THE ROUND-UP 



Caldwell is jerked violently forward, and to prevent 

 being unbalanced, is allowing the rope to slide through 

 his hand. See it go — a full foot and a half. Wrench ! 

 Good, the snubbing rope is free. He is readjusting his 

 hold by taking up the slack with the weakened grip of 

 two fingers of his broken arm. The sudden release 

 from the snubbing rope makes old Tom throw his nose 

 skyward more than usual — an old trick of this bucker 

 — and gives Lee more slack than he wants, which when 

 now taken up gives him too short a hold. 



All this occurs while the horse's forequarters are in 

 the air, and during this first jump Caldwell has not 

 only adjusted the rope, but has pulled off his hat with 

 which he now fans him, gripping it with the two fing- 

 ers of his broken right forearm. 



"Look out cowboy when he comes down," yells an 

 old buckaroo beside you. 



With hindquarters snapped up, old Tom now puts 

 his head earthward, at the same time giving one of 

 his peculiarly violent kicks, his eyes show white, down 

 he comes ker-plunk. Caldwell already pulled and held 

 forward to the front part of the saddle, is now thrown 

 violently against the saddle horn. Crack! goes the 

 boy's breast bone, and breaks three inches above the 

 point, knocking the wind clear out of him. 



"Will he stay with 'im?" His breath is gone — his 

 head swims — stars shoot — everything cants in a swirl 



of blue For a fraction of a moment he seems 



to be gone. If you know Caldwell you know if he is 

 going to fall, he'll reason he cannot strike any harder 

 by scratching old Tom, besides he knows he will be 

 making a real ride when he hits the dirt. See! he's 

 letting 'er buck now for all there is in it ! 



"Stay with 'im, Lee!" came the old cry, as Long 

 215 



