the sheriff, as well as to people generally, his story of killin g a man in a remote canyon and then finding his body in his own cabin would seem to o utterly fantastic.
Deliberately, he forced his thoughts away from that. First there were the contests.
Each thing in its own time.
The next event was bareback bronc riding, then came steer wrestling and bull riding.
After that, the finals in calf roping. Four men would compete in the finals: Cas s Webster from Prescott and Tony Sandoval from Buffalo, Wyoming, besides Bart Lub y and himself.
Bareback bronc riding was a speciality of Rowdy's, and he took a fighting first , riding Catamount, a wicked devil of a horse. Luby took second, with Webster a clos e third. Luby won the steer wrestling, beating Rowdy by two fifths of a second. Sandoval , the Wyoming rider, won the bull riding, and again Rowdy took a second, with Lub y a third.
Sweating and weary, he walked slowly back to the corrals at the day's end. Tomorro w would decide it, but he was ahead of Luby so far....
Morning came, and the air was electric with expectancy. Even the other contestant s eyed Rowdy thoughtfully as he strolled quietly down to the stables. Silverside nickere d softly as he came up, and Rowdy Horn stopped to talk to the horse as it nuzzled hi m under his arm with a delicate nose.
Cass Webster stopped nearby.
"This killin' stuff don't go with me, boy," he said quietly. "I don't savvy thi s fuss, but you stack up A-One where I stand." He ground his cigarette into the dust.
"Luby washed himself out with me down to White Rock last year. He's dirty, Horn.
You keep your eyes open."
"Thanks," said Rowdy.
His attention had turned from the cowboy and was centered on Vaho Rainey, who wa s walking toward him, followed by the admiring glances of everyone.
"We've visitors," she said, "so be careful what you say." His frown was puzzled.
"I don't get it," he protested. "You will ... Look!"
As she spoke, he turned his head. A small group of Indians was approaching. The firs t was old Cleetus, and the others were all men of his tribe, except one. That one , carefully concealed by a blanket, was Cochino!
"Glad to see you here," Rowdy told the Indians sincerely. "Very glad. If there' s anything I can do, tell me."
They looked at Silverside, and talked in low tones.
"They were here yesterday, too," Vaho whispered. "They watched you ride."
Suddenly, Cochino spoke to the girl, swiftly, with gestures. Her eyes brightene d and she turned quickly.
"Oh, Rowdy! He says you can keep the horse! He is a present to you!"
"Good glory!" Beside himself with excitement and delight, he could scarcely fin d words. "But what'll I say? What can I give him?"
"Nothing. That is-well, he asks only one thing." Vaho was blushing furiously.
"What is it? Whatever it is, I'll do it!" "I-can't tell you now. Later."
She quickly hurried away, and the old Indian chuckled. Cleetus smiled, showing broke n teeth, but his eyes were grimly humorous.
An even bigger crowd swelled the arena to overflowing, and men crowded every availabl e space. Pete Drago and his Demon Riders did their trick riding, their efforts augmente d by the clowns, some of them rivaling Drago's amazing riders for sheer ability an d thrills. The chuck wagon race followed, and an exhibition with bullwhips.
By the time the finals in the calf roping came around, Rowdy Horn was up on Silversid e and ready. This time he was following Bart Luby. The piggin' strings he kept in Silverside' s stall were checked, and he brought them out ready for the tie. Momentarily, he drape d them around the saddle horn, and at a call from Wells, walked over to him.
"Soon's this event is over," the sheriff said, "I want to se e you. Rowdy nodded grimly. "Sure," he said, "I'll look you up. I t was mighty fine of you to give me this chance, Ben, and I'll be ready to go bac k to jail."
Despite that, his heart was heavy as he walked back to his horse and swung into th e saddle.
Deliberately, he forced his thoughts away from that. First there were the contests.
Each thing in its own time.
The next event was bareback bronc riding, then came steer wrestling and bull riding.
After that, the finals in calf roping. Four men would compete in the finals: Cas s Webster from Prescott and Tony Sandoval from Buffalo, Wyoming, besides Bart Lub y and himself.
Bareback bronc riding was a speciality of Rowdy's, and he took a fighting first , riding Catamount, a wicked devil of a horse. Luby took second, with Webster a clos e third. Luby won the steer wrestling, beating Rowdy by two fifths of a second. Sandoval , the Wyoming rider, won the bull riding, and again Rowdy took a second, with Lub y a third.
Sweating and weary, he walked slowly back to the corrals at the day's end. Tomorro w would decide it, but he was ahead of Luby so far....
Morning came, and the air was electric with expectancy. Even the other contestant s eyed Rowdy thoughtfully as he strolled quietly down to the stables. Silverside nickere d softly as he came up, and Rowdy Horn stopped to talk to the horse as it nuzzled hi m under his arm with a delicate nose.
Cass Webster stopped nearby.
"This killin' stuff don't go with me, boy," he said quietly. "I don't savvy thi s fuss, but you stack up A-One where I stand." He ground his cigarette into the dust.
"Luby washed himself out with me down to White Rock last year. He's dirty, Horn.
You keep your eyes open."
"Thanks," said Rowdy.
His attention had turned from the cowboy and was centered on Vaho Rainey, who wa s walking toward him, followed by the admiring glances of everyone.
"We've visitors," she said, "so be careful what you say." His frown was puzzled.
"I don't get it," he protested. "You will ... Look!"
As she spoke, he turned his head. A small group of Indians was approaching. The firs t was old Cleetus, and the others were all men of his tribe, except one. That one , carefully concealed by a blanket, was Cochino!
"Glad to see you here," Rowdy told the Indians sincerely. "Very glad. If there' s anything I can do, tell me."
They looked at Silverside, and talked in low tones.
"They were here yesterday, too," Vaho whispered. "They watched you ride."
Suddenly, Cochino spoke to the girl, swiftly, with gestures. Her eyes brightene d and she turned quickly.
"Oh, Rowdy! He says you can keep the horse! He is a present to you!"
"Good glory!" Beside himself with excitement and delight, he could scarcely fin d words. "But what'll I say? What can I give him?"
"Nothing. That is-well, he asks only one thing." Vaho was blushing furiously.
"What is it? Whatever it is, I'll do it!" "I-can't tell you now. Later."
She quickly hurried away, and the old Indian chuckled. Cleetus smiled, showing broke n teeth, but his eyes were grimly humorous.
An even bigger crowd swelled the arena to overflowing, and men crowded every availabl e space. Pete Drago and his Demon Riders did their trick riding, their efforts augmente d by the clowns, some of them rivaling Drago's amazing riders for sheer ability an d thrills. The chuck wagon race followed, and an exhibition with bullwhips.
By the time the finals in the calf roping came around, Rowdy Horn was up on Silversid e and ready. This time he was following Bart Luby. The piggin' strings he kept in Silverside' s stall were checked, and he brought them out ready for the tie. Momentarily, he drape d them around the saddle horn, and at a call from Wells, walked over to him.
"Soon's this event is over," the sheriff said, "I want to se e you. Rowdy nodded grimly. "Sure," he said, "I'll look you up. I t was mighty fine of you to give me this chance, Ben, and I'll be ready to go bac k to jail."
Despite that, his heart was heavy as he walked back to his horse and swung into th e saddle.
Similar Books
