is awe of man. Some miners
passing saw the dust as the conflict waged in the yard. They hastened
in to witness the show. Then from everywhere in town they appeared to
pour upon the scene. The word went around that the thing was a
bet--and more came running to the scene.

Meantime, Suvy was rocketing madly all over the place. Chasing a
couple of cows that roamed at large, charging at a monster pile of
household furnishings, barely avoiding the feed-trough, set in the
center of the place, scattering men in all directions, and raising a
dust like a concentrated storm, the broncho waxed more and more hot in
the blood, more desperately wild to fling his rider headlong through
the air. But still that rider clung.

Van had lost all sense save that of worry, love for his horse, and
desire to see him win this vital struggle. A wild passion for Suvy's
response to himself--for a proving love in the broncho's
being--possessed his nature. He leaned far forward, awkwardly,
following Suvy about.

"I'm ashamed of you, Suvy!" he began to cry. "Suvy! Suvy, where's
your pride? Why don't you do him, boy? Why don't you show them?
Where's your pride? My boy! my boy!--don't you love me any more?
You're a baby, Suvy! You're a baby!" He paused for a moment,
following still and watching narrowly. "Suvy! Suvy! You're gone if
you let him ride you, lad! If you love me, boy, don't break my heart
with shame!"

Suvy and a hundred men heard his wild, impassioned appeal. The men
responded as if in some pain of the heart they could not escape, thus
to see Van Buren so completely wrapped up in his horse. Then some all
but groaned to behold the bucking cease.

It seemed as if Suvy had quit. The man in the saddle eased.

"Boy!" yelled Van, in a shrill, startling cry that made the pony
shiver. He had seen some sign that no one but himself could
understand. "Boy! not that! not that!"

Already Suvy had started to rise, to drop himself backwards on his
rider.

He heard and obeyed. He went up no more than to half his height, then
seemed to be struck by a cyclone. Had all the frightful dynamic of an
earthquake abruptly focused in his being, the fearful convulsion of his
muscles could scarcely have been greater. It was all so sudden, so
swift and terrible, that no man beheld how it was done. It was simply
a mad delirium of violence, begun and ended while one tumultuous
shudder shook the crowd.

Everyone saw something loose