rack bucking and
lashing out with undiminished vigor.

Dan staggered to his feet, stunned and bleeding. He swore most terrible
oaths that he would ride that wall-eyed brute if it took a year.

"You've had your turn. It was a fair fight," called Kelly.

"Who's the next ambitious man?" shouted Haney.

"I don't want no truck with that," said the cowboys among themselves.

"Not in a place like this," said Jimmy. "A feller's liable to get mashed
agin a fence."

Mose stood with hands gripping a post, his eyes thoughtful. Suddenly he
threw off his coat.

"I'll try him," he said.

"Oh, I don't think you'd better; it'll bung you all up," cautioned
Reynolds.

Mose said in a low voice: "I'm good for him, and I need that money."

"Let him breathe awhile," called the crowd as the broncho was brought
back, lariated as before. "Give him a show for his life."

Mose muttered to Reynolds: "He's due to bolt, and I'm going to quirt him
a-plenty."

The spectators, tense with joy, filled the air with advice and warning.
"Don't let him get started. Keep him away from the fence."

Mose wore a set and serious look as he approached the frenzied beast.
There was danger in this trick--a broken leg or collar bone might make
his foolhardiness costly. In his mind's eye he could foresee the
broncho's action. He had escaped down the track once, and would do the
same again after a few desperate bounds--nevertheless Mose dreaded the
terrible concussion of those stiff-legged leapings.

Standing beside the animal's shoulder he slipped off the ropes and swung
to the saddle. The beast went off as before, with three or four terrible
buck jumps, but Mose plied the quirt with wild shouting, and suddenly,
abandoning his pitching, the horse set off at a tearing pace around the
track. For nearly half way he ran steadily--then began once more to hump
his back and leap into the air.

"He's down!" yelled some one.

"No, he's up again--and Mose is there," said Haney.

The crowd, not to be cheated of their fun, raced across the oval where
the battle was still going on.

The princess was white with anxiety and ordered her coachman to "Get
there quick as God'll let ye." When she came in sight the horse was
tearing at Mose's foot with his teeth.

"Time's up!" called Haney.

"Make it ten," said Mose, whose blood was hot.

The beast dropped and rolled, but arose again under the sting of the
quirt and renewed his frenzied attack. As Mose roweled hi