DAVE ON A BRONCO
Dave had his doubts about doing any "bronco-busting" on his own account,
but he did not say anything to Roger and Phil about it. He was not
afraid, but he knew Jessie would be greatly worried if he attempted
anything dangerous.
However, his chums got him up early the following morning, and, directly
after breakfast, Roger led the way down to the corral.
"I am going to try it, even if you are not," said the senator's son, and
insisted upon it that one of the unbroken ponies be brought forward. The
saddle was adjusted by Sid Todd, who held the animal while Roger leaped
into the saddle.
The experience was not as exciting as had been anticipated, for the
reason that the animal chosen by Todd was somewhat tame. The cowboy was
attached to the boys, and did not wish to see any of them run the risk
of breaking his neck.
After Roger came Phil, and he was timid enough to ask for a horse "that
didn't look as if he wanted to eat somebody up." Phil had more of a
time of it than Roger, but managed to keep in the saddle and ride around
the corral several times.
"It's not so hard as I supposed," said the shipowner's son, as he leaped
to the ground, and the pony, freed of the saddle, galloped off. "I
thought I'd be half-killed."
"Those ponies were not so wild as those used yesterday," answered Dave.
"Not but that they were bad enough," he continued, with a smile.
Sid Todd had remained to hold the pony ridden by Phil and had then been
called away to attend to some business at another part of the ranch. He
had told Yates to help the boys.
Now, as it happened, Yates was full of fun and always up to practical
jokes. It had disgusted him to see Todd bring out such comparatively
safe ponies as those ridden by Roger and Phil. He had been told to bring
out a certain animal for Dave, but instead led forth a bronco that was
as wild and fiery as any used the day previous.
"If he rides that beast, he's a good one," Yates murmured to himself,
and then he beckoned to some other cowboys to watch the fun. Half a
dozen quit work to draw closer, each with a broad grin on his sunburnt
face. They expected to see Dave get the shaking-up of his life and felt
positive he would not be able to stay on the bronco's back two minutes.
"He certainly is a wild one," said Dave, as he advanced and eyed the
pony.
"Oh, he's no worse than the others," answered Yates, smoothly, and then
he rolled his eyes and winked at the other cowboys.
Dave looked critically at the saddle and saw to it that it was properly
buckled. Then he flung his cap to Roger.
"Say, Dave, that pony looks half-crazy," said Phil. "You be careful."
"He certainly does look wild," added Roger.
"Well, I'm going to ride him anyway--or know the reason why!" cried
Dave, and a look of strong determination came into his face. "Get around
there!" he called sharply to the pony, and then, with a quick leap, he
gained the saddle and dug his knees into the pony's sides. "Let him go!"
Yates released his hold and everybody in the crowd backed away. For a
moment the bronco stood stock-still, his eyes gazing straight ahead.
Then he gave a vigorous shake and took a few steps forward.
"Hurrah! see him ride!" shouted Yates, and winked again at the other
cowboys, who grinned more than ever.
Five steps forward and the bronco halted. Then up in the air he went, a
distance of six or eight feet. He came down "on all fours," good and
hard, and had Dave been resting in the saddle he would have had the wind
knocked out of him completely. But the youth was standing in the
stirrups, and he allowed his body to spring with that of the animal he
hoped to conquer.
[Illustration: Then up in the air he went.--Page 224.]
Three times the bronco tried this trick, and the third time Dave came
close to falling off. Then the bronco gave a dart forward, like an arrow
from a bow.
"There he goes!" yelled the senator's son, but the words were not yet
out of his mouth when the bronco stopped short. Dave slid to the
animal's neck, but there he clung, his face pale and determined, and his
teeth set.
"Hi! hi! what's this!" shouted a voice, and, turning, the crowd saw Sid
Todd approaching on the run. "Yates, what do you mean by letting him git
up on that critter?" he demanded, indignantly.
"Ain't that the bronco you wanted him to try?" asked the other cowboy,
innocently.
"No--an' you know it!" stormed Todd. "Do you want him to break his neck?
Hi, Dave, jump down! You can't tame that beast, nohow!"
"I--I'm all--ri--right!" jerked out Dave, between his teeth. "Ke--keep
away," he added, as Todd came closer, to lend his assistance.
"He's a bad one, boy--one o' the worst on the ranch. Yates had no call
to offer him to you."
"Ke--keep away," was all Dave replied. He could not say more, for the
bronco claimed all his attention.
"Yates, if that boy is hurt, you'll have an account to settle with me,"
said Sid Todd, and shook his fist at the other cowboy.
"I--er--I was sure you wanted me to bring out that beast fer him,"
murmured Yates, uneasily. He was sorry now that he had played the trick
on Dave.
The bronco had taken another run, coming to as sudden a halt as before.
Dave slid up almost to the animal's ears, but still clung on, and
quickly regained his seat in the saddle. Then, without warning, the pony
dropped to the ground and started to roll over.
"Look out! you'll have your leg broken!" yelled Phil. But Dave was on
his guard, and, as the pony dropped, he leaped away to safety. Then, as
the animal arose once more, the youth grabbed the saddle and vaulted
into the seat.
"Say, that's goin' some, I tell you!" roared one of the cowboys in
delight. "He ain't givin' in yet, he ain't!"
"Look out that he don't bang you into a fence, or one of the buildings!"
yelled Sid Todd. He was alarmed, yet delighted at the manner in which
Dave clung to his difficult and dangerous undertaking.
With Dave once more on his back, the pony tried new tactics. Around and
around he went in a circle, sending the dust of the corral flying in all
directions. Then, like lightning, he reversed, nearly breaking his own
neck, and causing Dave to slip far down on the outer side. But the youth
hung to the saddle, and, leaning forward, slapped the bronco a smart
crack on the neck. This he followed up with a blow on the head.
The effect was just what the boy desired. The pony forgot all his
tricks, and leaping high into the air, he shot off like a streak toward
the corral gate. Once outside, he headed for the open plains, going with
the speed of a racer on the track.
"They're off!" cried Roger.
"Don't let him throw you!" yelled Todd.
"Can't we ride after 'em?" queried Phil.
"Sure we can ride after 'em," responded Todd. "An' we better do it, too,
fer there ain't no tellin' what that pony will do to Dave," he added,
anxiously, and with a black look at Yates, which made the other cowboy
cast his eyes to the ground.
On and on sped the bronco, with Dave sitting firmly in the saddle. So
long as the pony kept going, the lad felt he had nothing to fear. But he
was on the alert, for he did not know but that the animal would play
another trick at any instant.
"Go on, old boy!" he muttered. "We've got miles and miles of prairie
ahead of us. Run till you are tired! But remember, you've got to carry
me back," he added, grimly.
Soon the ranch house and the corral were mere specks in the distance,
and then even these faded from view. The pony kept to the open country,
and not once did he slacken his speed.
"I guess he'll drop into a walk when his wind is gone," thought Dave.
But the pony's breathing apparatus showed no sign of giving out. Dave
allowed his eyes to turn back, and calculated he had gone two or three
miles. "Maybe we had better turn back now," he murmured, and tried to
guide the steed in a circle. But this was a failure. The pony kept
straight ahead, running due eastward, as the youth could see by the sun.
"All right, go as far as you please," said Dave, grimly. "If you can
stand it, so can I," and he settled in the saddle.
Another two miles were covered, and then the bronco commenced to slacken
his speed. Dave was on guard at this, and it was well to be, for, a
second later, the pony once more tried the trick of flinging his rider
over his head. But the effort was a failure, and in return Dave dug his
knees deeply into the steed's ribs. Then off went the pony on a run
again.
This time the bronco did not cover over a mile before dropping into a
walk. Then Dave tried again to turn the animal, but without success.
"Don't want to go back, eh?" said the youth. "Well, you've got to, and
that is all there is to it!" And he hit the pony a sharp slap on the
neck and dug his knees into the animal's ribs as before.
The bronco was now losing courage. He commenced to run, but did not keep
it up for more than a hundred yards. But when he dropped into a walk,
Dave urged him up, and again he ran, but now only a dozen steps. Then
the youth pulled on the left rein, and the bronco came around with
scarcely any trouble.
"You aren't mastered yet, but you're pretty close to it," said the boy.
"We are going home, understand, home!"
The bronco moved forward about a hundred feet. Then he deliberately
dropped on the prairie and lay on his side, as quiet as a lamb.
"Want to rest, eh?" said Dave. "Well, not out here. You brought me here
and you've got to take me back. Get up!"
He gave the animal a prod in the side. The bronco kicked out. Then Dave
gave a harder prod. This the pony would not stand, and up he came with
surprising agility. He tried to bolt, but Dave caught the saddle and
clung there. They headed again eastward, away from the ranch.
"All right, now run for it, and keep it up as long as you please!" cried
the boy, and urged the steed forward. Over the prairie the pony sped,
as if he had just started in the race. Thus another mile was covered,
and now Dave calculated he must be six or seven miles from Star Ranch.
The country about him looked strange, and he wondered where he was.
Nothing in the shape of a trail had come to view during the last run.
When the bronco stopped his racing, the youth turned him around again.
He now showed signs of fatigue, but Dave urged him on, digging his knees
into the animal's ribs as tightly as ever. Dave was almost "used up"
himself, but he resolved to make the bronco take him back to the corral
or die in the attempt.
"They shan't have the laugh on me," he argued. "It's back to the ranch
or nothing!"
Dave steered the best course he could for the corral, but with nothing
to guide him he did not know if he was moving exactly in the right
direction or not. He kept on, with his eyes trying to look beyond the
wide-stretching prairies.
Presently he saw in the distance what looked to be a row of low
buildings. He headed in that direction, and then saw that the objects
were moving towards him.
"They can't be buildings, for buildings don't move like that," he mused.
"Must be cattle, or horses. Cattle, most likely."
To avoid the cattle, he turned slightly southward. But the animals kept
coming closer, and now he saw that they were running in something of a
semicircle.
"Can anything be wrong with them?" he asked himself, and watched the
approaching herd with interest. The bronco, too, pricked up his ears,
and gave a sudden snort of alarm.
Then to Dave's ears came the thunder of the herd's hoofs, and he saw
that the cattle were on a mad run. He drew rein and stood up in his
stirrups.
The sight that met his gaze was truly alarming. At least a thousand head
of steers were coming toward him, running swiftly, and with their horns
bent low.
"They have stampeded!" he gasped. "And they are coming straight this
way! What shall I do to escape them?"