ed me from the rear. Carefully I crept forward toward my
unsuspecting quarry, coming undetected to the concealment of a bush not
more than twenty feet from him. Here I quietly arranged my noose,
spreading it flat and open upon the ground.

To step to one side of the bush and throw directly from the ground,
which is the style I am best in, would take but an instant, and in that
instant the stallion would doubtless be under way at top speed in the
opposite direction. Then he would have to wheel about when I surprised
him, and in doing so, he would most certainly rise slightly upon his
hind feet and throw up his head, presenting a perfect target for my
noose as he pivoted.

Yes, I had it beautifully worked out, and I waited until he should turn
in my direction. At last it became evident that he was doing so, when
apparently without cause, the filly raised her head, neighed and
started off at a trot in the opposite direction, immediately followed,
of course, by the colts and my stallion. It looked for a moment as
though my last hope was blasted; but presently their fright, if fright
it was, passed, and they resumed grazing again a hundred yards farther
on. This time there was no bush within fifty feet of them, and I was
at a loss as to how to get within safe roping-distance. Anywhere under
forty feet I am an excellent roper, at fifty feet I am fair; but over
that I knew it would be a matter of luck if I succeeded in getting my
noose about that beautiful arched neck.

As I stood debating the question in my mind, I was almost upon the
point of making the attempt at the long throw. I had plenty of rope,
this Galu weapon being fully sixty feet long. How I wished for the
collies from the ranch! At a word they would have circled this little
bunch and driven it straight down to me; and then it flashed into my
mind that Nobs had run with those collies all one summer, that he had
gone down to the pasture with them after the cows every evening and
done his part in driving them back to the milking-barn, and had done it
intelligently; but Nobs had never done the thing alone, and it had been
a year since he had done it at all. However, the chances were more in
favor of my foozling the long throw than that Nobs would fall down in
his part if I gave him the chance.

Having come to a decision, I had to creep back to Nobs and get him, and
then with him at my heels return to a large bush near the four horses.
Here we could see