hearin' of me that'll ride my pet."

There was a stir among the cattlemen, but still none of them moved
forward toward the great horse; and as if he sensed his victory he
raised and shook his ugly head and neighed. A mighty laugh answered that
challenge; this was a sort of "horse-humour" that great New York could
not overlook, and in that mirth even the big grey man, Drew, joined. The
laughter stopped with an amazing suddenness making the following silence
impressive as when a storm that has roared and howled about a house
falls mute, then all the dwellers in the house look to one another and
wait for the voice of the thunder. So all of New York that sat in the
long galleries of the Garden hushed its laughter and looked askance at
one another and waited. The big grey man rose and cursed softly.

For the slender young fellow in evening dress at whom the stallion had
rushed a moment before was stripping off his coat, his vest, and rolling
up the stiff cuffs of his sleeves. Then he dropped a hand on the edge of
the box, vaulted lightly into the arena, and walked straight toward the
horse.




CHAPTER II


SPORTING CHANCE

It might easily have been made melodramatic by any hesitation as he
approached, but, with a businesslike directness, he went right up to the