cutting out."

Fortunately, the pony understood what was wanted of it, and, the moment
it had located an animal which it was desired to cut out, the pony went
at the work with a will. Tad, triumphant and warm, rode out driving a
Diamond D steer ahead of him, applying his quirt vigorously to the
animal's rump until he had landed it safely in the ranks of the main
herd.

Again and again had the boy ridden in among the cattle, seemingly taking
no account of the narrow escapes both rider and pony were having from
the sharp horns of the long-legged Mexican cattle.

One big, white fellow gave the lad more trouble than all the rest that
he had cut out, and when once Tad had run him out into the open the
perspiration was dripping from his face.

But his battle was not yet won. The steer, for some reason best known to
itself, did not wish to return to its own herd. It fought every inch of
the way, wearing down pony and rider until they were almost exhausted.

Tad Butler's blood was up, however. He set his jaw stubbornly and
plunged into the work before him.

Bob Stallings, shooting a glance in the boy's direction understood what
he had in hand, for the foreman had made the acquaintance of this same
steer himself, earlier on the drive.

The lad had worried the animal nearly to its own herd, after half an
hour's struggle, when, despite all his efforts, it broke away and dashed
back toward the mixed bunch.

"I'll get him if it's the last thing I ever do," vowed the boy.

A rawhide lariat hung from his saddle bow, and though he had practised
with the rope on other occasions, he did not consider himself an expert
with it. He had watched the cowboys in their use of it and knew how they
threw a cow with the rope.

On the spur of the moment Tad decided to use the lariat.

Lifting it in his right hand and swinging the great loop high above his
head, he dashed up to the running steer, and when near enough to take a
cast, let go of the loop.

It fell over the horns of the white animal as neatly as a cowboy could
have placed it there.

The coil ran out in a flash; yet quick as the boy was, he found himself
unable to take a hitch around the pommel of his saddle with the free
end.

The running steer straightened the rope and Tad shot from his saddle
still clinging desperately to the line.

CHAPTER VI

TAD TAKES A DESPERATE CHANCE

When the freckle-faced boy took his unexpected plunge, it chanced that
neither co