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Helene wrung her hands in a frenzy as she watched their futile efforts Wallie always carried a rope on his saddle, why didn't he use it? Was he afraid? Couldn't he? She felt a swift return of her old contempt for him Was he only a "yellow-back" cowpuncher after all, underneath his Western regalia? Mo his brave appearance he was as useless in a crisis like this as Canby Pinkey was more of a man than either of them He would stop that steer somehow if he had only his pocketknife to do it Her lip curled disdainfully for she had an innate contempt of impotency and failure

She cried out sharply as Aunt Lizzie stu Between exhaustion and terror that paralyzed her she was unable to get up, though she tried The steer, fla-eyed, was now less than fifty yards frorow nauseated She meant to close her eyes when it happened She had seen a horse gored to death by a bull and it was a sight she did not wish to see repeated

Canby in advance of Wallie was a little ahead of the steer, slapping at it with his bridle-reins, Wallie behind had been crowding its shoulder But nothing could divert it from its purpose

Helene was about to turn her head ahen she saw Wallie lay the reins on his horse's neck and lean froh Helene's oing to try that!" And added in a frightened whisper: "He can't do it! He can never do it!"

Wallie's horse, which had been running at the steer's shoulder, ed a little, so that the distance between thely impossible For a second he rode with his arrew rigid as she saw hi that it seemed as if it were not humanly possible more than to touch the shortso, while the steer's speed increased rather than slackened First with one hand and then the other he worked his way to a grip on the horns, which hat he wanted

The steer stopped to fight hihed up the dirt as it braced the one, raw-boned, leggy, a typical old-tie it put forth all the strength of which it was capable