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THE LONG SHOT
11
Hays stood firm, and judges ruled it according to the announcements,
bull had the right to run. The riders Hned their mounts up the starting post, the equestrians iisidering the bull phase of the race 'it a gag that would be over as soon the horses broke and shot clear of ^ ignoble creature. Understandably horses on either side of the bull ;re shy; but no matter. The starting signal soiinded, and ; animals were off. Hays blew a ist on his tin horn, and sank his urs into the bull's sides. The bull unded forward with a terrifying I How, at no trifling speed; the dried ( hide flapped up and down, rattling a every bound. Altogether there was a frightful combination of sight and and never before experienced on a ce course. The horses dashed fran' ally in every direction except down e track, and not one of them could brought under control in time to at the bull to the finish line.
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T(PHE horse owners, hopping with ( rage, cried "Swindle," that Hays Hi as not entitled to the purse ! But le spectators, ever on the side of the iderdog, and enjoying one of the eatest shows ever seen at a race ack, were loudly insistent that their J vorite should get the money. The dges, in a dilemma, finally put the ''["ize on the horn of the bull.
Then the owners contended that
had it not been for Hay's horn and the oxhide, which should never have been permitted on a decent track, he would not have won.
To the surprise of everyone. Hays coolly announced his bull could beat them anyway. If they would put up another $100 against the purse he had just won, he would run again with neither horn nor hide.
The racers jumped at this fool's bet. Anybody who would ride a bull for a saddle animal about the community, and have the audacity to challenge horses of the blood to a race on even terms, was entitled to a good cleaning! To a man, they called his play.
And so the racers lined up for the second heat. At the signal. Hays ripped his rowels across the bull's ribs, and the brute issued a bellow that all but jumped the horses through their girts. They were nervous already from the first race, and doubtless expected a repeat performance. No pulling on the bits would line the horses down the track with the bull. From that first roaring bellow, the way was all his.
Nobody would have believed that a man could have won one race — to say nothing of two — in a day, riding a bull against the fastest horses along the Rio Grande. But Hays did! And from that day on he was known as Sham.
fjoss Phares is Professor of English at East Texas Baptist College, Marshall, Texas — ^jst Texas, where oil, cattle and tall stories mix to ma\e mighty interesting reading. ^ Jr. Phares has done a stint in vaudeville, been a bandmaster, athletic coach, and school t 'Kncifial. In World War II, he was an Air Corps photographer, and an historical officer. lliflfr. Phares has two boo\s, "Reverend Devil" and "Cavalier in the Wilderness," the [j^ftter to appear in March. His syndicated column "Texas Parade" appears in several \exas newspapers.