CHAPTER II.
THE STRANGE ACTIONS OF JUPITER.
"Hello! what ails Billie and his mount now?" burst out Adrian, as thefat chum went flying past, with Jupiter acting like a crazy thing,stopping short every little while to "buck," and leap, and dance wildly,after which he would go off again like the wind.
They started their own bronchos along at a lively pace in order to keepBillie in sight, at least.
"Looks like Jupiter might have suddenly gone back to his old waysagain," remarked Donald; "and I don't know that I ever saw him carry onjust like that, even when he used to give every broncho-buster on therange the time of his life trying to break him in."
"But Billie sticks like glue!" declared Adrian; "look at him, would you,when the pony nearly stands on his silly head? If Billie never didanother thing he's shown us that he comes of a race of riders, that'ssure. Chances are that boy at the stable wondered how such a fat fellowever could keep in his saddle when on a lively broncho."
Donald made no reply. Perhaps these words had set him to thinking; or itmight be he was so taken up with watching the frantic evolutions of therunaway pony just then that he could not spare the time for talking.
Meanwhile Billie was having what he would call a "warm session" with hismount. He tried to soothe Jupiter with caressing words, but for a wonderthey seemed to have no effect; for if anything the beast only acteduglier than before.
Discovering this Billie changed his tactics. Believing that it was onlya return of Jupiter's old vicious nature, he was now determined to givehim a treatment similar to those that had in the past proved sosalutory.
"Well, if you just feel like you _must_ go and run away with me," hemuttered between his set teeth, "I'll help things along the best I knowhow. I'll try and give you something to run for, you crazy thing!"
With that he brought his quirt down upon the flank of the pony withdecided emphasis. As a rule he seldom had need to let Jupiter feel thesting of the lash, as the animal was a "willing goer," and ready to"break his heart" as Billie said, in carrying that heavy weight along asrapidly as the others could gallop.
Of course when he felt the cut of the quirt, brought down with all thevigor of Billie's stout arm, the pony no longer stopped to try andunseat his rider. He seemed to know that that was no longer possible;and accordingly he went dashing off at a mad pace that would necessitatethe other chums urging their mounts on to do their level best, unlessthey wished to be distanced in the race.
So they went careering madly over the level prairie, with Billieleading, far in the van. The others managed to keep close enoughtogether to exchange occasional remarks; and as they were constantlygrowing more curious concerning this strange freak of the broncho, itcan be understood that they did more or less talking.
"You don't think Billie can be at fault in any way for this suddenoutbreak, do you, Donald?" Adrian queried.
"I don't see how he could," came the reply. "The horse was acting mightyqueer when our pard first laid hands on the saddle. I noticed him jumpjust like he used to in the old days. Seems like he might have had asudden return of that crazy spirit. The boys used to say it'd come backto him some day or other, and warned Billie never to fully trustJupiter."
"But the broncho has been acting more than halfway decent for a longtime now," Adrian went on to say, as he galloped swiftly along, keepinga wary eye out for gopher holes, because he did not want to take chanceswith a broken neck by being suddenly pitched over the head of his mount;"and I really began to believe he'd never go back on Billie, for heseemed to have grown to love his master."
"You can never tell what a broncho will do," replied Donald, with hislong experience as a guide; for he was a genuine prairie boy, much ofhis life having been spent on a cattle ranch; in fact he was eveneducated at home by his mother, who had once been a very clever teacherin a Chicago high school before marrying Mr. Mackay.
"Yes, they come of a wild race, and sometimes seem to feel a touch ofthe old free spirit that their ancestors enjoyed when they ran wild overthe plains!" Adrian called out; for they had to raise their voices whilespeeding along at such a pace.
Billie kept lashing his mount furiously. It was the only method wherebya stubborn spirit in a pony could be subdued. The animal is to be taughtthat he has a master on his back, and that he must conform to the willof the rider, whether it is to run like the wind, or pull up. The firstthing a broncho-buster does is to drive this idea well into the mind ofhis mount by whipping him constantly until he is fain to draw up whenthe lines begin to pull, from utter exhaustion. And after this seed hasbegun to take root it is comparatively easy to make an indelibleimpression by starting him off again with the quirt, and the spurs, topull him in from time to time until the lesson is well learned, never tobe forgotten.
And Billie was doing the only thing left to him by whipping his broncho,though somehow it seemed to go against the grain to do it once more,after all these long weeks of peace and docility on the part of Jupiter.
Already was the animal lathered with sweat, partly because of histremendous exertions, but more on account of his excitement and nervousstate; for those coming along in the rear were in no such condition.
An hour and more passed, with the wild ride still continuing. ButDonald's keen eye detected signs that told him Jupiter was growing verytired.
"He'll get him before much longer," he asserted confidently.
"Looks to me as if the broncho might be weakening," returned hiscompanion, critically; "you see, the long journey is apt to tell onJupiter. For days steady we've covered a heap of miles, and the grind ofcarrying all that weight is sure to pull down the stoutest horse going."
"Yes," Donald continued, "there, Billie nearly pulled him in then,though when the beast commenced jumping like mad he slashed him with hisquirt, and just made him run again, though it was easy to see Jupiterdidn't have much heart for it."
"The end isn't far off," observed Adrian; "and since we've covered anafternoon's gallop in this hour and a half, I reckon we might as wellthink of halting near where he finally stops his mount."
"Sure the poor beast will need a good rest!" declared Donald; "I can'tquite make up my mind what ails him. Seems like he had gone clean crazysome way or other. I've seen horses act like that when they'd beenlocoed; but we know our animals haven't been near any poison weed likethat."
"Well, we'll soon know a little more'n we do now," argued Adrian.
"Looks like it, because Billie is going to get the upper hand prettyquick, I reckon, from the way things look," added his chum.
Both of them had been making rapid time of it since leaving that prairievillage where they had eaten the last meal. Of course Jupiter had flownalong at even a faster clip; but then he lost time by stoppingoccasionally to try some of his ancient games of bucking, so that thepursuers were able to come closer again before he took a notion, underthe lashing of the busy quirt, to once more start off.
Billie had not even taken notice enough of his chums to wave a hand intheir direction at any time during his furious ride. But then they couldunderstand that easily enough, for he had to keep his attentionconstantly fastened upon Jupiter, lest the curveting animal spring asudden trick calculated to dismount his rider.
Luckily the fat boy had been very particular to always have the best ofgirths and other gear in connection with his riding outfit. A whole lotdepends on such little things as this when trying to master the uglyspirit in one of those lively bronchos; as many a cow-puncher haslearned to his sorrow when something gave way, perhaps even in themoment of his victory, and not only hurled him to the ground but spoiledall that had been thus far accomplished in regard to taming the pony.
It was plain to be seen that pure exhaustion and nothing else wascausing Jupiter to give in now. He acted just as strangely as ever, butlacked the strength to hold out. And it was this fact that caused Donaldto shake his head and say something to himself that undoubtedly had abearing on the solution of the mystery, only he did not feel positive
enough to communicate the same to Adrian.
But Billie had finally brought his trembling mount to a standstill. Whenthis was accomplished the fat boy carefully threw himself to the ground,keeping a tight grip on the bridle. If Jupiter attempted to rear, orbreak away, he would find all that weight was as good as any anchor thatcould have been attached to him. He might as well have tried to move amountain as Broncho Billie, when once he stood firmly on his two legs.
"Whatever is he doing, do you think?" demanded Adrian, as he and Donaldrode forward toward the spot where their chum and his foamy mount wereto be seen.
"I declare if he hasn't thrown the saddle off!" cried Donald, and therewas a ring of exultation in his voice, that seemed to announce thatcertain dim suspicions which he had been entertaining were dulystrengthened by this queer fact.
"But he can't mount again if Jupiter takes a sudden notion to bolt!"said Adrian.
"No danger of that happening, take my word for it," replied Donald.
"See here, you've guessed what all the racket is about, I just know youhave," the other cried, as his suspicions were aroused by Donald'smanner.
"Well, I've been thinking something for a little while now, even if Ididn't say a word about the same," admitted Donald, laughing.
"And you won't tell me?" urged his comrade.
"What's the use at this late stage of the game?" replied Donald. "GiveBillie a chance to let the cat out of the bag; because there he is,waving to us right now, and wanting us to hurry along."
When the two who were in the rear came galloping up a couple of minuteslater it was a very red-faced and indignant chum they found there,patting the trembling Jupiter tenderly, and even caressing his velvetymuzzle, as though begging his pardon for all that slapping of the cruelquirt.
"But how was I to know that all the while the poor thing was in agony,with me in the saddle pressing these poisoned stickers deeper and deeperinto his back? Oh! it was a cruel trick, putting this bunch of sandspurs under the saddle; and no wonder the broncho acted like he wascrazy as I jumped up and down, driving the points in deeper. Poor oldJupiter, how was I to know you weren't to blame?"
The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail Page 2
