THE ROUND-UP 



But the end is not yet. Canutt and Caldwell have 

 been scheduled to ride Spitfire and P. J. Nut. No one 

 believed any man could scratch Long Tom and stay 

 on — besides the program must be carried through. 

 Spitfire, a vicious little mare, is already over there in 

 the arena. The wranglers brought her in before the 

 saddle was scarce pulled from the vanquished Long 

 Tom. Lee is still resting against the fence, but he is 

 already ordered to ride again. 



Short as the respite is, it is here in the final test 

 that his marvelous reserve strength, the conservation 

 of his splendid health due to his intelligent training, 

 tells. His recuperative reaction is immediate, and 

 although Spitfire puts in an unusually, fast, tricky 

 ride, in comparison to Long Tom, she undoubtedly 

 felt like a feather bed. Just the same, Lee feels about 

 ready to go home when he dismounts. 



Again the unexpected happens. Canutt knows he 

 has second money won. The ride on Long Tom can- 

 not be excelled. Preferring to keep what he has got, 

 which is his privilege, he withdraws his ride. 



"Then it's up to you, Lee. Ride him !" you hear the 

 judges say. 



This is too much for Drumheller, who has been 

 watching over his pal, like a cat with one kitten, and 

 his objections are energetic if not poetic. Lee pauses 

 a moment, a bit white. Then his dark eyes snap. 



"Yes, I'll ride 'im; and then you can bring out your 

 whole damn bunch and I'll ride 'em all." 



And ride 'im he does — that chunky, powerful, con- 

 centrated extract of horse meat, P. J. Nut, which if 

 you scratched a match in his ear he'd set the prairie on 

 fire. He fans him — he scrapes him — and another 

 astonishing ride is credited to the greatest living rider 



219 



