leg, which was instantly thrown up out of reach. Then the maddened brute
rushed against the bars of the corral in an effort to crush the rider.
But again the uplifted leg foiled the maneuver, and the severe scraping
that the horse himself received took away from him all desire of
repeating that particular trick.

All this time the cowboy showed the most extreme nonchalance. If
anything, he seemed rather bored. And yet, despite his apparent
stolidity, the boys noticed that he watched his mount like a hawk and
always discounted each trick a second in advance. It was a fight between
brute strength and human intelligence and the struggle was unequal.
Barring accidents the latter was bound to win.

Like a flash the horse changed his tactics and went to the ground,
intending to roll over and crush his rider. The movement was almost too
quick to be followed by the eye. But the man was off at a bound and, when
the astonished broncho struggled to his feet, his tormentor had again
sprung on his back and was lashing him with the end of the rope that
served as a halter.

Then the pony tried his last resource. Springing into the air he came
down with all four feet held closely together. It would have jarred a
novice out of his seat at once. But the superb horsemanship of the man
on his back absorbed the shock with his tightly gripped legs as he
descended, and he settled into his seat with the lightness of a feather.

For half an hour the battle was prolonged, and, to the breathlessly
watching boys, it seemed that the daring rider escaped death a dozen
times almost by a miracle. All that they had ever seen in Wild West shows
seemed pale and weak by comparison with this fight out in the open, where