Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 HURRICANE BILL. young bull, seeing the wide, level plain before him, dashed away at the top of his speed, With wild yells, the impatient horsemen darted in pursuit, each striving to outstrip his com- petitors and be the first to “tail the bull.’ So densely were they crowded together that only first rate horsemanship pre- verted accidents, but then they gradually scattered, the swifter or more adroit taking the lead. After a run of nearly a mile, two horsemen were hard upon the animal’s heels; Luis Munez and the dark Mexican, whom Isidora said was Don Blas Cavello. Don Luis was abead, and bending, clutched the animal’s tail, securing it beneath his right thigh, then turning abruptly at aright angle from his original course, sought to overturn the bull. But his horse made a misstep and fell heavily, casting the young man over its head to the ground, where he Jay in a motionless heap. The agitated cries of the women who noticed this catastro- phe were mingled with a loud cheer as Don Blas dextrously overthrew the bull. A rush was made to where Don Luis lay, Mustang Sam and Hurricane Bill being among the foremost, but he was found to liave escaped with but a few bruises, and was speedi- ly in the saddle again. At a signal from Don Munez, two half-wild bulls were separated from the rest, and both loosed at once. The Mex- icans stood aside, giving the border brothers a fair field. And then, knowing that bright eyes were closely watching them, the scouts-—as they would have expressed it—“ jest nat’ally spread themselves |” ~ Hurricane Bill, upon a targe, bony “ buck-skin ” from the Siates, spent no time in “ cutting didoes,” but, true to bis go- briquet, dashed forward and closed with his bull before it could cover a hundred yards. Securing the tail, he flung the bull heavily upon its side, then leaped to the ground directly in front of the bellowing brute as it scrambled to its feet, a wild fire in its eyes, every bair standing upon end. ~ Uttering his shrill war-cry, Hurricane Bill grasped the short, thick horns and raised the animal’s head by main strength. With an angry bellow the bull leaped aside and sought to rid \ itself of its antagonist. Fora moment both feet of the vorderer were off the ground, and it seemed to all that in a connicloooks.con |