No sooner had they cleared each other, however, than the cowboy pulled up his horse sharply, wheeled and dashed after the Pony Rider Boy.
Tad, having foreseen the movement, had likewise stopped his mount, and turned about. But instead of spurring on, he stood still.
The cowboy had hoped to come up behind Tad and rope him as he raced away. He was slightly disconcerted when he noted Tad"s position. But the smiling face of the boy angered him, and the cowman"s rope squirmed through the air.
Tad ducked, allowing the lariat to shoot on over him. It fell harmlessly on the other side of his pony and a quick pressure of the spurs took boy and pony from under it.
With a "yip-yip" Tad rushed at his opponent. The latter had had no time to gather in his own lariat, but he began shortening it up intending to swing it from where it lay on the ground.
His opponent gave him no time for this.
Tad made a quick cast. The cowboy threw himself to one side, but the loop of the lariat that had been thrown true reached his broad sombrero, neatly snipping it from his head.
The spectators uttered a yell of approval. They shook out their revolvers, sending a rattling volley up into the air.
Tad Butler had scored first.
His opponent was angered almost beyond control. That a mere boy could thus outwit him, which Tad had neatly done, was too much for his fiery temper.
With a growl of rage he drove his horse straight at the lad. It was plain that it was the fellow"s intention to ride him down, which Tad circ.u.mvented by standing still until the man was nearly upon him, and then driving his pony out of the path of the oncoming horseman.
Each began a series of manoeuvres, the purpose of which was to place the rider behind his opponent, but each proved too wary to be caught in any such way.
The contest was growing hotter every moment, and the spectators were getting worked up to a high pitch of excitement. They had never seen a more interesting roping exhibition than this, and that a boy was one of the contestants gave their enthusiasm an added zest.
The two were, by this time, working far out on the field. Tad realized this and sought to get back nearer to their starting point.
He did not, however, understand that his adversary had any object in getting so far away, though the man had a distinct purpose in so doing, as Tad eventually learned.
The foreman was shouting a warning to them, which Tad tried to heed, although his adversary prevented his doing so by blocking the way each time.
Whenever the opportunity presented itself the cowboy would b.u.mp his pony violently against the one that Tad Butler was riding, in an effort either to so jar the boy that he could rope him or else possibly to unhorse the lad.
"See here, you stop that!" shouted Tad after the third attempt. "What are you trying to do to me?"
"I"ll show you, you freckle-faced tenderfoot!" yelled the cowboy, making a vicious rush. At the same time his rawhide shot out.
Tad narrowly missed being caught that time, and in turn the cowboy was nearly caught by Tad"s loop. A lucky sweep of his arm brushed I the lariat away not a second too soon.
Tad observing that his adversary, who was about to cast again, had him at a dangerous advantage, threw himself down on the side of the pony"s neck. Both animals were running almost neck and neck at the moment.
With a whoop the cowboy let go. His loop closed around the boy"s ankle which from his position on the pony"s side, was sticking well up in the air. Tad"s opponent, suddenly braced his pony, while the boy"s mount raced straight ahead.
The result of this move was that Tad Butler was torn from his saddle, fetching away the stirrup box on one side with him. He struck the ground violently, and for a moment lay still, while the cowboy sat grinning, making no effort to learn how badly his adversary was hurt.
The foreman and several others were rushing to the scene. By the time they reached it, Tad was scrambling to his feet.
"I roped the kid," announced the cowboy, as if it were all finally settled.
"You roped me by the foot," retorted Tad.
"Yes, that was a foul," said the foreman. "I saw it myself. How"d you come to do that, Bob?"
"Mistake," answered the cowboy, thus admitting that they were right.
Tad turned on him sharply.
"Did you say it was a mistake?" he asked with a world of meaning in his tone.
"We will award the prize to you, Butler," announced the owner of the ranch. "That"s the usual way when a foul has been committed."
The cowboy glowered angrily.
"I couldn"t think of accepting it, Mr. Jessup," answered Tad, straightening to his full height. "I"ll go on with the contest, but he mustn"t do that to me again or there will be trouble."
Some of them laughed at the boy"s veiled threat.
"There certainly will be trouble," agreed Mr. Jessup--"trouble with me. I want you two to keep up the field further so we can see what is going on. Are you hurt, boy?"
"Shaken up a little that"s all. Guess my saddle was worse used than I was."
The contestants lined up for another bout, amid the most intense excitement. So closely had the spectators gathered about them that the ropers had no room in which to work, and the foreman found it necessary to urge them back before giving the word to start.
The Pony Rider Boys could scarcely contain themselves. They, too, were worked up to a high pitch of excitement. But Tad Butler, dirty, with clothes torn and grimy, appeared to be the coolest one in the crowd. If he was angry no one would have imagined it from the pleasant expression of his face and almost laughing eyes.
"All ready! Go!"
They went at each other again, the cowboy ferociously--Tad easily, but keenly on the alert, narrowly watching every move of his opponent.
Round and round circled the pair, neither making an effort to cast for at least ten minutes, ducking, side stepping, or as near to this latter as a pony could get, and with movements much like those of boxers in a ring.
The crowd was offering advice and suggestions freely, but both men turned a deaf ear to all of this. Their whole beings were centered on the work in hand.
Once both men cast and their lariats locked, the cowboy"s loop having slipped over Tad"s.
The foreman called a halt while he untied the tangle. The instant this had been accomplished, Tad drew in his with one hand, coiling it at the pony"s side.
"Remember, I haven"t called time," warned the foreman. "You are still roping."
Tad knew that, but he did not wish to take an unfair advantage.
The cowboy looked up with a startled expression on his face, but nodded and began hauling in his rope when he noted that Tad was making no move.
His rope was in.
"All ready," he said.
So was Tad. The boy"s lariat shot gracefully through the air, landing neatly over the cowman"s shoulders where it was quickly jerked taut before the other fully realized what had happened.