such company he resoived that he would never leave ! every man in it recog- s 4 roper, too. Litile groups of people were drifting by to the grand stand. Here and there, from the corner of his eye, as he bent 10 adiust the saddle cinches, Turk Mec- Glory sht the glint of a white skirt or of a flowing ribbon. Some- times the girls stopped to discuss the contestants; he heard them talking of Bud Oliver and Mason and Buste: Gra- ham. Suddenly, as he tightened a latigo strap, a saucy, smiling face looked up at him. Her sister was evi- dently trying to pull her away, but she said, half teasingly: “I'm wearing your colors, Mr. Texas. You must win.” , He saw nothing but deep black eyes, and he felt the blood in his face. He couldn’t have spoken if he had known that it was to save his life, and he knew that he was smiling foolishly. She looked back over her shoulder, raising a mischievous finger. “Remember,” she said. Turk took two steps after her and then went back to his saddle. She was in blue and white; he wore a blue and white silk handkerchief knotted loosely, cowboy fashion, about his throat. Whatever else he saw he also saw her until she was in her place in the grand stand. Some one shouted, a flagman rode out from the pen on a sleek city horse, the admirers and the bettors slowly worked away, leaving the cowboys and the judges around the pen. The contest was about to begin. Turk observed that every coptestant except Bud Oliver and himself was an Arizopa or New Alexico man—single cinches, white sombreros, rowel spurs and all that. Turk himself wore a big black-crowned hat, trousers sagging so low as to make competing with then it suddenly ealization that he + part of it, and AID him appear extraordinarily long walst- ed and big shouldered, high heeled Mexican boots and a vest, unbuttoned, but no coat. He stepped with a pecu- liar roll, seen only in these dwellers cn horses, 10 whom walking is an uncouth exercise to be avoided. An attendant was dropping one of the bars of the pen twenty-five feet in front, where a log marked the starting place. Denny Hughes, the first of the contestants, was sitting his horse, bridle rein down, cciling his rope and fitting the rings to the proper places between his fingers. In front of him, & hundred feet from the pen gate, the flagman ‘sat stiff and still with flag in air. The steer was to have a hundred feet start and the cowboy was not to glve chase until the flag dropped. As befitted u natural sport, the rules were few and simple. It was to get the steer, throw him, and tie him so that he could not get up, and the puncher who made the best time was the win- ner. It is the everyday task of the cow man on the range; it s the way all cattle are caught, either for branding ofikilling. Three bars were down. A splendid big steer stepped out with raised head and horns high, paused a moment and looked regally about him. In the hush, Turk McGlory heard, with a thrill, the coarse shout of the pool seller: “What am I offered on Turk McGlor: of Texas against thi fleld?” S There was dead silénce, then dust ris- ing in the hot air, and the stcer was off, a brown streak across the field. Down dropped the flag. Denny Hughes gave his horse the spur and went for- ward with a leap, his rope gyrating in long slow sweeps about his head. Oh! but it was beautiful to see. The steer swerved like a bent bow to the right and Denny was almost on him; there was much dust and ar occasional shout from the stand. T.nny leaned forward and cast, the long rope uncoiling in graceful curves through the air. Denny drew in his horse sharply, the steer wavered as the rope struck him, then with ‘a shrug he threw it aside and dashed onward. 3 A TEY WTE W 27 TEEY PO E 70 FAITIL LARIT'Y “Get him, get him; try him again, Denny,” roared the crowd. The steer had turned and Denny was after him again, riding at full speed and drawing in gr~ coiling his rope at the same time. Round and round swept the coil, and then it shot straight forward, the loop in the air like a flat- tened O. Denny's horse went back on his haunches, the steer leaped high in air, and fell full length, Denny was off, pulling the short tying rope from his belt as he ran. He stooped over the steer, tying two front and one rear legs—hog tying they call it—in incred- ibly short time. Then he sprang to his feet, arms in air. It was the signal the work was finished. The Judges came up and declared the steer properly tied. The timekeceper called ne minute, fifty-eight seconds.” “Denny is out of it,” observed Bud Oliver. -“He shoul. have made it in one throw."” Denny came in, hot and grimy with dust. The grand stand was buzzing again like a trombone heard afar -off. The poolseller bawled his bets and Turk McGlory saw a girl in blue and White in the grand stand. Turk was shaking with excitement; he felt that he never could throw his rope. What a fool he was to compete With these old repers! How they would laugh at him! A little fellow with silver spurs, and a feather in his hat, came next, and fumbled his rope so that it was.past two minutes before his steer was down. He was hopelessly heien‘ and he came in_bedraggled, but grinning. When Buster Graham went to the line there were shouts of encourage- ment, and acquaintances from the stand and the poolseller frauiically ran up his bets. Buster ~nd *Bud Oliver were plainly the favorites, with a lit- tle leaning toward Bud, as Turk ob- served with rising pride. After all, there was n« man like Bud Oliver of Texas. Buster Graham was a handsome fel- feilow, slim and tall, with long black hair and the-smallest feet that ever went into $20 I“exican boots. On his horse he was a very Centaur, swaying and flowing with every motion like the TTS POINTS - .F{OIE/"ZS’, w5 G TARIL LTLLZL W7 TE THE PMEANTNF OF V7 LIiTTLE FELLOW | FUMIBLED FILS ROPE, RE WARS OPELESSLY BEATEN: animal fiself. Turk never had seen a man ride so easily before. It was a splendid big steer, too, and it ran as if with a feeling of the sport—a wild straight charge across the corral, swerving neither to right nor to left. How still the crowd was! Buster seemed in no especial hurry. There was little sign of confusion or dust. ‘When his horse’s nose was nearly over the steer’s flying tail, he swerved easily to the left and cast his rope. The steer seemed to set a front leg in the noose as if the performance had been rehearsed. An instant later Buster was tying, with inimitable swiftness and deftness, and then his arms were up and his long black hair was loose in the wind. What a gift it is to do a thing like a young god! And how the crowd roared. “Buster—Buster Graham!” The timekeeper could har his vcice heard. “Forty-nine seconds. The people were standing up now and roaring, while Duster came in as cool and undisturbed as if he had been riding for an airing. “That was a goud job, Buster,” said Bud Oliver heartily, and the boy in Turk McGlory spoke out in his eyes at this big friendliness of a rival, and he crowded up to Buster to shake hands, and drew back before he had done it. The betting was now all against Bud Oliver; but that hero scemed in nowise concerned, though he knew it would require the greatest skill and luck to beat such a record as Buster had made. ‘When Halversen came up to the line Bud Oliver observed that he was tying his rope, Texaswise, to the pommel of his saddle. The Arizcnian ordinarily uses a long rope, sixty fcet at the least, and throws it free, at the last giving the end a hitch around the sad- dle pommel. so that he can let go in case of accident. The Texan burns his ships behind him: he uses a short rope, ties it fast, and takes the conse- quences. “Look how you tie that rope!” shout- ed Bud gocd-naturedly. Halversen paid no heed, and when the flag went down he was off like a flash. It,was a runty red steer, and the rope, opening from Halversen's hand like a coil spring, settled over the steer’s horns. There was a wild, scrambling rush, Halversen’s horse turning to one side to trip the plung- ing animal. The rope pulled taut with ¥ make a snap, and the steer turned a somer- sault in the dust; but the strain on the single:cinch saddle was too great, and it turned. Halversen, still cling- ing to the rope, was jerked to the ground. his horse leaping to one side and Kicking himself wildly clear of the saddle.” For a single instant .Halver- sen was able to regain his feet, and then he went down and the steer dragged him in the ling him over and over with saddie. The CT shouting its excit ent; the s, the flagman and most of the men > riding hard - to help. rsen, to the backbone, sprang to his feet, still clinging to the rope. At that instant the steer, headed off, turned sharply to the right. and Halversen, instantly seeing his oppor- tunity, ran to the left: then, suddenly, he snubbed hard on the rope, jerking the steer's feet from under him. It is thing that the best cowboy can do only occasionally. Halversen darted —_ B et S Al et 8 TN s — forward to tle, but the steer. time to recover from the forc fall, was hind feet up when Hal pounced upon him, seizing hi One foot to the left of the steer’ legs and a sudden strong pull, and the steer was down again—all in the space of two seconds. And then, though there was the wildest kicking and struggling, Halverson, bulldog that he was, tied his *animal down and threw up his bloody arms. He was torn and bruised, but he had tied his steer. Of course he could not win; he had been more than three minutes at the struggle, but the crowd made up to him for the failure in the warmth of its reception. It had been three minutes of such excitement as comes in no other sport. And so, one after another, the con- testants rode forward to the faill of the flag—it was a Homeric list—but one by one they failed to equal the record of Buster Graham, although a little red Scotchman named Moorse came within six seconds of it. Turk McGlory lost all hope for himself, but he still feit brave for his hero. But Oliver would do it if any one could. And it was now Bud’s turn. He and Bud had been left to the last. The nearer his time came the oftener he glanéed up to the grand stand, to the gir! in blue and whit: The poolseller was now ecrying his “name and Bud's together. “What am I offered on Bud Oliver, champion of Texas? Who will give me even money on Turk McGlory against the field?” It would all have been sweet to Turk’s ears, and embarrassing, too, if he hadn’t been so excited. There was luck in roping; probably after gll it would go against Bud and Texas. Have you ever seen a cayalryman, preparing for a charge, turning to tie his coat to his saddle, rolling up the sleeves over his muscular arms, draw- ing saber and twisting his wrist in the saber cord, then setting his -ace grimly forward? If you have you know how Bud Oliver looked cleared for battle; but no cavalryman ever sat his horse with the oneness of Bud Oliver. To an unschooled observer the little roan pony seemed undersized for so large a man; but the cowboys, whose alphabet is horses, knew well the prowess of that cat-flanked, ragged-necked roan with his ears laid back and his eyes gleaming half wild. “Lock out for the Tehanna* called a voice from the crowd. man!” *Tchanna; greaser name for Texas man. “We're g on Bud Olfvert™ came oth Texas men re not ov ¥ na, and t it w ¥ crowd The babel of v arply. A wiry littie steer, red and white, shot into ‘the, field as if catapulted. Turk McGIory obser how like an antelope it ran—iong-1 wind bloy was. off before r g .his rop to his saddle and riding hard; , slow colls clean over his hed out as if to catch the the rope had.gone over a hoop, horns and all. Now he w paying out to trip up the steer. How they were ning! Turk McGlory rose suddenly . ok out e,” he roared But Bud », and the steer reachur up and feli There h Bud wa know walked aw on the rope If it had Db fatter one, th wor troable; but t now on its seized . ficrce toss he laid it fl th and arms ( with hands clinched “Wifty 5 So Bud ) beaten beca hé didn't 1 H th 1 it by the tail, and “What against the fi seller. “Now's “Hurrah for t shouted otherygvc Turk McClory was at the 1 ston- ished to fin « With - so JANeh. ease. wasn't- doing it himself, working field 4 your ong else ‘was blazed seemed hot an the dim “and “Hurfah fer alico horse!” came a grand stand. “Wait till tl Turk said betw pinto stirred blue and w alf the rest was x was a clatter frame. at the pen, and the steer shot past him. Instantly he and they spol ing of fa arity knight have looked for his adversary’s Turk his as off. d to ran w hind feet ways, hoglik He re- teer én the Lazy A outfit that had the same habit, and a bad one it was, too. How strange that he should think of such thin at such a time! The steer was swerving swift- 1y to the he pinto, nose forward and dilat tantly slackened pace, swerving same direction and cutting o e. It was much to have a hor he be knew X S Tope to : was wholly sciow: med now only the 1 of a steer D ust. The ob, and yet too far off to 1d there was stand it, abov the grand and men rising, half in terror, and a color of women. The steer had swung almost round was Ic rail fence, and between it and the grand stand la racing trac Dimly ory h shouts of v X Would the steer plunge Into 3 Dimly, too, slancing back, saw the other cow men char him to the rescue. ging a There was r through the cer had gone were paste- board, and the pinto was now close behind. as all too little room here in k. The steer would evidently full into the crowd. Turk McGlory's arm shot forward and the, rope pinto sat sharply back, throwing McGlory well over the pommel. To those in the grand stand it seemed as if the steer. all horns and was plucked out of their faces. they looked agai and the judge TS were ning through the gap in the fence. nds up:! pinto easing away on the rope all lost. McGlory felt. The fence been in the way. Why couldn’t they provide an open fleld, as in Texas? These Arizona men couldn’t conduct a contest. The timer lifted his hand, and the shouting stopped. “Thirty-gix seconds,” he amnounced. “What a fool of a timer,” thought Turk McGlory. “It can’t be so.” Then he saw Bud OUver stride up with outstretched hand, and a lump ame in his throat. “Good boy!" said Bud. the day for Texas." . And then the crowd pounced on h and hooted McGlory!™ . McGlory was and the other ou've saved all. It Was not as he th N be. Two hundred dollars wo And he, Turk McGlory! And then a saucy, flushed face look- ing up at him. “I knew you would do it. Mr. Texas,” she said. And with that she pinned a blue and white ribbon on his vest, and he looked off over her head and trembled.