making efforts to reach them
with their sharp-pointed horns.

"What is it?" shouted Stallings after he had ridden in far enough to
make his voice reach Ned Rector.

"It's Tad!"

"What about him?"

"He's in there," answered Ned, pointing.

"Where? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's the white steer. He dragged him."

Stallings thought he understood. He had seen the lad working with the
unruly animal only a few moments before.

"What's the trouble--did the boy rope him?" shouted the foreman.

Ned nodded.

"He'll be trampled to death!" snapped the foreman, rising high in his
stirrups and looking over the herd. There were several white steers in
the bunch, but the one in question was so much larger than the others
that Stallings thought he would have no difficulty in picking out the
animal. Not finding him at once, the foreman fired two shots in the air
to attract the attention of the cowboys. Three of them soon were seen
working their way in.

"Open up the herd!" he shouted.

"Whereabouts?" asked Reddy Davis.

"Anywhere. Look out for the big, white cow. The boy's roped to him!"

They understood at once.

Big-foot Sanders had heard, and began working like an automatic machine.
The way the cattle, big and little, fell away before his plunging pony
and ready quirt was an object lesson for those of the Pony Riders who
were near enough to see his effort.

In the thick of it was Ned Rector, driving his pony here and there,
anxiously watching for the white steer.

"There he is!" shouted Ned, suddenly espying the animal still dashing
about.

"Where?"

"There, to the right of you!"

Forcing his mount through the crowded ranks, Stallings in a moment found
himself within reach of the white beast. However, there were three or
four cattle between himself and the one he wanted.

The foreman's rope circled in the air above his head, then the great
loop squirmed out over the backs of the cattle, dropping lightly over
the horns of the white one.

The steer felt the touch of the rope and knew the meaning of it. As the
animal sprang forward, Stallings took a quick turn about the pommel of
his saddle and the pony braced its fore feet. When the shock came, the
cattle over whose backs the rope lay felt it even more than did the pony
itself. Three of them were forced to their knees bawling with sudden
fright and pain.

The head of the white steer was jerked to one side. A swing of the rope
and the steer was