FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  
I wish the others on the ranch had seen it,--they wouldn't call you tenderfeet no more!" CHAPTER XIII THE CRAZY STEER In the shade of the woods the boys rested their steeds for a few minutes, and as they did this the cowboy told them of some of the races he had seen in the past on Star Ranch. "One of the greatest races was between one o' the cowboys and an Indian named Crowfoot Joe," said the cowboy. "The Indian was sure he was going to win, but he lost by a neck. That race took place two years ago, but the boys in these parts ain't done tellin' about it yet. We had a full holiday the time it come off." "I think your horse is just as good as mine," said Dave to Roger. "But I fancy you pressed him a little too hard at the start." "He is just as good, an' so is the hoss Phil is ridin'," came from Sid Todd. "It was the ridin' did it. Dave managed his mount just right." And this open praise made the youth from Crumville blush. "Just wait till Jessie hears how he won," said the shipowner's son. "She'll weave a laurel crown for his brow and----" "Don't you say a word about it!" cried Dave, and blushed more than ever. "I didn't win by so very much, anyway." Forward the party went, through the woods, and then in the direction of the foothills beyond. The race had not hurt the horses in the least, for all of them were tough and used to hard usage. They were following a well-defined trail, but presently branched off to the southward and commenced to climb the first of the hills. "That hollow is about quarter of a mile from here," explained the cowboy. "Be careful now, or your horse will get into a hole, an' maybe break a leg." And then they went forward with added caution, into the midst of a growth of low bushes, dotted here and there with sagebrush. Presently the cowboy uttered a long, loud whistle and this was answered by somebody near the edge of the ravine. Then another ranch hand named Tom Yates showed himself. He was on foot, but his horse was tethered not far away. "Well, where are they?" asked Todd, of the other cowboy. "Where are they?" growled Tom Yates. "Where they always are when they go over, hang 'em! Say, we're going to have a fierce job this time," he added. "Why?" asked Todd. "Because that big steer--the spotted one--went over with two of the others. He got hurt a few days ago in the woods, and he's as ugly as sin because of it." "Well, we'll have to drive 'em up, sa
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82  
83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

cowboy

 

Indian

 

growth

 
horses
 
caution
 

forward

 

commenced

 

southward

 
branched
 

quarter


hollow
 

explained

 

defined

 

presently

 

careful

 

showed

 

fierce

 

Because

 
growled
 

spotted


whistle

 

answered

 

uttered

 

Presently

 

bushes

 

dotted

 

sagebrush

 

tethered

 

ravine

 

cowboys


Crowfoot

 

holiday

 
tellin
 

CHAPTER

 

wouldn

 

tenderfeet

 

rested

 
greatest
 
steeds
 

minutes


pressed

 
laurel
 

shipowner

 

blushed

 
direction
 
foothills
 

Forward

 

managed

 

Jessie

 

praise