THE BUCKING BRONCO
"How long do you think it will take us to get to the gold fields?" asked
Jed, of the old miner, as they jogged forward.
"It's hard to say," was the answer. "You mustn't be in too much of a
hurry. It's a good rule, in this business, to make haste slowly. You
can't make a fortune gold-hunting in one day, and you've got to save
your own strength, and that of your horse. A horse is a man's best
friend in this country."
The route to the West had been carefully laid out by Mr. Harrison, who
knew the land well. He had selected a line of march that, while it was
not the shortest, would bring them to the Montana gold fields in good
shape to start in at once with their prospecting.
For a week the travelers made fair time, stopping at night in various
small towns, where living would be cheaper than in large cities, for
their capital was limited. Nothing of note occurred, the weather was
good, and Jed and Will began to think that gold hunting, or at least the
preliminary part of it, was very much easier than farming.
"Say, I'd hate to go back now, cultivating corn in that hot field,
wouldn't you?" Jed asked his brother one afternoon, as they were jogging
slowly along.
"I certainly would, but I wouldn't mind now, if I had a drink of nice,
cold switchel."
"Me either. You don't see any signs of a spring along the road anywhere,
do you, Mr. Harrison?"
"No, and I wish I did, for the horses are pretty thirsty. But we ought
to strike one soon."
"With all that, this is easier than farming," went on Jed.
"Don't be too sure of that," cautioned the old miner. "You haven't half
begun yet."
And it was not long after this that Jed changed his mind about thinking
it was easy to hunt for gold.
"That looks like a place where there was a spring," said Will, a little
later, as they advanced around a turn in the road, and saw several
horses, with men standing beside them, halted in the shade of a big
tree.
"Guess you're right," admitted Gabe, "We're in luck."
It was a wayside spring, and the thirsty horses, scenting the water,
hastened their pace. The gold-seekers found five men gathered around the
drinking trough, into which the spring emptied through a wooden pipe.
Four of the men were middle-aged, and one was quite young. They were all
smoking, the older men using pipes, while the younger was rolling a
cigarette with one hand, an operation at which he seemed quite adept.
"Howdy, strangers," greeted Mr. Harrison genially, as he alighted from
his horse. "How's the water?"
"Nice and sweet," replied one of the men. "Come far?"
"We've done forty miles to-day."
"That's pretty good. Going far?"
"Montana."
"Montana?" exclaimed another man. "Why, that's where me and my pardner
are bound. Going to the new fields?"
Mr. Harrison nodded. There was no object in concealing their
destination, for they would soon be in the midst of the rush that always
takes place when new gold fields are discovered.
"My name's Fred Hurd," went on the man who had last spoken. "This is my
partner, John Curtin. We were in Nevada, but we went East to spend some
of our money, and managed to get rid of most of it. Now we're going to
new fields."
"My name's Gabe Harrison," said the old miner, and he introduced the two
boys, in the hearty and easy fashion that prevails in the West. The
other three men also told their names. They were Ade Bryant, the young
man who smoked cigarettes, and Tim Walsh and Bill Case.
"Are you miners, too?" asked Jed, of the latter three.
"Nope," replied Ade Bryant, with a pleasant smile. "We just got rid of a
bunch of steers, and we're going back to our ranch in Montana. My father
owns it. It's the Diamond T Ranch," he went on, giving the name of the
brand marked on all the cattle from that ranch. "Probably you've heard
of it?"
The boys shook their heads. They had not heard much of outside matters
in the quiet country village where they had lived nearly all their
lives.
"Is your father Colonel Jack Bryant?" asked Gabe suddenly.
"That's him," replied the young man eagerly. "Do you know him?"
"No, but I've heard lots about him. There ain't a finer cattleman in
these parts than Colonel Jack Bryant, and I'm glad to meet his son. Put
her there, my boy!" and the old miner extended his hand to greet the
young man.
When the horses had been watered and rested, the five men found that
they were traveling in the same direction as was Gabe and the boys.
"Well, we'll keep company, if it's agreeable to you," proposed Mr. Hurd.
"We've got plenty of grub, and we can camp together to-night."
"That suits me right down to the ground," replied Harrison, and the boys
were also pleased to have company.
As the five men remounted, to continue their journey, Will noticed that
Bill Case, the oldest of the cattlemen, was leading a small horse, tied
by a long rope to the saddle horn of his own pony.
"Do you take turns riding those horses?" asked Will, for he was fond of
animals, and a very good rider.
"No," replied Mr. Case, with a wink at his companions, which Will did
not see, "that horse is a new one I bought. He's one of the fastest in
this section, but the trouble is no one can ride him."
"Why not?" asked Will.
"Because he's got such a temper. Not exactly bad, you understand, but as
soon as any one gets on his back, he doesn't do as a decent horse
should, and carry his rider along the right way."
"I believe I could ride him," went on Will, who liked the looks of the
steed.
"Are you much of a rider?" asked the man, and again he winked at his
companions.
"Pretty fair," replied Will, who did not like to boast. The truth was,
he was the best rider around Lockport, but he did not know what was in
store for him from the innocent-looking animal that trailed along so
meekly at the saddle horn of Bill Case.
"You can try this one, if you like," went on the cattleman. "I've no
objection. In fact I'd like to see some one ride him. Maybe he'd be more
valuable then. He needs training, but I can't seem to do anything with
him."
The truth of the matter was that the horse was one of the very worst
types of "bucking broncos." That is, whenever a person got on his back
he would jump up into the air, and come down on four feet stiffly,
almost jarring the rider out of the saddle. In fact he usually did jar
him off, or, if he could not get rid of the man on his back in that way,
he had other tricks as bad as bucking.
Bill Case had bought the horse at the town where he had been with his
employer's cattle, and he was taking the animal back to the ranch,
mainly to use in cowboy sports, for a bucking bronco is not much use as
a riding steed. Bill had tried, unsuccessfully, to ride the steed, that
was all right, and gentle, as long as no one tried to get on its back.
By this time Mr. Harrison and Jed were some distance ahead. They were
interested in talking about gold strikes to the two miners, and had,
with Hurd and Curtin, unconsciously drawn away from Will, and the three
cattlemen.
"Will you let me try him?" asked the boy, as he looked at the horse. He
knew nothing of bucking broncos, though he had read about them. Still,
there was no way of telling one by merely looking at it.
"Sure thing," replied Mr. Case. "Here's a nice level stretch. You can
try him here," and he stopped, and unfastened the long rope. At the same
time he whispered to his companions: "Watch the fun now."
Will, all unaware of what was in store for him, dismounted from his own
patient, plodding horse, and approached the bronco.
"Jump right on his back," advised Bill Case. "You don't need a saddle."
He knew that the moment a saddle touched the animal's back it would
begin to buck, and that would give the "joke" away.
Will took hold of the animal's bridle, and patted the horse on the
muzzle. Then, with a quick motion, he leaped on the bronco's back.
So suddenly was it done that the animal hardly knew what to make of it.
On other occasions there had been a great fight to get a saddle on him,
and this prepared him for what was to follow. But this was a new one on
him. Still, he made up his mind, did that bronco, that he was not going
to submit to the indignity of having a person on his back. He stood
still a moment.
"Well done!" cried Bill. Then he added, in a lower tone: "Watch the fun
now, boys!"
"Get up!" exclaimed Will, striking the bronco lightly on the flank.
Instantly something happened. Gathering himself together, as if he had
wire springs in his legs, the bronco shot up into the air. Will was
taken completely by surprise, but he managed to stay on. Then the horse
came down stiffly, jarring the boy so that he thought he would shake to
pieces.
But he did not fall off. Instinctively, he gripped his legs around the
horse, and drew the reins tighter. The bronco was surprised. Usually one
"buck" was enough to unseat any rider. He would try a new plan.
Suddenly he started off at a fast gallop. By this time Will knew he was
in for it, but he was not going to give up. Gathering headway for
another leap into the air, the animal rushed on toward where Mr.
Harrison, Jed and the two miners were. Then, coming to a sudden stop,
the animal launched himself upward. This time, when he came down
stiffly, with his head between his fore legs, Will lost his grip. He was
jarred off, and fell to the ground, his head striking heavily, and
rendering him unconscious.