The Cave of Gold | Page 4

back to a man, but had seen the backs of many men turned to
him; and now the killing of the horse had aroused all the ferocity of his
savage nature, and he was ready to fight anything and everything that
threatened to rob him of his prey.
Thure Conroyal and Bud Randolph did not for a moment expect El
Feroz to run, when they rode toward him. They knew grizzly nature,
especially the ferocious nature of El Feroz, too well to dream of such a
thing. They knew he would fight; and, if they had been afoot, they
would not have dared to attack the evil monster, armed though they
were with rifles and so skilful in their use that they could cut the head
off a wild goose at a hundred yards. But, seated on the backs of their
fleet and well-trained horses and on a smooth and open field like the
one before them, they did not fear even El Feroz himself. If their ropes
did not hold or their bullets kill at once, the swift legs of their horses
could be counted on to keep them out of danger, unless some
unforeseen mischance happened.
The lassoing or roping of grizzly bears was a sport often indulged in by
the native Californians, who were among the most skilful horsemen in
the world and marvelously expert with their lassos or reatas, as they
called the long rope, usually made of hide or woven horsehair, which
they used to catch their horses and cattle; and Thure Conroyal and Bud
Randolph had become as expert as any native with their reatas, and,
consequently, felt equal to the roping of even as ferocious and as huge
a beast as El Feroz himself, the most dreaded grizzly in the California
mountains.
Thure and Bud rode slowly toward the grizzly, one turning a little to
the left and the other to the right as he advanced, so that when they
drew near to El Feroz there were some five rods of space between them.
They had fastened their rifles to the saddles in front of them, to hold
them safe and yet have them where they could be quickly seized in case
of sudden need and to give them free use of both of their hands in
throwing their ropes and in managing their horses; and now, as they
advanced toward the bear, they uncoiled their reatas and began slowly

swinging the loops around their heads in readiness for the throw, while
every faculty of their minds quickened and every muscle of their young
bodies tightened in expectation of the coming battle that might mean
death to one or both, if either blundered.
The grizzly glared furiously, first at one horseman then at the other, and
tore more savagely than ever at the flesh of the horse, until both boys
were almost upon him. Then, with a roar so savage and fearful that both
horses, well-trained as they were, jumped violently, he reared up
suddenly on his hind legs, the blood of the horse dripping from his
reddened teeth, and, growling ferociously and swaying his huge head
from side to side, he stood, for a moment, apparently trying to decide
which one of those two venturesome humans he should tear to pieces
first.
"Quick! Rope him around the neck before he charges!" yelled Thure.
"I'll try to get one of his hind legs."
As Thure spoke Bud's lasso shot through the air; and the loop glided
swiftly over the great head and tightened suddenly around the hairy
neck, just at the moment the bear came to the decision to charge Thure
and sprang toward him, with the result that the sudden unexpectedness
of the jerk of Bud's rope yanked him off his feet and hurled him on his
back.
Thure instantly saw his opportunity and before the huge beast could
right himself, he had swiftly cast the loop of his rope around one of the
sprawling hind legs and drawn it tight.
"Hurrah! We've got him!" yelled Bud triumphantly, as Gray Cloud
whirled about and stood facing the grizzly, his strong body braced
backward so that he held the rope taut, as all well-broken California
horses were trained to do the moment the thrown rope caught its
victim.
"Got him! You bet we've got him!" echoed Thure, as his own horse
whirled into position, with both front legs strongly braced, and drew
the lasso tight about bruin's hind leg, thus stretching him out between

the ends of the two reatas.
But they had not "got him"--not yet; for, just at that moment, all the
ferocious bulk of raging bone and muscle that had given El Feroz his
name of terror, gave a tremendous heave, whirled over on its feet; and,
before either boy knew what