Free L. Frank Baum by American Fairy Tales Page A

cowboy, and lived on the broad plains of
Arizona. His father had trained him to lasso a bronco or a young
bull with perfect accuracy, and had Jim possessed the strength to
back up his skill he would have been as good a cowboy as any in all
Arizona.
    When he was twelve years old he made his first visit to the east,
where Uncle Charles, his father's brother, lived. Of course Jim took
his lasso with him, for he was proud of his skill in casting it, and
wanted to show his cousins what a cowboy could do.
    At first the city boys and girls were much interested in watching
Jim lasso posts and fence pickets, but they soon tired of it, and
even Jim decided it was not the right sort of sport for cities.
    But one day the butcher asked Jim to ride one of his horses into the
country, to a pasture that had been engaged, and Jim eagerly
consented. He had been longing for a horseback ride, and to make it
seem like old times he took his lasso with him.
    He rode through the streets demurely enough, but on reaching the
open country roads his spirits broke forth into wild jubilation,
and, urging the butcher's horse to full gallop, he dashed away in
true cowboy fashion.
    Then he wanted still more liberty, and letting down the bars that
led into a big field he began riding over the meadow and throwing
his lasso at imaginary cattle, while he yelled and whooped to his
heart's content.
    Suddenly, on making a long cast with his lasso, the loop caught upon
something and rested about three feet from the ground, while the
rope drew taut and nearly pulled Jim from his horse.
    This was unexpected. More than that, it was wonderful; for the field
seemed bare of even a stump. Jim's eyes grew big with amazement, but
he knew he had caught something when a voice cried out:
    "Here, let go! Let go, I say! Can't you see what you've done?"
    No, Jim couldn't see, nor did he intend to let go until he found out
what was holding the loop of the lasso. So he resorted to an old
trick his father had taught him and, putting the butcher's horse to
a run, began riding in a circle around the spot where his lasso had
caught.
    As he thus drew nearer and nearer his quarry he saw the rope coil
up, yet it looked to be coiling over nothing but air. One end of the
lasso was made fast to a ring in the saddle, and when the rope was
almost wound up and the horse began to pull away and snort with
fear, Jim dismounted. Holding the reins of the bridle in one hand,
he followed the rope, and an instant later saw an old man caught
fast in the coils of the lasso.
    His head was bald and uncovered, but long white whiskers grew down
to his waist. About his body was thrown a loose robe of fine white
linen. In one hand he bore a great scythe, and beneath the other arm
he carried an hourglass.
    While Jim gazed wonderingly upon him, this venerable old man spoke
in an angry voice:
    "Now, then—get that rope off as fast as you can! You've brought
everything on earth to a standstill by your foolishness! Well—what
are you staring at? Don't you know who I am?"
    "No," said Jim, stupidly.
    "Well, I'm Time—Father Time! Now, make haste and set me free—if
you want the world to run properly."
    "How did I happen to catch you?" asked Jim, without making a move to
release his captive.
    "I don't know. I've never been caught before," growled Father Time.
"But I suppose it was because you were foolishly throwing your lasso
at nothing."
    "I didn't see you," said Jim.
    "Of course you didn't. I'm invisible to the eyes of human beings
unless they get within three feet of me, and I take care to keep
more than that distance away from them. That's why I was crossing
this field, where I supposed no one would be. And I should have been
perfectly safe had it not been for your beastly lasso. Now, then,"
he added, crossly, "are you going to get that rope off?"
    "Why should I?" asked Jim.
    "Because everything in the world stopped moving the moment you
caught me. I don't suppose you want to make an end of all business
and