company, too, soon felt more at home on the back of a
horse, and Mr. Pertell allowed them to rehearse in the scenes where
mounted action was necessary.

Mr. Bunn had one rather unlucky experience on a horse, and for some time
after that he refused to mount a steed, even going to the length of
threatening to resign if compelled to.

The "old school" actor was rather supercilious in his manner, and this
was resented by some of the cowboys, who thought him "stuck up." They
therefore planned a little joke on him. At least, it was a joke to them.

The horse Mr. Bunn had learned to ride was a steady-going beast that had
outlived its frisky days, and plodded along just the pace that suited
the actor. But there was, among the ranch animals, a "bucking bronco,"
who looked so much like Mr. Bunn's horse that even some of the cowboys
had difficulty in telling them apart.

A bucking bronco, it might be explained, is a steed who by nature or
training uses every means in its power to unseat its rider. The bucking
consists in the horse leaping into the air, with all four feet off the
ground, and coming down stiff-legged, jarring to a considerable degree
the person in the saddle.

One day, just for a "joke," the bucking bronco was brought out for Mr.
Bunn to ride, when a certain film was to be made. He did not notice that
it was not his regular mount. The bronco was quiet and tractable enough
until Mr. Bunn settled himself in the saddle, and then, just as Russ was
about to make the film, the pony set off at a fast pace.

"Whoa, there! Whoa!" cried Mr. Bunn, trying to halt the beast, and not
understanding what could have gotten into his usually quiet mount.
"Whoa, there!"

"Give him a touch of the spur," called the mischievous cowboy.

Mr. Pertell did not know what to make of the actions of his actor, for
the play called for nothing like that.

"Shall I get that?" asked Russ, and before the manager could answer the
bronco began running around in a circle.

"Yes! Get it!" ordered Mr. Pertell. "We can change the play to work it
in. It's too funny to lose."

"Whoa! Stop it! Somebody stop him! I'm getting dizzy!" cried Mr. Bunn,
leaning forward and clasping his arms about the neck of the pony.

By accident he dug the spurs lightly into the side of the beast, and as
this always made the animal buck, or leap up into the air, it now
changed its tactics.

With legs held stiff it rose several feet, and came down hard. Mr. Bunn
wa