a signal to the judges that the brute was
"bulldogged." But the fight had been too hard for him to win first
place. Buck Wade, a lanky cow-puncher from Montana, in three seconds
less time, had thrown a brindle Anchor-O steer and taken first money.

* * * * *

Before the sun dipped into the Costejo peaks the Ramblin' Kid left the
Rodeo and returned alone to the Quarter Circle KT. He told Parker and
the cowboys, all of whom intended to remain in Eagle Butte every night
during the Rodeo, that he would be back in town the next afternoon and
bring with him the Gold Dust maverick. Word had been passed among the
Quarter Circle KT crowd to keep Dorsey and his bunch in the dark as long
as possible regarding the fact that the filly, Ophelia, was the famous
outlaw mare of the lower Cimarron.

After supper Parker, Chuck, Bert and Charley drifted into the Elite
Amusement Parlor. The place was crowded. Mike Sabota immediately singled
out the Quarter Circle KT group and began jollying them about the coming
two-mile sweepstakes. Dorsey and Flip Williams had been in the pool-room
earlier in the evening and told him of the Ramblin' Kid's entry of the
filly against the Thunderbolt horse.

Within ten minutes Bert and Charley had placed two hundred and fifty
dollars each against five hundred of Sabota's money that the Vermejo
stallion would not finish in first place in the big race.

Old Judge Ivory, who happened to be present, was agreed upon as
stake-holder.

"That Thunderbolt horse, he is the devil," Sabota laughed evilly as the
money was handed over to the gray-haired judge. "And Satan, he takes
care of his own!"

"Well!" Parker drawled, "if you feel inclined to send any more money to
hell I might help you--" pulling a wad of bills from his pocket and
throwing the certificates on the soft-drink bar at which they were
standing.

Sabota's eyes gleamed greedily.

"I think there's two thousand in this roll," Parker continued, "and I'm
willing to bet it all that the Ramblin' Kid's filly not only goes under
the wire first in the two-mile run, but that she'll be kicking dirt in
old Thunderbolt's face--if he ain't too damned far behind--when she does
it!"

The Greek covered the wager eagerly.

As Judge Ivory pocketed the money Dorsey and Flip Williams stepped into
the pool-room. Sabota glanced up.

"These Quarter Circle KT _hombres_ are getting bad," he laughed
sneeringly to Dorsey; "they think th'