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〃He's hunting leather；〃 shouted a hundred voices。 One of the judges
rode out and waved a hand。 Texas slipped to the ground disqualified； and
made his dejected way back to his deriding comrades。 Some of them had
endured similar misfortunes earlier in the day。 Therefore they found much
pleasure in condoling with him。
〃If he'd only recollected to saw off the horn of his saddle； then he
couldn't 'a' found it when he went to hunt leather；〃 mournfully commented
one puncher in a shirt of robin's egg blue。
〃'Twould have been most as good as to take the dust； wouldn't it？〃
retorted Texas gently； and the laugh was on the gentleman in blue； because
he had been thrown earlier in the day。
〃A fellow's hands sure get in his way sometimes。 I reckon if you'd tied
your hands； Tex； you'd been riding that rocking…hawss yet；〃 suggested
Denver amiably。
〃Sometimes it's his foot he puts in it。 There was onct a gent
disqualified for riding on his spurs；〃 said Texas reminiscently。
At which hit Denver retired； for not three hours before he had been
detected digging his spurs into the cinch to help him stick to the saddle。
〃Jim McWilliams will ride Dead Easy；〃 came the announcement
through the megaphone； and a burst of cheering passed along the grand
stand； for the sunny smile of the foreman of the Lazy D made him a
general favorite。 Helen leaned forward and whispered something gaily to
Nora； who sat in the seat in front of her。 The Irish girl laughed and blushed；
but when her mistress looked up it was her turn to feel the mounting color
creep into her cheeks。 For Ned Bannister； arrayed in all his riding finery；
was making his way along the aisle to her。
She had not seen him since he had ridden away from the Lazy D ten
days before； quite sufficiently recovered from his wounds to take up the
routine of life again。 They had parted not the best of friends； for she had
not yet forgiven him for his determination to leave with his cousin on the
night that she had been forced to insist on his remaining。 He had put her in
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a false position； and he had never explained to her why。 Nor could she
guess the reasonfor he was not a man to harvest credit for himself by
explaining his own chivalry。
Since her heart told her how glad she was he had come to her box to
see her； she greeted him with the coolest little nod in the world。
〃Good morning； Miss Messiter。 May I sit beside y'u？〃 he asked。
〃Oh； certainly！〃 She swept her skirts aside carelessly and made room
for him。 〃I thought you were going to ride soon。〃
〃No； I ride last except for Sanford； the champion。 My cousin rides just
before me。 He's entered under the name of Jack Holloway。〃
She was thinking that he had no business to be riding； that his wounds
were still too fresh； but she did not intend again to show interest enough in
his affairs to interfere even by suggestion。 Her heart had been in her mouth
every moment of the time this morning while he had been tossed hither
and thither on the back of his mount。 In his delirium he had said he loved
her。 If he did； why should he torture her so？ It was well enough for sound
men to risk their lives； but
A cheer swelled in the grand stand and died breathlessly away。
McWilliams was setting a pace it would take a rare expert to equal。 He
was a trick rider； and all the spectacular feats that appealed to the onlooker
were his。 While his horse was wildly pitching； he drank a bottle of pop and
tossed the bottle away。 With the reins in his teeth he slipped off his coat
and vest； and concluded a splendid exhibition of skill by riding with his
feet out of the stirrups。 He had been smoking a cigar when he mounted。
Except while he had been drinking the pop it had been in his mouth from
beginning to end； and； after he had vaulted from the pony's back； he
deliberately puffed a long smoke…spiral into the air； to show that his cigar
was still alight。 No previous rider had earned so spontaneous a burst of
applause。 〃He's ce'tainly a pure when it comes to riding；〃 acknowledged
Bannister。 〃I look to see him get either first or second。〃
〃Whom do you think is his most dangerous rival？〃 Helen asked。
〃My cousin is a straight…up rider； too。 He's more graceful than Mac； I
think； but not quite so good on tricks。 It will be nip and tuck。〃
〃How about your cousin's cousin？〃 she asked； with bold irony。
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〃He hopes he won't have to take the dust；〃 was his laughing answer。
The next rider suffered defeat irrevocably before he had been thirty
seconds in the saddle。 His mount was one of the most cunning of the
outlaw ponies of the Northwest； and it brought him to grief by jamming
his leg hard against the fence。 He tried in vain to spur the bronco into the
middle of the arena； but after it drove at a post for the third time and
ground his limb against it； he gave up to the pain and slipped off。
〃That isn't fair； is it？〃 Helen asked of the young man sitting beside her。
He shrugged his lean； broad shoulders。 〃He should have known how to
keep the horse in the open。 Mac would never have been caught that way。〃
〃Jack Holloway on Rocking Horse；〃 the announcer shouted。
It took four men and two lariats to subdue this horse to a condition
sufficiently tame to permit of a saddle being slipped on。 Even then this
could not be accomplished without throwing the bronco first。 The result
was that all the spirit was taken out of the animal by the preliminary ordeal；
so that when the man from the Shoshone country mounted； his steed was
too jaded to attempt resistance。
〃Thumb him！ Thumb him！〃 the audience cried； referring to the
cowboy trick of running the thumbs along a certain place in the shoulder
to stir the anger of the bucker。
But the rider slipped off with disgust。 〃Give me another horse；〃 he
demanded； and after a minute's consultation among the judges a second
pony was driven out from the corral。 This one proved to be a Tartar。 It
went off in a frenzy of pitching the moment its rider dropped into the
saddle。
〃Y'u'll go a long way before you see better ridin' than his and Mac's。
Notice how he gives to its pitching；〃 said Bannister； as he watched his
cousin's perfect ease in the cyclone of which he was the center。
〃I expect it depends on the kind of a 'hawss；'〃 she mocked。 〃He's riding
well； isn't he？〃
〃I don't know any that ride better。〃
The horse put up a superb fight； trying everything it knew to unseat
this demon clamped to its back。 It possessed in combination all the worst
vices； was a weaver； a sunfisher and a fence…rower； and never had it tried
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so desperately to maintain its record of never having been ridden。 But the
outlaw in the saddle was too much for the outlaw underneath。 He was
master； just as he was first among the ruffians whom he led； because there
was in him a red…hot devil of wickedness that would brook no rival。
The furious bronco surrendered without an instant's warning； and its
rider slipped at once to the ground。 As he sauntered through the dust
toward the grand stand； Helen could not fail to see how his vanity sunned
itself in the applause that met his performance。 His equipment was perfect
to the least detail。 The reflection from a lady's looking…glass was no
brighter than the silver spurs he jingled on his sprightly heels。 Strikingly
handsome in a dark； sinister way； one would say at first sight； and later
would chafe at the justice of a verdict not to be denied。
Ned Bannister rose from his seat beside Helen。 〃Wish me luck；〃 he
said； with his gay smile。
〃I wish you all the luck you deserve；〃 she answered。
〃O