The bar act

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

78116

Title

The bar act

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In the dusty heart of Cowtown, Texas, trick rider Leonard Carter shocks the rodeo circuit with his mysterious new stunt, the 'Bar Act.' As rival cowboys race to decipher his impossible feat, they uncover a tale of rivalry, desperation, and the high-stakes world of early 20th-century rodeo culture.

Summary up to 500 words

In Bud La Mar's *The Bar Act*, legendary trick rider Leonard Carter prepares for the annual Cowtown rodeo, where his rivals—Bobby Stuart, Slim Jones, Buck Farrell, and Lou Warner—are desperate to dethim. Carter has secretly perfected a new, dangerous maneuver known as the 'Bar Act,' involving a long object attached to his saddle. Fearing Carter will win the gold, the competitors decide to spy on him. They follow his horse, Spots, through the dark streets and into a graveyard, only to discover a deception: Carter's helper, Sam Briggs, has been impersonating the trick rider to fool them. The real Carter is practicing elsewhere. At the rodeo, Carter performs the 'Bar Act,' leaping from a galloping horse while spinning on a handlebar-like Ford axle. The crowd is amazed, but the rivals, determined not to lose, rush to the chutes to replicate the stunt using whatever they can find. Slim steals a rope, Buck grabs a windmill handle, and Lou seizes a broomstick. Their attempts end in mishaps: Buck falls awkwardly, and Lou breaks his broomstick mid-spin, though he lands safely. Despite their efforts, the judges rule that the 'Bar Act' is not a proper cowboy feat, awarding the prize to Lou for his other skills. The story concludes with the cowboys dividing their winnings and reflecting on the rivalry. The narrative highlights themes of rivalry, deception, and the unexpected nature of competition. Carter, who had relied on his original invention, loses out because the judges deemed the axle stunt un-cowboylike. Meanwhile, the rivals succeed not through the new stunt, but by excelling in their traditional skills. The tale ends with the group celebrating their collective victory, acknowledging that fear of the unknown drove them to try harder, ultimately leading to an unexpected triumph for the underdogs.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

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Local file path

data/epubs/pg78116.epub

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Western stories
• Texas -- Fiction
• Rodeos -- Fiction