Again the steer, having recovered itself, turned to the attack.
"I'll have to put a few bullets into that brute, if this thing keeps up much longer. It's just crazy enough not to be afraid of a man on horseback, besides, it's a good deal more active than usual." Ted's thoughts were keeping time with the swift actions of the brute, which was wheeling and charging like mad, so that it took all his agility and superb horsemanship to keep clear of it.
Now the horse was getting tired, and was almost useless because it was losing whatever sense it had had, and was becoming awkward and unmanageable.
The steer stood off for several minutes looking at Ted in a lowering way, but when Ted tried to run from it, it was close to his heels in a minute, and he had to simply throw the horse to one side, bringing it to its knees, to avoid the brute.
"That settles it," said Ted, taking his forty-five from its holster and advancing slowly upon the frantic steer.
As it started to charge again he fired directly at the middle of its forehead.
But the animal was hardly staggered, as the missile flattened on its skull and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"This won't do," said Ted. "I've got to get into this game myself. No more peek-a-boo goes with Blue Eyes. I'll do the tackling for a while."
He wheeled out of the way, then turned suddenly and rode after the steer, firing four balls in rapid succession into its body.
But this did not seem to affect the animal's spirits at all, and Ted rode off a short distance and reloaded.