Part 15 (1/2)

CHAPTER XII

AFTER THE RUSTLERS

”Rough riding,” as it is called, made up more than half the fun the cowboys indulged in among themselves. There has, of late years, been so much of this done in public, in traveling ”wild west” shows, and in exhibitions of some features of the _rodeo_ in New York and other large cities, that I believe most of you are familiar with the feats of cowboys on these trained and untrained ”broncks,” or outlaw horses--”mankillers” some of them are dubbed.

I might say that there are two cla.s.ses of this rough riding. One is the real thing, on horses or cow ponies that are naturally bad, and never can be broken or trained to behave. The other is on what might be called ”professional buckers.” That is, horses which have trained to try and unseat their riders as long as they are expected to do this.

I venture to say most of you have seen exhibitions of rough riding in a wild west, traveling show, or in some _rodeo_, as an imitation round-up is called after its Spanish t.i.tle. And most of you, I believe, have been impressed with the fact that as soon as the man got off the back of the bucking steed the said steed became as gentle as a lamb. This is what those that are trained to it do purposely, but it is not what a real dyed-in-the-wool outlaw does. For he does not let up in his attack on the man even after the latter is out of the saddle.

Perhaps some of you, at a rodeo, have seen a rider come bursting out of the pen on the back of a rearing, bucking, leaping steed. After the first burst two cowboys would ride up, one on either side of the bucker, and take off, on their own stirrups or saddle the fearless rider. And then the so-called ”outlaw” would let himself be led meekly back into the pen to be ready for the next performance, when it would all be gone through with again.

But occasionally you may have seen one of these horses lash out viciously with his heels, in an endeavor to kick anyone he could reach, not even excluding his fellow steeds. This is a specimen of a real outlaw, who never lets up in his fight against man. But few of these horses are taken about in a traveling show. They are too dangerous.

However, the two that were fenced off in the corral at North Station were of the real ”bad” variety. They had been partly tamed, but their tempers had been spoiled and they were really dangerous to approach.

Hence they were confined in a small s.p.a.ce, and not allowed out.

However, cowboys are by nature reckless, and to them bucking horses are but a source of amus.e.m.e.nt and rivalry. Each cowboy thinks he can ride some steed no one else can mount. And for the purpose of contests or exhibitions, to relieve the monotony of ”riding range,” there are facilities for saddling and bridling these horses without danger to those doing it.

This method consists of putting the horse in a long narrow place like a stall in a stable, through the bars of which the boys can reach in, throw on the saddle and tighten it. Then a rider can climb into the saddle over the top rail of the fence and at a signal a gate can be opened, allowing the maddened steed to rush out.

Then the fun begins.

”I'm goin' t' ride!” yelled Snake.

”Take th' big one then,” advised Sam. ”He ain't quite so bad as th'

other.”

”I want th' meanest one!” insisted Snake, ”an' if it's th' smallest I'll ride him!”

”Better not!” advised the foreman, but Snake was not to be persuaded against it. And the other cowboys, scenting fun, were not very anxious to have Snake change his mind.

Accordingly some of the men who had handled Red Pepper before--Red Pepper being the name of the horse--arranged to get a saddle on him, and to slip a sort of bridle over his head. But he had no bit, for it was as much as a man's hands were worth to try and force the bar of steel between the teeth of this outlaw.

”Now you watch me!” cried Snake when, after hard work, the saddle had been strapped on and pulled tight. ”I'm goin' t' fan him.”

I might explain that it is considered cowboy ethics to ride with only one hand on the reins, whether a bit is used or not, and in the other hand, usually the left, the cowboy carries his hat with which he hits the steed on either side of the neck, ”fanning him,” it is called. And no rough rider would ever think of sitting on the worst bucker in the world without thus riding with one hand and ”fanning” with the other.

Meanwhile, of course, he keeps up a wild whooping sound, just to show his spirits.

The feeling of a man on his back--a feeling he hates, the wild whooping, the jab of the spurs and the flapping hat around his head serves further to madden the bucker and it is a wonder any human being can stay on his back a second. Yet cowboys do, and ride until they are tired of the sport.

”Are you ready?” called the cowboys who had saddled the ”mankiller,” as Sam dubbed the small horse.

”Let him out!” yelled Snake.

The fastenings of the gate were loosed and out rushed the animal with the cowboy bobbing about on his back. Red Pepper seemed a whirlwind of fury. He rushed forward, his nose almost touching the ground, and then he began to go up in the air. Up he would leap, coming down with all four legs held stiff and his back arched, to shake, if it were possible, Snake from the saddle. The cowboy rose in his stirrups to take the shock as much as possible from his frame, and with a yell, began ”fanning” Red Pepper.

This added to the fury of the beast, and it fairly screamed in rage and, reaching back, tried to bite Snake's legs. But they were protected by heavy leather ”chaps,” and the animal soon realized this.

He now began leaping sideways, a form of bucking that often unseats a rider, but Snake was proof against this. And all the while the animal was das.h.i.+ng around the larger corral, on the fence of which sat the boy ranchers and their friends, watching this cowboy fun. As they watched they laughed and called such remarks as: