tion as he approached, but, with a businesslike directnes

dle on him, boys, a

sudden lunge and was brought to a stop only after he had dragged his sweating handlers arou

ng to do you no harm. I was only call

rolling up his left sleeve

he saddle

eyes brightened with a solution. He steppe

ed myself in my own day, but don't try your hand with my hoss. He ain't just a buckin' hoss; he's a man-killer,

considered the a

ike to try him out. Seems too bad, in a way, for a brute like that to put it over

ed with grea

d Werther, his small eye

ny Woo

's We

shook

y ra

es

kies, Woodbury. I hope I lose my thousand, but if th

er the head of the stallion, and while he stood quivering with

he sake of the game, I'll take you on for a few hundr

mass of faces, and his glance picked out and lingered for a moment on the big-shouldered figure of Drew, erect in his box. At last

you were born, I know your breed and I won't lay a penny against your money. There'

orse with a peculiarly unpleasant smile, like a pugilist co

Take off t

is shoulder: "Climb on while the climbi

lips of Woodbury. He repea

halter without giving the blinded animal a glimpse of the light; then Woodbury caught the bridle reins firmly just beneath the chin

he blinder,

, I know this hoss. The minute the blinder's off he'll up on

the cowboys. "He's goin' to

e ancient berserker seeing the first flash of swords in the mêlée. He leaped forward, jerking down on the bridle reins with all the force of his weight and his spring. The horse, caught in mid-air, as it were, came floundering down on all fours aga

ish cunning like that of an insane man, a thing that made the blood run cold to watch. He stood a moment shuddering, as if the strange truth were slowly dawning on his brute mind; then he bo

ere tasting the first thrill and terror of the combat. They saw a picture of horse and man

the other side and wrenched back the reins. With stiff-braced legs the stallion slid to a halt that flung his unbalanced rider forward along his neck. Before he could straighten him

imself back into the saddle. The end of the race was a leap into the air that would have cleared a five-bar fence, and down pitched the fighting horse on braced legs again. Woodbury's chin snapped down against his breast as though

instant a flying weight leaped through the air and landed in the saddle. The audience awoke to sound-to a dull roar of

joy. Upon his hind legs and then down on his forefeet with a sickening heartbreaking jar the stallion rocked; now he bu

rned the struggles of the stallion, he brought into play the heavy quirt which had been handed him as he mounted. Over neck and shoulders and te

ildly cheering audience the fight seemed more dubious than ever. Then, in the very centre of the arena, the stallion stopped in the midst of a t

rted forward at a clumsy stumbling trot. The thunder of the host was too hoarse for applause; they saw a victory and a def

arena to see the conqueror, for had he not vindicated unanswerably the strength of the East as compared with that of the West? Boys shouted shrilly; men shouldered each oth

y you-ten times that much for the spo

who overheard, "pol

aid Werther, "because no

de him, so I don't want

ou're right, boy. I'll

crowd, and they gave way before him as water divides under the prow

to Werther, "and back to my box. Devil t

hing shadow of the grey man and he looked up wit

ort of familiar to me. I'm asking yo

d and the two stood considering ea

then turned with a frown to work his w

hen started in pursuit, but the mob i

t his name?

"and turned down my thousand as cool as you please. I tell

terners. What

. Anthony

odb

ong with t

ly I'm a bit

expression, staring straight ahead like