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The San Francisco Sunday Call PENDLETONS FIRST "ROUND UP" THE SOUTHERN OREGON TOWN INSTITUTES AN AN NUAL CARNIVAL OF BRONCO BUSTING AND FRONTIER PAS TIMES WHICH PROVES THAT THE FAR WEST IS STILL f* SOME WILD" By Fred W. Vincent ff\ ET her buck!" Blueblazes I humped his back, planted his | head down and went up— vp — up! When he struck ground again his four legs were bunched and Ftiflf and the resulting jar threw his rider's head back with a jerk. But the horseman, leechlike, clung in the sad <3|e. Squealing with rage, Blueblazes wheeled, plunged, squirmed, resorted to er'ery trick a vicious outlaw knows in fctinctively. in an effort to rid himself of 'his human burden. Still the man held his scat. Gasping and thrilled by the splendid exhibition 10,000 persons who occupied the bleachers surrounding the arena, ftood up and shrieked. Thus was .ushered in at Pendleton, Oregon, re eeatljr. the first annual "round up." a frontier show in which cowboys .from all parts of the west participated. California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, Montana and Wyoming were represented by range riders, ex perts all, and competent to ride or throw a rope in the fastest company. Amoap the cattle country luminaries were Buffalo Vernon, . champion "bull dogger" of the world; John Spain. premier "roper" of the northwest; Bert Kelly, the Pacific coast champion buckaro. and Charley Runyon, a marvel with the lariat, whose postof&ca ad dress is "just California." * \u25a0 There, too, were Roy Moss and Guy- Hays, federal forest rangers, whp stop ped Chasing cattlemen and Indians off Uncle Sam's forest reserves just long enough to show the tenderfeet how to lasso, throw and "hog tie" a steer, •hoof and horn within three seconds of the world's record. As a team they have never yet been beaten on the" Pacific coast. In' the western stock country grow horses that can buck and men who can ride them. For weeks a committee composed of the town's leading citi zens had been working out the prob lem of bringing such men and horses together. Eastern Oregon. Washing ton and western Idaho had been combed in the search for the In horseflesh and the wildest steers. Meanwhile the best known broncho busters of the west had been invited to become entrants In the competitions. As a result of the committee's efforts four score professional cowboys, an Innumerable number of would be "basters" and 200 Indians were In at •tendance, ready to ride, race, parade, rope and brand, when the signal, "let her buck," was given and Blueblazes, with his rider, opened the series of ex citing though unequal contests between man and beast, winch continued for the n^xt four days. ' Save for the main entrances grand stands inclosed the arena. Imme diately In rront ol the stands was a circular quarter mile track which was divided from the arena proper \by a strong fence made of heavy timbers solidly braced to withstand the Impact shock of thousand pound horse or a ten eteer traveling at full steam ahead. "1 do hope that the. cowman won't take a cropper!" exclaimed a chic lit tle woman who bore all the earmarks of "back east," as she watchej Blue blazes plunge. She addressed the remark to her husband, who was all teeth and side burns; but It was a clean featured man, his face deeply bronzed from a'vigor ous outdoor life, who replied: "Don't worry, ma'am." said he. with the easy freedom of the old time west erner, "that boy looks like he's going to stay awhile. He won't pull leather »s long as he keeps Ms-hack, less and arms Umher." The woman raised her cultured browg ever so slightly, gave him a quick look, then turned her eyes once more toward the arena. She had misconstrued a friendly remark for something verging on the unduly familiar. Still her curiosity had been stirred. She did not know that to pull leather meant to be thrown from a horse in the cowboy lexicon, and she wanted to find out. • She turned toward her husband. "Franklin," said she, "what does pull leather mean?" "Pull leathah, Ah, yaas, pull leathah " v he said, then lapsed into a hopeless silence while he rapidly looked over the horseman and horse below. He surveyed the saddle, the stirrups, the bridle, but found .no clew. Next he scanned- the. buckaro's attire, his sombrero, the gaudy ker chief negligently knotted loosely about his neck, then the soft blue flannel shirt and finally the chaparajos. In them he found hope. "My dear," said he, "you see those— ah — trousers covered with long colored hair that the cowboy is wearing? Well — ah — when a rider is thrown on! and can not subdue his fractious steed his savage f ri-onds make him remove those — -ah — trousers before he leaves the field as a sign of defeat. That is what 'pulling leathah' means." He gazed triumphantly around; the little woman gave him an adoring glance be cause of his marked display of knowl edge, while the westerner; strangled in an attempt to smother a gruff aw. But the Invaders from beyond the Rockies were not the only ones ; who were receiving their Initiation Into this phase of western life, j There were a large number of Calif ornians and Ore gonlans present, too, who were Just learning that the cowboy clan still sur vives. His number* may have . dimin ished, perhaps, but by no means has he been swallowed up by his brethren, who have followed him out' of the east, as is generally rbelieved." Possibly -one of the reasons the cowboy is not better known today is that the. 'lnflux of set tlers has Influenced him ito such an ex tent\ that he wears \u25a0"store, clothes" when he comes . to town. ;-. . Thus -;J!_ dis guised he is nor recognized as the samo man .who .on ;1; 1 the grange;, just" a ; few miles away Is as virile, skillful and as picturesque as 'his predecessor , of ; thu seventies. .And it was this, the cowboy a reality, that -.was vividly ;• Impressed ; on the spectators r ; during the ? show, when they, breathlessly^, watched^ Blue-; blazes, or. some other', outlaw: buckf* or.; BMWJ OB^MyJMWtt ' -. . .'. ..'./ when with heartstrings : taut they waited for the dashing finish, of a hard fought pony race. Clustered at the foot of the judges' stand . hard by the track a score of cowboys viewed the • contests j while awaiting their turn. r "That horse can sunfish • some an' Claude is a goin' tv hit dust," vouch safed a red headed buster. Blueblazes was standing on his : rear legs pawing the air. Then he came down, his heels shot up and the rider went sprawling over his head. "What did I . tell yuh?" shouted the red haired individual. •?, "I knowed Claude'd pull leather." The victorious animal whirled 1 and ,with head high trotted down the field and dashed through the entrance, while the defeated bronco- buster limped sheepishly toward his fellows in the shadow of the judges'; stand.' "Claude wants his ma and a'rockin' horse," sung outgone of them jocosely. And Claude's \u25a0 grin widened, for he knew full well that he would* be the : butt for all jokes and* numberless com- \u25a0 ments until such time as another un wary buckaro should go flying, past his : mount's ears. * J But Claude did -not remove those "— ah— trousers" despite his ; f all.-. "Our; neighbors from the reservation will now favor us with a little dance," yellefl the announcer. .*' "Our: neighbors" were seated among their squaws and papooses on the race track .near the end of the/field. A.t a <signal from their, chief they dropped .the .multicolored blankets . from their shoulders and" left their almost nude bodies exposed to the , sun. ? 'On 'their heads were war bonnets of eagle feath ers dyed- in brilliant hues. .Their arms \u25a0 and • breasts "covered | by | grotesque painted figures of "men : and- animals, while-cabalistic signs - and?, stripes \i of staring:: red, yellow, green and' black adorned their swarthy- faces, ; making them; appear ferocious. ; A few carried, guns, but' the majority^boreilancos gay with bright ;\u25a0 streamers.; -The - little : woman from "back east,", half alarmed, watched them as ;j they/ slipped" across the sod in their moccasined feet toward the, -center of,: the k arena. > ;Then she nervously _ grasped the arm of her hus- - band. '.- \u25a0 --:;\u25a0 ''\u25a0..;-, \u25a0\u25a0' v -:- : --;]-*'i : ' 1 - -.- • "Franklin," . .she whispered, .loudly, "don't' you • think>,lt: is- about itime :"we left? : Those" Indians, might get excited" : . during. , the < dance \u25a0 and « murder/; us ; all. I .; have V readj that they/ are very . blood-; thirsty^ and treacherous.^ Besides, .they ; do', not- wear /any;too] much; clothing.'.' * , : .'.--v', 1, -,.'.• The ' man'; made - somel 5 rapid s calcula tions and? decided«thaivtherratlovof .white • men ;torlndians : was'about [ 40; to I.^ His \u25a0 scalp j was ' saf at ; .>,' '. ''.-. "\u25a0'. .....'[:':.-' ", ; "Fear not,, my dear," "he shouted grandiloquently', "am I not here to pro tect you?" . , . \ » . The westerner seated next to him grinned, turned to a friend and said loudly, "Why, there is .my old Indian tillicum (friend) No Shirt. I just paid him $5,000 yesterday for a lease on his wheat land up the Umatilla river.; I guess he can afford to dance some today.". The remark was not lost on the .woman; and; she *:\u25a0 "I, believe Jl : would 'stay /after ;all;; all; .Franklin,''^ said f she <a^ little latery '.'I am ; beginning, to/ enjoy , myself i and : I really [and. truly; am -In; love, with those glorious •> cowmen/ -;' Don't they Vlook"V look" superb 7 astride | their ' charges ?'U ; Frank-'* llnrsaid;nothing, but ;the teeth:and?side burnsV took <on>- a cast of V decided ffdet. spondency. he ; was' not -a^ brave, figure? horseback. ::. : /., \u0084 ::/?The, Indians formed in acircle around^ 1a : tum-tum,*|the \ red ; man's > drurn^at { the 'side 7 of fcwhich': two? braves i.were -seated.^ :Witli polished sticks Ithey. began '.] : to .beat it andithe^sundanceistartedj: : V At > first? the 4 dancers -circled, slowly,; then:the pulsing, tattoo of i the tum-tuin came more rapidly, and ; they began to chant, swinging faster around the circle, crouching, springing.into the air, wildly brandishing their lances. as they wove through the intricate steps. * ' Each motion," pose and; the varying minor, notes . of their rhythmic song had. a symbolic meaning to .them, but the paleface" onlookers did not under stand, so had only/the outward'mbve , ments to marvel at and admire. .^For half an hour the weird dance continued. Then, nearly exhausted,, the Indiana retired and, while the lungsore thou sands shouted their appreciation, .they spread their blankets on the ground, sat down and . commenced to j smoke not; pipes, but cigarettes, ; something they had been taught to love by the' Mexican vaqueros in the days when Oregon and California was one vast 'cattle range and the. gentle • padres spread -the gospel: among the aborigi nes. .. : : :; ; ; ; / )'\u25a0[..: \u25a0?-}. .; ;| \u25a0 -"\u25a0 . '\u25a0. "We will now have a scene from 'Quo Vadis.' ,Ursus will wrestle with • a bull!'" shouted the announcer. Thereupon, a large, heavy set -man, garbed in corduroy trousers. and; a soft; brown- shirt-stepped -into, the arena at one end. Almost simultaneously a wild' bull dashed into -It atvthe- other. ' The gates were closed,: bolted, ,and the man, Buffalo Vernon, champion "bulldogger" of the world, and,the.ani mal , faced each, other alone, in the ; field. The ! crowd became, hushed when: it* was realized that | Vernon relied s only on his bare hands and physical skill to conquer his powerful adversary." f-' With feet planted wide/ head lowered and black eyes. shifting.- the tfull waited uneasily - for the first- move. Without hesitation. Vernon approached rapidly across the; field. -He .was within a score' of reef when* the bull bellowed and' charged. Crouching, his arms out stretched, Vernon waited. Next In-, stant they, met. .,. , "\u25a0\u25a0...",""..'." \u25a0\u25a0.. .", ""..'. ! "He's' killed !" screamed a woman, her voice' carrying shrilly .to every corner of ' the stadium. .?- \u25a0\u25a0•"-.- > • ' • Then through the dust the, spectators saw the * man * braced against the -anl mal!s.' head, fighting; desperately, to holdhls feet, "and a mighty : roar broke the silence.* /A moment later" he suc ceeded in' securing, a .hold on :the bull's horns* and the battle between blind brute, strength and man's began ..in 'grim earnestness. '';.?,*> • - '.-\u25a0' 510w1y,."., almost Imperceptibly, Ver non forced the beast's head to one side,/*', twisting' it higher, inch by inch, until' the bull, gave' way from, pain" and fell, to the- ground, still struggling. But the combat lasted only a few: mln- ; utes; : Soon the .animal was reducedrto helplessness by the' strangle grip'the man held. \u25a0 This accomplished,' he fas tened hfs^teeth into. ; its upper -lip -and released, his. arm "grip. ' By: his-.teeth merely , Vernon held the beasto to<~the 'ground— -bulldogging,-'. lt -is called -In the cattle country. - It : Is not; popular. ' After ; this performance followed wild, horse' races, '.relay "races, roping: and J branding' ;: ; contests - and ' ; other ' exhibi-' tions ; of the T range' riders'; life. •\u25a0' The i'un was low when, the'; day's .progrram was v completed' : and * the 4 announcer \u25a0 shouted: "More tomorrow. "'The sport (Will 1 : start with one* of * the boys atop Dynamite." . . .•".'\u25a0\u25a0' > 4 * r - : ,- ;. \u25a0 •; "Dynamite r ;i exclaimed *a , cattleman from '-Harney 'county. '"He's the worst ; outlaw; .In". '"the". northwest.' \u25a0 He's • killed two men, hurt a dozen and hasn't beeti broken yet. Yes, I'll be there**and *so . will the rest- of them." And .while tlra spectators, hurried from the stadium the cowboys removed their' trappings, donned, their "store clothes" 'and merged with the human stream as ordinary civilians. ; But tomorrow they would b*e cow« boys again and in a few days henc« would -ride back to. the cattle lands, • where -sombreros, chsj>3, pistols and ; spurs: are articles for everyday wear,* and the ''/'roundup"- nothing more than the day's routine.