Henry Mellon was in the midst of Old Billee, Buck Tooth, Snake and Yellin' Kid, and, as the boy ranchers watched, they saw N Four Eyes twirling his lariat above his head.
"What's he doing?" asked Dick.
"Oh, just showing 'em some fancy roping," Bud answered.
"Let's go over," suggested Nort. "I'd like to get on to a few tricks, myself."
They found Four Eyes attempting some of the more difficult feats of rope throwing. After twirling his lasso about his head, the rope forming a perfect circle, he changed the direction from horizontal to perpendicular, and nimbly leaped backward and forward through the swiftly circling lariat.
Snake tried this, but his spurs caught and there was a queer mix-up of man and rope. Snake could equal the newcomer's feat in twirling the rope around his head horizontally, but failed, as did Yellin' Kid, in the other trick.
"It's just a knack," said Four Eyes, modestly enough. "I had a lot of spare time, and I practiced some of these fancy twists. I can rope four horses at once."
"Yes you can—not!" challenged Snake.
"I'll prove it—of course they have to be going in the same direction," stipulated the new cowboy.
"Even with that I doubt it," went on Snake. "I've heard of that, but I never saw it done."