“You wait,” answered the aroused Bones; “I can do better than that. Just thought I ought to make a try throw first. This time I’ll put a little more steam in it, and you get ready to grab, Lanky.”
“Right here, Bones, put her in my mitt!” called the other, holding out his hands as though he might be a catcher behind the rubber, calling to his slabmate how to toss them in.
Frank steadied Bones from below, so that he could feel on firmer footing. And this time the rope, flying far out, and uncoiling as it went, struck in among the lower branches of the tree.
“Catch hold, Lanky, quick!” cried the thrower of the lasso.
Lanky almost tumbled out of the tree in his eagerness to reach the rope; but fortunately it had caught on a branch, and he was able to get his hands on it.
“Now climb up, and pass it along,” called Frank.
“Yes,” added Bones, “there’s a hunky-dory place up yonder to tie it to, after you’ve doubled it like Frank said. That’s it, Lanky; put the rope around there, you know.”
Lanky understood and fastened the knotted end of the line to the upper branch of the tree—an especially strong one it was, too.
Afterwards Frank climbed the second tree beyond the rail fence; and as Lanky had tied his end of the doubled clothesline to an upper limb, Frank did the same.
There now stretched a taut doubled line, with a downward slant, from the tree under which the bull waited patiently for his prey to drop.