Left on the Prairie

gs which he had not known before, and which were very useful to him in after-life. He was quick and deft with his lingers, and Pedr

throw a lariat like the co

rope up in loops, leaving the noose end out. Then swing it round in a circle over your head, quicker and quicker, while you take aim and try and thro

NOOSE FALL OVER

days' hard practising, he made a very good attempt at throwing the rope in the right place. Day after day he went at it, until one never-to-be-forgotten morning

and barked defiantly at him like so many cheeky puppies, until the tears ran down his face from laughing at their antics. Sometimes for fun Jack pretended to throw stone

e least, and killed them by an extraordinary native trick. He would fearlessly follow a retreating snake, seize it by the tail, swing it rapidly round, and with a dexterous twist of his wrist would crack it like a whip, and dislocate its spine. Being thus

asures to carry away with him. He found plenty of rattles on the prairie, as the snakes cast off their rattles eve

ry handsome, like a large black-and-white striped cat with a magnificen

skin that nasty

ng the dead animal towards a creek. 'I

e skin, as this process destroyed the strong odour belonging to the creature.

d, and amongst others, Pedro pointed out a terrible plant, the dread of many a ranchman. With its pretty white flowers it looked harmless enough; but woe to the poor animals who ate much of the plant, f

g arms stretching out, covered with prickles, and others grew close to the ground,

of bands of coyotes, or prairie wolves, he would tell Jack what cowardly creatures they really were: how they were afraid to attack strong cattle, but would pers

er, often setting fire to houses and killing the settlers. He described how the Indians had massacred thousands of buffaloes by driving them into deep ravines where they could not escape, and then killing them, not so much

d like him to attempt to cross the big mountains all alone, and he wisely made up his mind to stay contentedly with Pedro until he got the chance of travelling with some nice companion.