The Kid flushed and looked straight ahead, straining his ears to get the rest of it as he went on, and couldn't because of the noise. The announcer, too, kept speaking of this one and that one, the music waiting upon his words, then taking up the lively strains where it had left off.
On around the horseshoe, straight across the arena to form in lines four deep while the special introductions of the leaders were made. The Kid found himself in the second row, directly behind Andy Green, the other boys standing farther along. They did not see him, and he was glad of that, for their nearness brought again a thrust of homesickness for the friendships he had lost. He tried not to think of it; tried to fix his attention upon the crowd; tried to interest himself in the other riders—in the garishly costumed Indians on their painted ponies. But the ache was there again, do what he would to ignore it.
The formalities were over at last. The ranks broke, the riders spurred forward down the long oval field, yip-yipping as they went. With them galloped the Kid, but in the midst of the tumult he did not open his lips, though no one noticed that but Boy, who worshiped him.
Chapter XI. You'd Make a Doctor of Him?
"Say, you ain't mad at me, are yuh, Kid, 'cause I wanted to ride Sunup?" Boy had slipped out of the borrowed saddle and was trying to loosen a new kind of cinch fastening.
"Heck, no. I've got a lot of work ahead, and I guess I'm absent-minded." Kid turned as Billy Perry and Beck Wilson came hurrying up. "Say, boys, keep an eye out for one of my shirts, will you? Some guy stole one out of my suitcase. Boy, you've got a badge so you can go where you please—you might run on to him. If you do, come and tell me. Hustle over to the chutes now, boys—the bareback riding is next, and you're disqualified if you aren't there when they call your name. And then come back for the relay race."
They disappeared at a trot, but Boy still lingered.
"I wish I was big enough to be in your team, Kid. What you goin' to do first, Kid?"
"You've got a program. You prowl around and try and locate that shirt of mine. And you might tell Mother hello for me—J. G. too." The Kid was smoothing the saddle blanket on Stardust's back and did not look up as he spoke. "I'm going to trick rope now—you get back up there and root for me. I'll need it."
"Well, keep up your nerve, Kid. You'll be all right if you don't git scared," Boy encouraged gravely as he left him.
The Kid selected the ropes he would need for the fancy roping event which followed next, mounted and rode out into the arena where the last bareback rider was just picking himself up in front of the chutes, while the multitude cheered derisively and rocked with laughter. From the crowd's point of view, that had evidently been a comedy fall, though the rider probably found nothing very funny in it. The Kid looked to see if his shirt was blue—which it was not—and breathed freer. But he wanted to know how his boys had come out, and rode on down to the chutes where he caught a glimpse of Walt.
They had fared pretty well, Walt told him pantingly. They thought Beck at least was in the day money, but Bill's horse hadn't turned it on the way he should have done, and Walt's mount had decided to lie down and sulk.
"But Beck had a salty one, and he made a good ride, Kid. We ought to get eating money out of that, anyway."
"Well, if you don't, I'll get in the money on the relay, Walt, I'm going to ride Sunup to-day, and use him for the calf roping too. So see that he gets a good rubdown, will you, if I'm too busy? I'll be busy resting up for the calf roping," he grinned. "Most of my events follow each other thick and fast, it happens. Stardust I trick ride on, but that's the tenth event, so—"
"Fancy ropers get ready!" cried a horseman riding by. "Montana Kid, your place is over there at the grand stand."
"Say, that's the spotlight for you," crowed Walt. "Well, do your stuff, Kid. Sorry I can't watch."
Billy and Beck came running up to give him a cheering word before they disappeared into the gloom of the long passage. The clear, stentorian voice of the announcer began blazoning the names of the trick ropers, and Kid braced himself, took a long breath and rode out into full view of the throng, feeling as if he were taking a high dive into an icy pool. Others were flocking out with him, however, which made him a shade less conspicuous; and close beside him, evidently assigned to a near-by station, rode a little slim girl in blue satin blouse and knickers no more than two shades darker than the color he wore. Just in time to rescue him from a bad case of stage fright, the Kid's attention was caught and held by the girl, who looked at him shyly with a quick sidelong glance and bit her lip, checking a smile which the Kid felt was friendly as well as forlorn.
"You as scared as I am?" her voice shook noticeably.
"More," grinned the Kid. "Cheer up—I guess they won't shoot us."
The slight contact steadied him, but it also brought vividly to mind the fact that Dulcie Harlan was probably sitting in one of the boxes and would be watching him derisively; and that his mother and dad were up there somewhere, and his uncle J. G. He did not look at the crowd. He did not dare. But he did glance at the slim little blue figure dismounting already to do her first simple loop-spinning. Over the back of her horse she gave him a wistful look, as if she hated to see him go on and leave there before that solid bank of staring humanity. But the band was already playing for the act—no time now for sympathy; and anyway, she'd get over it, same as he expected to.
But a fellow couldn't help thinking, even while he whirled the rope loop in a dizzying circle up and down, himself in the middle of it. (Funny she'd choose blue for her color.) Right hand, left hand, right leg over, left leg over. (That darned Harlan girl would maybe call this cruel too, keeping Stardust out there in the sun!) Rope spinning over his head and a sudden leap to Stardust's rump and from there to the saddle. (Terrible, that was—jumping right up on a horse's back!) Loping up and down, the loop widened now and lowered so Stardust could hop through it. (Wonder how the little girl's making out; no time to look, though.) Two ropes now, one spinning at the side, one over the horse's head so that Stardust looked gravely out through it. (They'd always liked that trick in Laramie.) Off again without losing either loop, and widening both a little so that he could jump in and out of each one alternately. (A darned hard stunt, that one; wonder if the Happy Family ever tried that!) On his head, both loops going still. (With that music, a fellow could almost do a clog.) Dancing up and down the track, first in one loop while the other whirled high around his shoulders, then reversing them. (That's for the boys, darn 'em—only they'd say ropes are different nowadays!) Only one loop now, whirling as he rode, and Stardust jumping through it like a cat. (Was all that clapping for him, or for some one else? Couldn't look up to see. Wonder what the folks thought about it. Bet Dad couldn't do this.)
On and on, one trick after the other, sweat running down his face while he worked. No daily prizes in this event, but eight hundred dollars if he won first money at the finals. Stardust playing his part now, galloping up and down riderless and with the reins knotted over the saddle horn, that uncanny loop finding him always, no matter what difficult position the Kid might be in when the horse went past. The Kid saved that little stunt for the last, chiefly because it brought Stardust in for his share of whatever applause the act won from the crowd.
No use going back to the stables now, for already the horses were being led out for the relay race. Hot and tired, the Kid took off his big hat and hung it on a post, wiped his face and adjusted the knot in his reins before he tightened the cinch and mounted. Here came the Laramie boys eagerly through the gate, Sunup following gingerly, his eyes going this way and that, watching the hurrying men. With the other riders the Kid drew lots for his station and beckoned Walt and Billy to Number Six.
"Fine for a starter," Walt exulted. "You won't have all the crazy ones bumping into you down here. How'd the roping go, Kid?"
"Too busy to see. Billy, you flag me, will you? Walt can hold Sunup. Don't grab his nose, Walt—he'll fight