LET 'ER BUCK 



courageous effort for the throw. Missed! the steer 

 is as crafty as the man and changes the position of his 

 body. He now has the man on the defensive. 



Look! the man has worked his steer to the same 

 position a second time, and now to the surprise of the 

 great crowd the steer has suddenly dropped — thrown 

 from its feet. Bleachers and grandstand now go wild. 



"Stay with 'im cowboy!" "Bite 'im lip!" encour- 

 agingly yip and whoop the vast throng. But too soon ! 

 The steer is again up — and coming. Before Hunter 

 could take advantage of the fall, his hold was broken. 

 His position is now critical for he is off his feet and 

 being dragged. But Hunter's life on the range, 

 coupled with his superb army training, come into obvi- 

 ous play. Though weakened, he is undaunted. Again 

 he grabs the horns, but this time to save himself from 

 being gored. He is even forced to wrap his body 

 about the fighting brute's head and in this grim grip 

 the fighting demon dashes the cowboy-soldier into the 

 fence in a vicious effort to crush him. 



Whack! Crack! Splinter! but the soldier stays. 

 In a supreme effort he half rises and attempts another 

 throw but now slips again under the onrush of the 

 horned devil. With strength failing fast, he makes a 

 last but futile effort to regain his feet, an almost im- 

 possible act when once way down and the steer mov- 

 ing forward. Hanging by the horns, he is dragged a 

 full quarter of the way around the track; again and 

 again the heavy brute, gouges and bruises as he treads 

 him with his sharp hoofs. 



It is a grim fight : but the soldier still refuses to 

 release his hold. Now hanging on to a single horn 

 only, utterly exhausted, clothes torn and body cut, the 

 steer with a final, vicious, side swipe flings him off. 



158 



