The narrator, who is on vacation at a ranch, asks the ranch foreman for a tame horse to ride, expressing his lack of riding skills and desire for a peaceful experience. The foreman, after some thought, decides to bring out a horse named "Whirlwind," reassuring the narrator that the horse's name is ironic and that it is as gentle as a kitten. Though hesitant at first, the narrator agrees to ride Whirlwind after hearing the foreman's assurances.

As the horse is brought out by a man named Alkali, the narrator observes that the horse appears lazy and mild, even dozing off as the saddle is put on. The ranch hands, including Utah Jack and Two-Gun Ghallihan, gather around, intrigued by the upcoming spectacle. The foreman solemnly hands the narrator a Colt .44-40 revolver in a holster, explaining that it is for protection against rattlesnakes.

Once mounted, the narrator tries to get Whirlwind to move, but the horse remains stationary. When gentle encouragement fails, the narrator resorts to jabbing the horse with his spurs, which prompts an explosive reaction. Whirlwind suddenly bursts into wild, uncontrolled bucking. The narrator is thrown into a whirlwind of violent movements—bucking, sunfishing, swapping ends, standing on its hind legs, and then its front legs, spinning in circles, and leaping high into the air, jolting the narrator to his core.

Despite his lack of skill and his desperate wish to get off, the narrator miraculously remains in the saddle throughout the ordeal, much to the delight of the onlooking cowpunchers. Whirlwind continues his wild antics, even rolling on the ground with the narrator still aboard. Eventually, both of the saddle's girths snap, and the narrator is thrown off, landing on his head some twenty yards away with the heavy saddle on top of him. Whirlwind, triumphant, prances over the narrator before galloping off into the distance.

As the narrator struggles to his feet, the foreman praises his riding skills, claiming that no one else on the ranch could have stayed on Whirlwind that long. The narrator, in anger and exhaustion, draws the revolver he was given, declaring it was "for rattlers," and attempts to shoot the foreman. However, the gun is loaded with blanks, and the foreman manages to escape. The story ends with the narrator revealing that he had only stayed on the horse because he had accidentally been tangled in the lasso and tied to the saddle, making it impossible for him to get off until the saddle itself gave way.