swiftness of a deer.

Then Stella recovered her voice.

"Run, Ted! Run!" she cried.

But Ted had seen the necessity of that himself, and, wheeled Sultan and
dashed off, looking over his shoulder at the enraged monster that was
following him, while he rapidly uncoiled his lariat.

Having run several hundred yards and outdistanced the bull, he turned
and stopped with his rope in his hand, closely calculating the animal's
distance and speed.

Bud and Stella were following the bull closely, both of them preparing
their lariats for the throw.

As the bull charged, Ted's rope was seen to leave his hand and go
sailing through the air in graceful loops and curves that lengthened out
one after the other.

One of the most difficult throws a cow-puncher can make with a lariat
was that which Ted attempted. He had to calculate to a degree the speed
with which the bull was advancing toward him, and that at which the rope
was leaving him. To calculate the point where the two would come
together would seem an almost impossible task.

But so nicely had Ted estimated it, that the open noose fell over the
bull's head and settled down, and, turning swiftly, Ted spurred Sultan
to one side, and the bull, shaking his head and emitting short, angry
bellows, rushed past.

The intelligent pony had suddenly come to a stop, bracing himself for
the shock, and when Gladiator came to the end of the rope he turned
completely over, and landed on his back with a thud that shook the
earth.

Bud had galloped forward, and was about to throw himself from the saddle
to tie the brute, when, with the agility of a cat, the bull was on its
feet, shaking its head and stamping the earth in a perfect fury of anger
and desperation. But it was by no means beaten, and ran at Bud, who took
to his heels. When again it arrived at the end of the rope, it went head
over heels, much to its loss of wind and dignity.

This time it did not rise so briskly, and Ted gave it all the time it
wanted.

Suddenly Stella dashed out and rode toward the bull, and when a few feet
from it curved off, with the angry brute in full pursuit. Had her pony
stumbled it would have been all up with her, for Gladiator was wild with
rage, and when it was again thrown its fury knew no bounds.

"A few more throws like that will settle him, I think," shouted Ted.
"Bait him again, Bud."

Again Bud rode out, and the bull took after him as before, and, when he
was jerked onto his back b