The party in the judges’ stand came to their feet to shout approval. The girls were cheering wildly for Connie as she crept nearer the front.
Donald was leaning forward with flushed face, his eyes glued to the spotted cayuse, a deep admiration in his heart for the intrepid little rider.
Little Andy jumped on the rail. “Strike me pink!” he yelled, “look at that ’oss run!” His eyes were bright with excitement. “A ’undred dollars on the spotted ’oss!” he shouted hysterically.
“’Ere you are, mate; let’s make ’er two ’undred. I’m for me ’ome girl. She saved me blinkin’ life, God bless ’er!”
As they neared one of the corduroy bridges Connie was neck and neck with Lafonte. The latter glanced up as Pegasus came opposite. The roar of the crowd came dimly to Connie’s ears above the swish of air and the rumble of hoofs as they struck the culvert. An evil look crossed the half-breed’s face. He swung his horse sharply to the right. Connie’s horse floundered. Struggling to right himself, he fell off the bridge and landed with a dull thud on the soft ground below. The forward motion of the cayuse had stopped so suddenly that Connie was thrown like a projectile to a clump of bushes fifteen feet distant.
For an instant the big crowd was paralyzed. Then there went up a great groan of horror. The old trapper came to his feet, his eyes flaming, a hectic flush on his cheeks. Like a flash his hand flew to his six-shooter, and the long-barrelled Colt was trained on Lafonte. As he pulled the trigger Douglas struck his arm and the bullet sped harmlessly over the horseman’s head.
The words whistled through the set teeth of big Jack Gillis. “Let me get at him!” he cried hoarsely, as, pale of face, he struggled through the crowd. He would have thrown himself in front of the oncoming rider if strong hands had not clutched and held him. Connie’s father fell back a step as if struck a sudden blow, his eyes wide and staring. Andy’s head fell forward, and he groaned aloud. Janet covered her face with her hands and sat down weakly.
Donald leaned from the judges’ stand, his face pale as death. A vision of Connie’s broken body came before his eyes. “Oh, God!” he cried aloud in a voice vibrant with pain. He covered his eyes as though in dread of looking at the spot where she had fallen.