Standing beside the animal's shoulder he slipped off the ropes and swung to the saddle. The beast went off as before, with three or four terrible buck jumps, but Mose plied the quirt with wild shouting, and suddenly, abandoning his pitching, the horse set off at a tearing pace around the track. For nearly half way he ran steadily--then began once more to hump his back and leap into the air. "He's down!" yelled some one. "No, he's up again--and Mose is there," said Haney. The crowd, not to be cheated of their fun, raced across the oval where the battle was still going on. The princess was white with anxiety and ordered her coachman to "Get there quick as God'll let ye." When she came in sight the horse was tearing at Mose's foot with his teeth. "Time's up!" called Haney. "Make it ten," said Mose, whose blood was hot. The beast dropped and rolled, but arose again under the sting of the quirt and renewed his frenzied attack. As Mose roweled him he kicked with both hind feet as if to tear the cinch from his belly. He reared on his toes and fell backward. He rushed with ferocious cunning against the corral, forcing his rider to stand in the opposite stirrup, then bucked, keeping so close to the fence that Mose was forced to hang to his mane and fight him from tearing his flesh with his savage teeth. Twice he went down and rolled over, but when he arose Mose was on his back. Twice he flung himself to the earth, and the second time he broke the bridle rein, but Mose, catching one piece, kept his head up while he roweled him till the blood dripped in the dust. At last, after fifteen minutes of struggle, the broncho again made off around the track at a rapid run. As he came opposite the judge's stand Mose swung him around in a circle and leaped to the ground, leaving the horse to gallop down the track. Dusty, and quivering with fatigue, Mose walked across the track and took up his coat. "You earned your money, Mose," said Grassi, as he handed out the roll of bills. "I'll think so to-morrow morning, I reckon," replied Mose, and his walk showed dizziness and weakness. "You've had the easy end of it," said Dan. "You should have took him when I did, when he was fresh." "You didn't stay on him long enough to weaken him any," said Mose in offensive reply, and Dan did not care to push the controversy any further. "That spoils my shooting now," Mose said to Haney. "I couldn't hit the side of a mule." "Oh, you'll stiddy up after dinner." "Good boy!" called the crisp voice of Mrs. Raimon. "Come here, I want to talk with you." He could not decently refuse to go to the side of her carriage. She had with her a plain woman, slightly younger than herself, who passed for her niece. The two men who came with them were in the judge's stand.