| Show fv 1 14 TIMS RIOE RIDE BY A it GIBSON several ears ago the bavli and williams families living on the tie missouri river in montana had a summer outing in the northern part of that state that afforded tile the oung folks a number of strange adventures adventure a both davis and williams had been trappers rappers and indian scouts in their younger days das soft as little wonder that the elder cider son BOH of each should inherit a daring spirit V tim davis and ned williama were 17 and line fine specimens specImen of well developed young men both lad had been brought up on their fathers ran ranche chese but had never beffie taken a summer recreation 1 Ifie he two families traveled in covered wagons encamping they felt tike like it for several alveral days at a time nt at points along the route alicy had been away from the ilia ranch filc fiat lileks when tim met with a novel adventure which lie he cois coca not care cam to repent repeat they were encamped on a delightful stream where gime wn wait abundant 1 I hie lie country wo will unsettled in that region at that time so the campers calli pers had everything thor own way v ay one day ilia and ald mounted their ponies which they hey had find ridden all the way behind the wagons and rode up tip a wild intricate canyon about four miles from campion round ing an abrupt curve in the canyon the boys a herd of elk feeding on the grass and bushes of the rocky both tim and ned carried canted their rifles ones but before they could venture a st ot the animals pricked up their heads and ran at a great rato rate of speed down a rocky in cline toward a deep valley alley say hay ned I 1 cried utin jim lit in an all excited tone they are alining to cairms over to von oil mountains cant we boop them pi maybe boby oft off s well don I 1 lire after ahcin or well frighten thein mo acre rc titan than we did we bial Apara tc in trying to h head had ad them said nd yes i ou ott follow around th tint thit it point 0 of rocks and ride up this arm of loftt ta I 1 canyon WL we if 11 try to come together at the licud ot of allt valley alley wore they can call reach tile the so lay n ing tim the bo it euh eich e uh lit in tending to make a deto detour tir ned on oil tile the right and ilni on the left of tile the flie ing elk tint tim mide better belter progress than lhnn lite his friend lie Ile followed the winding indingaro indin garm arm of tit the call cannon on for a till ml e when suddenly lie he came caine to a bleek bleep aiom oil ot of bolk rockie i p which it was quite impossible for hta his pony to go Dismount dismounting ilig lie he untied united the lariat front from tile the horn of vie e saddle and threw one t nd ol 01 it over the point poin of a boulder up tip tile almost I perpendicular wall sail knowing that ills his pony could be trusted to graze then them until ills his return retura by means of the ropa rop he managed of at ter many laborious attempts to draw himself to the top colling coiling his lariat around ills arm n ns s he in need it again tita tim hurried on toward tile the head of tile the valley lie ile did not know that lite hta companion had found a rougher road titan than licha lie had dand and aas as retarded by an all almott impassable trail trad creel ing swiftly along alotis tile hie edge of a bluff I 1 lint lit at last succeeded tit in reaching the head 10 1 ol of tile lie valley I 1 il kaill x ang lit himself lit self behind some eonia bushon litis licA thai clung to a ledge tint tit it jut tea led out into tile the nalley lie he peered down was lie ho aft M time little or had the ilia cak pissed on into tile the mountains lie ile list hat ened but catch no bound for bonit thile lime lie he heard snapping mapping of lit in a pine below him li heen he en light a glimpse of till hit elk moving among tile the trees it was e evident tint they licy bialt overcome a their fright its as hey ve v e walking nut not running lini quietly arev drev dri forward on oil tile the ledge and waited walt 1 rile rhe field moved leisurely in hl his dl di 1 ahe I lie leader it a liand tome buck cattle came on without habitation hebl laHon gild pause paused dl erectly under r the if on oil IV which lim lay hy concealed lie fie fingered d big rifle but did not lot aloot 1 I hate to scale braie them before ned gets here he said to himself then a noel noi el idea popped into the boys head ill do it he salil said smiling in antica potion of his friends surprise I 1 ill il lasso that fello bellou wrap tile the rope around that tree and have some sport when ned gits here 11 all unsuspicious of tits his dar ing scheme the noble elk stood beneath tile the ledge ills hla large antlers anglers almost ing the shelf iture tim lay jay noiselessly it uncoiling acol ling hla hie strong lariat allm 1 I in poised pal sed himself and let I 1 lie no noose fall directly over the animals horns the a buik jerk and before the young nimrod could secure the other end of the rope to a cedar hard by lie he wall wa violently pulled off hla his feet the next moment morne int he toppled back and fell headlong ON oer er tile the ledge lighting squarely upon the elks back nevi never r had steed a more unwilling rider but lim ilia had tunk lunt presence of mind to grasp the ilia anglers antlers and hold on while the animal plunged and reared it threw up its fore legs in a very violent manner try trying ing to dl di blodge lilt its un welcome burden the rest of the heard was considerably affected with curiosity at the re mat kable antics of their leader they paused a short time lime eed ills his movements suspiciously then seeing one of their unmistakable foes foca astride their comrades back they dashed wildly down the valley an aa if pursued ted by the whole indian race this precipitate desertion on the part of his family made tims wild steed take on fresh alarm making a terrific rush toward a thicket of pine lie he guide frantic efforts to shake or brush oft off his rider hut but tim clung citing on in terror lie was as afraid to let go for fear of being tram plod to death on tho sharp rocks by the enraged buck I 1 anding inding it impossible to tid rid himself of ills unnatural appen append dige tile elk bound ed away from lite plue pine grove dashing down a glen lie he made straight for a wile stream that flowed through the valley at that ned cattle came into view on tile the bluff above lie ile stopped arid and gaad in speechless at tin strange spectacle that met ills ight with a fierce snort the elk plunged into tile the kill lilt bri bruised alsed and ancl bleeding though I 1 alm ilm tin a hands bonds were lie to hold on the elk sara bani out on the opposite batik bank and continued at a speed down a deep catty cannon oil nearing a i wide file crevice in the rock rocky floor of 0 til the a can on tile the animal withered gi gt himself tor for a wild leap lie cleared lie ilia opening fairly wello well but his fits hind feet N ent over tile the crumb ling edge a moment just long enough to unseat ili his rider 1 1 lin lilt fell ell ten tell fatt ft t to the bottom ot of the tit crevice where here lie he lay iny hile the elk galloped madly ony down don the can camjon on carra carrying ing i a part of the broken lariat around tits ills antlers anglers when reco recovered cred ned was bend lg ing anxiously ocr mm him 1 alm I ilm I 1 tit hid hd astl slin fin nesB elii and bruises a long time after ills daring ride before tile aliey broke camp honc acner er he fully recovered but tie lie never re lights the jok when all aej of lift ills tiny say willi hm when are ott lulng holni ol ni to 10 break another elk to ald ruilt I 1 |
