"Oh, we are going to lose!" said Belle, with a pout, as the leaders in the race started on the return. "No! no!" answered Dave. "See, Sid Todd is coming to the front." "Yes, and Yates is crawling up, too," added Phil. Nearer and nearer to the finish line swept the cowboys, those in the rear doing their best to forge ahead. Now Sid Todd, Yates, and two cowboys from the Hooper ranch were neck-and-neck. "It will be a tie," murmured Laura. "No, Todd is gaining!" cried Mr. Endicott, who was as much excited as anybody. "See, he and Hooper's man are now ahead!" "Here they come, on the homestretch!" was the general cry. On and on thundered the horses, nearer and nearer to the finishing line. When the leaders were less than fifty yards off Sid Todd made a spurt. "Here comes Todd!" "Todd wins! Todd wins!" "Galpey is second!" "Yes, and Yates is third!" "Say, that's riding for you!" And so the cries rang out. Sid Todd had indeed won, and all of his friends from Star Ranch congratulated him. The second prize went to the cowboy from the Hooper ranch. Yates got nothing, but was content to know that he had come in third and only five yards behind the leader. "Well, that certainly was an entertainment worth looking at," said Dave, when it was over, and they were returning to the ranch house. "I've never been so stirred up," answered Roger. "But, say, I am going to try one of those broncos to-morrow," he added. "Not for me!" said Phil. "I value my neck too much." "What about you, Dave?" And the senator's son looked anxiously at the Crumville lad. "Well, I'll see," answered Dave. He was not afraid to try riding a bronco, but he did not wish to worry Jessie and his sister. "You are not afraid, are you?" "No." "Well, I am not afraid, either," came quickly from Phil, and his face grew red. "You needn't think----" "Oh, don't get mad, Phil; I didn't mean anything," interposed Roger. "If you don't care to try it, you don't have to." "But you needn't insinuate that I----" "I am not insinuating anything, Phil. I merely wanted to know if Dave will try riding with me, that's all." "Well, I--er--I know what you think. And if you try this bronco-busting business, why--I'll try it too, so there!" answered Phil, defiantly. At the house the talk was entirely of the things they had seen. Jessie was rather glad it was over, for rough things made her somewhat afraid. Belle was enthusiastic and said she had once tried "bronco-busting" herself. "But I didn't do much," she said. "The pony started to run and then stopped suddenly, and I went over his head into a stack of hay. I was glad the hay was there, otherwise I might have broken some of my bones." "It is dangerous sport at the best," said Mrs. Endicott. "But the cowboys feel that the ponies must be broken in, and there is no other way to do it." CHAPTER XXIII DAVE ON A BRONCO