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diff --git a/43917-0.txt b/43917-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..53b7343 --- /dev/null +++ b/43917-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6410 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43917 *** + +[Illustration: Straight and true it sped to its mark. The lion had +already crouched for a spring when Nat's missile was discharged. + + --Page 18.] + + + + +THE MOTOR RANGERS THROUGH THE SIERRAS + + + BY + + MARVIN WEST + AUTHOR OF "THE MOTOR RANGERS' LOST MINE," ETC. + + + NEW YORK + HURST & COMPANY + PUBLISHERS + + + + + Copyright, 1911, + BY + HURST & COMPANY + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. INTO THE SIERRAS 5 + II. BETWEEN TWO FIRES 17 + III. IN A RUNAWAY AUTO 31 + IV. MOTOR RANGERS TO THE RESCUE 43 + V. AN APPOINTMENT ON THE TRAIL 55 + VI. SOME RASCALS GET A SCARE 66 + VII. A PHOTOGRAPHER IN TROUBLE 77 + VIII. LOST IN A PETRIFIED FOREST 87 + IX. THE MIDNIGHT ALARM 99 + X. ALONG THE TRAIL 110 + XI. TREED! TWO HUNDRED FEET UP 125 + XII. NAT'S LUCKY ESCAPE 135 + XIII. THE VOLLEY IN THE CANYON 147 + XIV. A "LOONITACKER" HORSE 159 + XV. THE MOTOR RANGERS' PERIL 170 + XVI. THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA 181 + XVII. IN COLONEL MORELLO'S FORTRESS 191 + XVIII. A RIDE FOR LIFE 201 + XIX. OUTWITTING HIS ENEMIES 211 + XX. HERR MULLER GETS A CHILLY BATH 220 + XXI. THE FIRE IN THE FOREST 232 + XXII. A DASH THROUGH THE FLAMES 242 + XXIII. THE HUT IN THE MOUNTAINS 258 + XXIV. FACING THEIR FOES 272 + XXV. THROUGH THE FLUME 285 + + + + +The Motor Rangers Through the Sierras + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +INTO THE SIERRAS. + + +"Say Nat, I thought that this was to be a pleasure trip?" + +Joe Hartley, the perspiration beading his round, good-natured +countenance, pushed back his sombrero and looked up whimsically from +the punctured tire over which he was laboring. + +"Well, isn't half the pleasure of running an auto finding out how many +things you don't know about it?" laughingly rejoined Nat Trevor, the +eldest and most experienced of the young Motor Rangers, as they had +come to be called. + +"V-v-v-variety is the s-s-spice----" sputtered our old friend William, +otherwise Ding-dong Bell. + +"Oh, whistle it, Ding-dong," interjected Joe impatiently. + +"_Phwit!_" musically chirruped the stuttering lad. "Variety is the +spice of life," he concluded, his hesitating manner of speech leaving +him, as usual, following the puckering of his lips and the resultant +music. + +"That's no reason why we should be peppered with troubles," grumbled +Joe, giving the "jack" a vicious twist and raising the rear axle still +higher. "Here it is, only three days since we left Santa Barbara and +I'm certain that I've fixed at least four punctures already." + +"Well, you'll be a model of punctuality when----" grinned Nat +aggravatingly, but Joe had sprung from his crouching posture and made +for him threateningly. + +"Nat Trevor, if you dare to pun, I'll--I'll--bust your spark plug." + +"Meaning my head, I suppose," taunted Nat from a safe distance, namely, +a rock at the side of the dusty road. "'Lay on, Macduff.'" + +"Oh, I've more important things to go," concluded Joe, with as much +dignity as he could muster, turning once more to his tools. + +While he is struggling with the puncture let us look about a little and +see where the Motor Rangers, whom we left in Lower California, are now +located. As readers of "The Motor Rangers' Lost Mine" know, the three +bright lads with a companion, oddly named Sandrock Smith, had visited +the sun-smitten peninsula to investigate some mysterious thefts of +lumber from a dye-wood property belonging to Mr. Pomery, "The Lumber +King," Nat's employer. While in that country, which they only reached +after a series of exciting and sometimes dangerous incidents, they +stumbled across a gold mine in which Nat's father had, years before, +been heavily interested. + +Readers of that volume will also recall that Hale Bradford, the Eastern +millionaire, and his unscrupulous associates had made a lot of trouble +for Nat and his companions after the discovery. The exciting escape +of Nat in a motor boat across the waters of the Gulf of California +will also be called to mind, as well as the story of how matters +were finally adjusted and Nat became, if not a millionaire, at least +a very well-to-do young man. The gift of the auto in which they were +now touring was likewise explained. The splendid vehicle, with its +numerous contrivances for comfortable touring, had been the present of +Mr. Pomery to the lads, as a token of his esteem and gratitude for the +conclusion to which they had brought the dishonest dealings of Diego +Velasco, a Mexican employed by Mr. Pomery. + +On their return to California proper, the lads had spent a brief time +with their parents, and Nat had seen his mother ensconced in a pretty +house on the outskirts of Santa Barbara. It had been a great delight to +the lady to leave the tiny cottage in which straitened circumstances +following the death of Nat's father, had compelled them to live. Joe +Hartley, we know, was the son of a department store keeper of Santa +Barbara, and Ding-dong Bell was the only child of a well-to-do widow. +So much for our introductions. + +Inactivity had soon palled on the active minds of the Motor Rangers, +and they had, with the consent of their parents, planned another trip. +This time, however, it was to be for pleasure. As Nat had said, "We had +enough adventures in Lower California to last us a lifetime." But of +what lay ahead of them not one of the boys dreamed, when, three days +before, they had started from Santa Barbara for a tour of the Sierras. +Nat was desirous of showing that it was feasible to hunt and fish and +tour the mountains in an automobile just as well as on horseback. The +car, therefore, carried rifles and shot guns as well as fishing rods +and paraphernalia for camping. We shall not give an inventory of it +now. Suffice it to say that it was completely outfitted, and as the +details of the car itself have been told in the previous volume we +shall content ourselves with introducing each as occasion arises. + +The particular puncture which Joe was repairing when this volume opens, +occurred just as the lads were bowling over a rather rough road into +Antelope Valley, a narrow, wind-swept canyon between two steep ranges +of mountains. The valley is in the heart of the Sierras, and though +too insignificant to be noted on any but the largest maps, forms a +portion of the range well known to mountaineers. It is a few miles from +the Tehachapi Pass, at which, geographers are agreed, the true Sierra +Nevadas begin. + +"Say, fellows," exclaimed Nat suddenly, looking about him at the +sky which from being slightly overcast had now become black and +threatening, "we're going to have a storm of some sort. If you're ready +there, Joe, we'll be jogging along. We ought to be under shelter when +it hits." + +"Yes," agreed Joe, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, "it will +go whooping through this narrow valley like the mischief." + +As he spoke he lowered the "jack," and put the finishing touches on +his repair. The auto carried plenty of extra tires, but naturally the +boys wished to be sparing of their new ones while the others offered an +opportunity for a patch. + +As the first heavy rain drops fell, sending up little spurts of dust +from the dry road and the dusty chaparral bordering it, Nat started +the motor, and the car was soon whizzing forward at a good speed. +Thanks to its finely-tempered springs and the shock absorbers with +which it was equipped, the roughness of the road had little effect on +the comfort of the riders. + +"This is going to be a hummer," shouted Joe suddenly, "we'd better get +up the shelter hood." + +Nat agreed, and soon the contrivance referred to, which was like a low +"top" of waterproof khaki, was stretched on its collapsible frames. It +fitted all round the auto, enclosing it like a snug waterproof tent. In +front was a window of mica through which the driver could see the road. +The erection of the shelter took but a few seconds and presently the +car was once more chugging forward. + +But as the storm increased in violence, the wind rose, till it fairly +screamed through the narrow funnel of the rocky-walled valley. Through +his window Nat could see trees being bent as if they were buggy whips. + +"If this gets much worse we'll have to find cover," he thought, "or +else lose our shelter hood." + +He glanced apprehensively at the steel supports of the shelter, which +were bending and bowing under the stress put upon them. As Nat had +remarked to himself, they would not stand much more pressure. + +"Say, the rain is coming in here," began Joe suddenly, as a tiny +trickle began to pour into the tonneau. It came through a crack in the +khaki top which had been wrenched apart by the violence of the wind. + +"It's g-g-g-gone d-d-d-own the bab-b-b-back of my n-n-n-neck," +sputtered Ding-dong Bell protestingly. + +"Never mind, Ding-dong," comforted Joe, "maybe it will wash your parts +of speech out straight." + +"I'm going to head for that cave yonder," exclaimed Nat, after running +a few more minutes. + +He had spied a dark opening in the rocks to his right, while the others +had been talking, and had guessed that it was the mouth of a cave of +some sort. And so it proved. + +The auto was turned off the road, or rather track, and after bumping +over rocks and brush rolled into the shelter of the cavern. It seemed +quite an abrupt change from the warring of the elements outside to the +darkness and quiet of the chamber in the rocks, and the Motor Rangers +lost no time in lowering the hood and looking about to find out in what +sort of a place they had landed. + +So far as they could see, after they had all climbed out of the car, +the cave was a large one. It ran back and its limits were lost in +darkness. The mouth, however, was quite a big opening, being more than +twenty feet across at the base. It narrowed into a sharp-topped arch at +the summit, from which greenery hung down. + +"Let's see where we are," remarked Nat, taking off his heavy driving +gloves and throwing them upon the driver's seat. + +"You'd have to be a cat to do that," laughed Joe Hartley, gazing back +into the dense blackness of the cavern. + +"That's soon fixed," added Nat, and removing one of the lights of the +car from its socket he pressed a little button. A sharp click resulted, +and a flood of brilliant white radiance poured from the lamp. It was an +improved carbide contrivance, the illuminant which made the gas being +carried in its socket. + +The boy turned its rays backward into the cave, flooding the rough, +rocky walls, stained here and there with patches of dampness and moss, +with a blaze of light. + +"Say," cried Joe suddenly, as the rays fell far back into the cave but +still did not seem to reach its terminus, "what is that back there?" + +As he spoke he seized Nat's sleeve in a nervous, alarmed way. + +"What?" demanded Nat, holding the light high above his head in his +effort to pierce the uttermost shadows. + +"Why that--don't you see it?" cried Joe. + +"I do now," exclaimed Nat in a startled voice, "it's----" + +"T-t-t-two g-g-glaring eyes!" fizzed Ding-dong Bell. + +As he spoke, from behind the boys, came a low, menacing growl. They +faced about abruptly to see what this new source of alarm might be. + +As they all turned in the direction from which the growl had +proceeded--namely the mouth of the cave--a cry of dismay was forced +from the lips of the three lads. Stealthily approaching them, with +cat-like caution, was a low, long-bodied animal of a tawny color. Its +black-tipped tail was lashing the ground angrily, and its two immense +eyes were glaring with a green light, in the gloom of the cave. + +"A mountain lion!" cried Nat, recognizing their treacherous foe in an +instant. + +"And its mate's back there in the cave," called Joe, still more +alarmedly. + +"G-g-g-g-get the g-g-g-guns!" sputtered Ding-dong. + +This was far more easy to recommend than to accomplish, however. The +lads, never dreaming that they would want their weapons, had left them +in the automobile. The car, as will be recalled, had been left near the +mouth of the cave. The mountain lion advancing toward them had already +passed the auto and was now between them and the place in which their +weapons were reposing. + +The mountain lion, or cougar, ordinarily not dangerous unless it gets +its foe at an absolute disadvantage, becomes, during the mating season, +a vindictive, savage brute, if separated from its mate. That this was +now the case was evident. There was no room to doubt that the two green +eyes glaring from the remote blackness of the cave were the optics of +another "lion." + +The young Motor Rangers were fairly trapped. Without weapons or any +means of protecting themselves but their bare hands, they were in +imminent peril of a nasty conclusion to their sudden encounter. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +BETWEEN TWO FIRES. + + +Snarling in very much the manner of an angry cat, the lion, which had +appeared at the mouth of the cave, began to come forward more rapidly. +At the same instant, as if by mutual consent, his mate started to +advance from the rear of the cave. It was evident that if they did not +wish to be seriously injured, perhaps killed, the Motor Rangers would +have to act, and act quickly. + +But what were they to do? Nat it was who solved the question. The floor +of the cave was littered with boulders of various sizes, ranging from +stones of a pound or so in weight, up to huge rocks beyond a boy's +power to lift. + +Stooping down swiftly Nat selected a stone a little larger than a +baseball, and then throwing himself into a pitching posture, awaited +the oncoming cougar, approaching from the cave mouth. + +The boy had been the best pitcher the Santa Barbara Academy had ever +produced, and his companions saw in a flash that he meant to exercise +his skill now in a way of which he had little dreamed when on the +diamond. His hand described an evolution in the air, far too quick to +be followed by the eye. The next instant the stone left his grasp, and +swished through the atmosphere. + +Straight and true it sped to its mark. + +And it struck home none too quick. The lion had already crouched for a +spring on the defenseless lads, who stood between himself and his mate, +when Nat's missile was discharged. + +Crack! + +The sharp noise of the stone's impact with the skull of the crouching +feline sounded like a rifle shot. + +"Bull's-eye!" yelled Joe excitedly. + +And bull's-eye it was. The rock had a sharp edge which Nat, in his +haste, had not noticed. As it struck the lion's head it did so with the +keen surface foremost. Like a knife it drove its way into the skull +and the lion, with a howl of pain and fury, turned, stumbled forward a +few paces, and then rolled over. + +Before the others could stop him, Ding-dong Bell, entirely forgetting +the other lion, dashed forward to examine the fallen monster. The +result of his action was that his career came very near being +terminated then and there. The cougar had only been stunned, and as the +stuttering boy gave one of its ears a tug, it leaped erect once more +and struck a blow at him with its chisel-like claws that would have +torn him badly had they struck. + +But Ding-dong, though deliberate in his speech, was quick in action. He +leaped backward like an acrobat, as he saw the mighty muscles tauten +for action, and so escaped being felled by the blow. He could feel it +"swish" past his nose, however, and entirely too close to be pleasant. + +In the meantime, Nat, realizing that his best move would be to get to +their arms, had made a flying leap for the auto and seized an automatic +rifle of heavy calibre. As Ding-dong leaped back he aimed and fired, +but in the darkness he missed, and with a mighty bound the wounded +cougar leaped out of the cave and dashed off through the storm into the +brush on the hillside above. + +"One!" exclaimed Nat, like Monte Cristo in the play. + +The others gave a low laugh. They could afford not to worry so much +now. True, there was one of the cougars still back in the cave, but +with their rifles in their hands the lads had little to fear. + +"I felt for a minute, though, like I did that time the Mexican devil +sprang on me near the gulf village," said Nat, recalling one of his +most perilous moments in Lower California. + +But there was little time for conversation. Nat had hardly uttered +his last remark before the cougar at the rear of the cave began to +give signs that it too was meditating an attack. There are few animals +that will not fight desperately when cornered, even a rat making a +formidable foe sometimes under such conditions, and cornered the +cougar unquestionably was. + +"She's coming," warned Joe in a low voice, as a rumbling growl +resounded above the roar of the storm outside. + +"L-l-let her c-c-come," sputtered Ding-dong defiantly. + +"Better climb into the car, boys," said Nat in a whispered tone, "we +can get better aim from an elevation." + +Accordingly they clambered into the tonneau of the motor vehicle, and +kneeling on the seat awaited the onslaught which they knew must come in +a few seconds. + +"I've half a mind to let her go, if we can without putting ourselves in +danger," said Nat, "it doesn't seem fair somehow to shoot down a poor +brute in cold blood." + +"But that poor brute would attack you without hesitation if you lay +injured on a trail," Joe reminded him; "these cougars, too, kill +hundreds of sheep and young calves, just for the sheer love of +killing, for half of what they kill they never touch." + +"That's right," agreed Nat, "still fair play is a jewel, and----" + +Further words were taken out of his mouth by something that occurred +just at that instant, and settled the fate of the cougar then and there. + +Ding-dong Bell, whose unlucky day it seemed to be, had, in his +excitement, been leaning far over the back of the tonneau, peering +into the darkness at the rear of the cave. He was trying to detect the +shadowy outlines of the cougar. A few seconds before Joe Hartley had +said:-- + +"Look out, Ding-dong, or you'll go overboard." + +The stuttering youth's reply had been a scornful snicker. But now, +however, he craned his neck just a bit too far. His upper quarters +over-balanced his stumpy legs and body, and with a howl that rivalled +the cougar's, he toppled clean over the edge of the tonneau. + +The floor of the cave sloped steeply toward the rear, and when +Ding-dong struck it he did not stop. Instead, the momentum lent him +by his fall appeared to propel him forward down the sloping floor. +He yelled for help as he felt himself rapidly and involuntarily being +borne toward the hidden cougar. + +By some mysterious combination of misfortune, too, the carbide in the +lamp, which had not been renewed since they left Santa Barbara, gave +out with a flicker and a fizz at this moment. The cave was plunged +into almost total darkness. Nat's heart came into his throat as he +realized that if the cougar was not killed within the next few seconds, +Ding-dong's life might pay the forfeit. + +"Good gracious!" shouted Joe above poor Ding-dong's cries, "how are we +going to see to shoot?" + +"Aim at the eyes," grated out Nat earnestly, "it's our only chance." + +As he spoke there came an angry snarl and a hissing snort. It mingled +with a shout of alarm from Ding-dong, who had now stopped rolling, but +was not yet on his feet. The she-cougar had seen his peril and had +taken the opportunity to bring down at least one of her enemies. + +Straight up, as if impelled by a powerful steel spring, she shot. But +even as she was in mid-spring two rifles cracked, and with a convulsive +struggle the great tawny body fell with a thud to the floor of the +cave, clawing and scratching and uttering piercing roars and cries. + +"Put her out of her misery," said Nat, as Ding-dong, having regained +his feet, darted at the top of his speed for the mouth of the cave. + +Once more the rifles blazed away at the two green points of fire which +marked the wounded cougar's eyes. This time dead silence followed +the reports, which reverberated deafeningly in the confines of the +cave. There was no doubt but that the animal was dead. But where was +Ding-dong? + +His companion Motor Rangers looked anxiously about them, but could see +nothing of him. In the excitement they had not noticed him dart by. +Presently, however, a slight noise near the cave month attracted their +attention. There was Ding-dong out in the rain, and drenched to the +skin, peering into the cave. + +"C-a-can I c-c-c-come in?" he asked hesitatingly. + +"Yes, and hurry up, too," ordered Nat in as stern a voice as he could +command. "Your first duty," he went on, "will be to dig down in the +clothes chest and put on dry things. Then you will refill the lamps +with carbide, which you ought to have done two days ago, and after that +you may patch up the tear the wind made in our shelter hood." + +"And--phwit--after that?" inquired Ding-dong with so serious an aspect +that they had to laugh. + +"I'll think up something to keep you out of mischief," said Nat finally. + +While Ding-dong set about his tasks after investing himself in dry +clothes, the others skinned the cougar and kindled a fire with some +driftwood that lay about the cave. Hot coffee was then brewed, and +some of the stores opened. After imbibing several cups of the steaming +mixture, and eating numerous slices of bread and butter, the Motor +Rangers felt better. + +By this time, too, the storm had almost passed over, only a slight +drizzle remaining to tell of the visit of the mountain tempest. An +investigation of the cave failed to show any trace of a regular den in +it, and the boys came to the conclusion, which was probably correct, +that the cougars had merely taken to it for shelter from the storm. +However that was, all three of them felt that they had had a mighty +narrow escape. Ding-dong inwardly resolved that from that time on +he would take care to have the lamps packed with carbide, for Nat's +relation of how nearly the sudden cessation of the light had cost him +his life gave the stuttering youth many qualms. + +"I guess the storm is about over," said Joe, looking out of the cave +while holding a tin cup of coffee in his hand. + +"I see enough blue sky to m-m-m-make a pair of pants for every +s-s-s-s-sailor in the navy," remarked Ding-dong, who had joined him. + +"That's a sure sign of clearer weather," said Nat, "come on, boys, +pack up the cups and get the car ready and we'll go ahead." + +"Where are we going to stop to-night?" asked Joe. "I guess we can't be +many miles from Lariat, can we?" + +"I'll see," rejoined Nat, diving into his breast pocket and pulling out +a map stoutly mounted on tough linen to prevent tearing. He pored over +it for a moment. + +"The map puts Lariat about fifteen miles from here," he said. + +"What sort of a p-p-p-lace is it?" Ding-dong wished to know. + +"A small post-office station," rejoined Nat. "I don't imagine that +there is even a hotel there." + +Ding-dong, who didn't object to the luxuries of life, sighed. Somehow, +he had been looking forward to stopping at a hotel that night. He said +nothing, however, well knowing how his complaints would be received. + +The auto was soon moving out of the cave in which they had had so +exciting an encounter. Nat was at the wheel and his two companions in +the tonneau. The faces of all were as beaming as the weather had now +turned out. These boys dearly loved the sensation of taking to the road +and proceeding on into the unknown and adventurous. + +The rough strip separating the road, as we must in courtesy call it, +from the steep rock-face in which the cave lay, was speedily traversed +and the auto's nose headed north. For some time they bowled along at +a slow speed, the track growing rapidly rougher and rougher, till it +seemed that nothing on wheels could get over it. + +"What's the m-m-m-matter?" asked Ding-dong suddenly of Joe Hartley, who +for a bumpy mile or two had sat with his head cocked on one side as if +listening intently for something. + +"I'm listening for a puncture," grinned Joe, resuming his posture of +attention. + +As the road grew rougher the walls of the valley began to close in. +They grew more lofty as the pass grew narrower, till only a thin strip +of blue sky showed at the summit. The rugged slopes were clothed with +a sparse growth of pine timber and chaparral. Immense faces of rock +cropped out among these. The whole scene had a wild and savage aspect. + +Suddenly they reached a spot where the road took an abrupt dip +downward. From the summit the descent looked as steep as the wall of +a house. Fortunately, they carried an emergency brake, so that the +steepness of the declivity did not alarm them. Without hesitating +Nat allowed the car to roll over the summit and begin the drop. The +exhilaration of the rapid motion made him delay applying his emergency +just as soon as he should have, and the car had been running at +considerable speed when there came a sudden shout from Joe:-- + +"Look, Nat! Look!" + +The boy, who had been adjusting his spark lever, looked up suddenly. +They were just rounding a curve, beyond which the road pitched down +more steeply than ever. + +At the bottom of the long hill stood an obstacle. Nat at a glance +made it out as a stage coach of the old-fashioned "thorough-brace +type." It was stationary, however, and its passengers stood about it +in scattered groups, while, so far as Nat could see, no horses were +attached to it. + +"Better go slow. There seems to be something the matter down there at +the bottom of the grade," the boy remarked. + +At the same instant his hand sought the emergency brake lever and he +pushed it forward. + +There was a loud crack as he did so, and an alarmed look flashed across +his face as the lever suddenly felt "loose" in his hand. The car seemed +to give an abrupt leap forward and plunge on more swiftly than ever. + +Below him Nat could see the scattered figures pointing upward +excitedly. He waved and yelled to warn them that he had no control +over the car which was tearing forward with the speed of the wind. The +ordinary brake had no effect on it under the speed it had now gathered. +Lurching and plunging like a ship at sea, it rushed onward. + +Directly in its path, immovable as a rock, was the stage coach. All +three of the Motor Rangers' bronzed, sunburned faces blanched as they +rushed onward to what seemed inevitable disaster. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +IN A RUNAWAY AUTO. + + +"Can't you stop her?" gasped Joe, clutching the forward portion of the +tonneau and gripping it so tight that his knuckles went white. + +Nat shook his head. He felt that he had done what he could to slow down +the car. There was nothing left now but to face the end as resolutely +as possible. As long as they lived the Motor Rangers never forgot that +wild ride down the mountainside in a runaway car. + +The speed can be described by no other word than terrific. The +handkerchiefs all three of the boys wore about their necks to keep off +sunstroke and dust streaked out behind as stiff as if cut out of tin. +Their hair was blown back flat on their heads by the speed, and every +now and then the car would strike a rock, which at the speed it was +going would throw it high into the air. At such moments the auto would +come back to the trail with a crash that threatened to dislocate every +spring in its composition. + +But Nat, his eyes glued to the path in front of him, clung to the +wheel, gripping it till the varnish stuck to his palms. He knew that +the slightest mistake on his part might precipitate the seemingly +certain disaster. Suddenly, however, his heart gave a glad bound. + +He saw before him one loophole of escape from a catastrophe. The stage +was halted against the rocky wall on the right-hand side of the trail. +So far over toward the rocky wall was it, in fact, that its hubs almost +scraped it. This left a narrow space between its left-hand wheels and +the other wall of the pass. + +True, it looked so narrow that it hardly seemed possible that the auto +could dash through, but it was the only chance that presented itself, +and Nat was quick to take advantage of it. As they saw what the boy +intended to do the onlookers about the stage broke into a cheer, which +was quickly checked as they held their breath in anticipation. It was +one chance in a thousand that Nat was taking. Would he win out? + +Closer thundered the auto while the alarmed stage passengers crowded +to the far side of the pass. Nat, his eyes glued on the narrow space +between the stage and the wall of rock, bent low over the wheel. His +heart underwent a terrible sinking sensation as it grew closer and he +saw how narrow the space was. But he didn't give up on that account. On +the contrary, the extremely narrow margin of hope acted as a tonic on +his nerves. + +As a naval gunner aims his big projectiles so Nat aimed the thundering +runaway automobile for the narrow opening between the stage and the +cliff. + +Almost before he realized it he was there. + +There was a quick flash of a brightly painted vehicle and white, +anxious human faces as he shot by the stage and its dismounted +passengers. + +An ominous scraping sound was audible for an instant as the hubs of the +stage and the auto's tonneau came in contact. To the left, Nat felt +the scrub growing in the cracks of the rock brush his face, and then, +amidst a shout of joy from behind, the auto emerged beyond the stage, +unharmed save for a few scratches. + +As Nat brought it to a standstill on the level, the travellers came +running up at top speed. All were anxious to shake the hand of the +daring boy who had turned seeming disaster into safety by his grit and +cool-headedness. + +"Pod'ner, you jammed that thar gas brigantine through that lilly hole +like you wos makin' a poket at bill-yards," admiringly cried a tall +man in a long linen duster and sombrero, about whose throat was a red +handkerchief. He grasped Nat's hand and wrung it as if he would have +shaken it off. + +"My name's Cal Gifford. I'm the driver of the Lariat-to-Hombre stage," +he announced, "and any of you kids kin ride free with me any time +you've a mind to." + +"Thank you," said Nat, still a bit trembly from his nervous strain, "I +really believe that if you only had horses we'd accept your invitation +and tow the auto behind." + +As he spoke he started to scramble out of the car, the others following +his example. The Motor Rangers were anxious to see what had gone wrong +with their ordinarily trustworthy vehicle. + +"Oh, he's quite young," simpered an elderly lady in a big veil, who was +accompanied by her daughter, a girl of about twenty. An old man with +fierce white whiskers stood beside them. They were evidently tourists. +So, too, was a short, stout, blonde little man as rotund as a cider +keg, who stepped up to the boys as they prepared to examine their car. + +"Holt, plez!" he said in an authoritative voice. "I vish to take zee +phitograft." + +Nat looked somewhat astonished at so curt an order, but the other two +Motor Rangers merely grinned. + +"Better let him, pod'ner," suggested Cal Gifford. "He took them road +agents a while back. Caught 'em in the act of sneaking the express +box." + +"Chess!" sputtered the little German. "I gedt find pigdures of all of +dem. Dey vossn't looking andt I--click!" + +As he spoke he rapidly produced a camera, and before the boys knew +what was happening he had pressed a little lever, and behold they were +"taken." But, in fact, their minds had been busy with something else. +This something was what the stage driver had referred to. + +"Road agents?" asked Nat. "You've been held up, then?" + +"Yep, pod'ner, that's what it amounts to," drawled Cal nonchalantly, as +if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. + +"The varmints stepped out frum behind that thar rock and we didn't hev +time ter say 'Knife' afore we found ourselves lookin' inter the muzzles +of as complete a collection of rifles as you ever saw." + +"Un dey tooked avay der horses by der oudtside," put in the German +tourist. "Oh, I schall have me fine tales to tell ven I get me pack by +der Faderland." + +"The Dutchman's right," said Cal. "The onnery skunks unhitched our +plugs and scampered 'em off up the trail. I reckon they're in their +barn at Lariat by this time." + +"Oh, dear, and we'll have to walk," cried the young lady, bursting into +tears. + +"And I haf vot you call it, a oatmeal?--py my pig toe," protested the +German. + +"I guess you mean a corn, Dutchy," laughed Cal. + +"Vell, I knowed it vos some kindt of cereal," was the reply. + +"Seems a shame to see that purty critter cry, don't it?" said Cal, +nodding his head sidewise toward the weeping young lady. + +"This is an outrage! An outrage, I say!" her white-whiskered father +began shouting. "Why were those highwaymen not shot down? Why didn't +somebody act?" + +"Well, pod'ner, you acted up fer sure," grinned Cal. "Am I mistaken or +did I hear you say you'd give 'em five thousand dollars for your life?" + +"Bah!" shouted the white-whiskered man. "It was your duty sure to +protect us. You should have fired at them." + +"I'd hev bin a hull lot uv use to yer then, except fer funeral poposes, +wouldn't I?" inquired Cal calmly. + +"Bah! sir, bah!" sputtered the angry old gentleman. + +"Good thing ther h'aint no mounting lions 'round," drawled Cal. "They +might think we wuz an outfit of sheepmen by all the bah-bahing we be +doin'." + +"But how is my daughter to get to Lariat, sir?" begged the elderly +lady. "She hurt her foot in getting off the stage." + +"Well, ma'am," said Cal, "supposing yer man yonder takes a try at +carryin' her instead of wasting wind a-bahing?" + +"Voss iss diss bah? Maybe I get a picture of him?" asked the German, +bustling up excitedly with his camera all ready for business. + +"Oh, sir, my husband was excited. He didn't know what he was saying," +exclaimed the elderly lady clasping her hands. + +"There, ma'am, don't take on. I was only a-having my bit of fun," said +Cal. "Maybe when these boys get their gasoline catamarang fixed up +they'll give us a ride." + +"But they cannot take all of us, sir," cried the lady, beginning to +weep afresh. + +"There, there, ma'am, never mind ther irrigation--I mean 'Weep not them +tears,'" comforted Cal. "Anyhow, you and your daughter can get a ride." + +"But my husband--my poor husband, sir." + +Cal turned with a grin at a sudden noise behind them. The +white-whiskered man had now turned his wrath on the unfortunate German. + +"Out of my sight, you impudent Teuton," he was shouting. "Don't +aggravate me, sir, or I'll have your blood. I'm a peaceable tourist, +sir, but I have fought and bled in my time." + +"Must hev bin bit by a mosquito and chased it," commented Cal to +himself as the lady hastened to console her raging better half, and the +little Dutchman skipped nimbly out of harm's way. + +"What yo' bin a-doing to ther ole bell-wether, Dutchy?" inquired Cal. + +"I ask him if he blease tell me vere I can get a picture of dot Bah, +und he get madt right avay quvick," explained the Teuton. + +While all this had been going on among the tourists and Cal, the +other passengers, mainly mountaineers, had stood in a group aside +talking among themselves. In the meanwhile, the Motor Rangers had been +examining the damage to their car. They found that the connecting +rod working the band of the emergency brake had snapped, and that a +blacksmith would be needed to weld it. Cal, who had strolled up in time +to hear this decision, informed them that there was a blacksmith at +Lariat. + +"And a good 'un, too," he volunteered. + +The stage driver then made a request for a ride on behalf of the young +lady and her parents. + +"Me and the Dutchman and the rest kin hoof it," he remarked. "It ain't +above five mile, and down grade, too." + +"A steep grade?" asked Nat, with some appearance of interest as Joe +finished unbolting the loose ends of the broken rod. + +"No, jest gentle. It runs on 'bout this way all down into Lariat." + +"Well, then," said Nat, with a smile, "I'll save you all the trouble of +walking." + +"How's that, pod'ner? We kain't all pile in the hold of that benzine +buggy." + +"No; but I can give you a tow." + +"What, hitch my stage on ahind your oleomargerinerous gas cart?" + +"That's it." + +"By the big peak of Mount Whitney, that's an idee!" exclaimed the +delighted stage driver, capering about and snapping his fingers like a +big child. "Wait a jiffy, I'll explain it all to Bah-bah and the rest." + +This was soon done, and the Motor Rangers in the interval attached a +rope to the rear axle of the car and in turn made it fast to the front +of the stage. The pole of the latter vehicle was then led over the +tonneau of the auto and Joe and Ding-dong deputed to steer. From the +driver's box of the stage Cal worked the brake. + +An experimental run of a few yards was made, and on the gentle grade +the plan was found to work perfectly, the auto towing the heavy stage +without difficulty. + +"Now, then, all aboard the stagemotebubble!" shouted Cal, and a few +minutes later all the passengers, delighted with the novelty of the +experience, had piled on board. All delighted, that is, except the +white-whiskered man. + +"All aboard that's a-goin' ter get thar!" bellowed Cal, fixing him with +a baleful eye. + +"Bah! Bah!" sputtered the white-whiskered one indignantly, nevertheless +skipping nimbly on beside his wife and daughter. + +But there came a fresh delay. + +"Holt on, blease! Vait! I vish a photegrift to take him!" + +"Ef yer don't hurry up Dutchy," shouted Cal, "you'll hev a picter of +yerself a-walking inter Lariat." + +But the photo was taken without delay, and amid a cheer from her +overjoyed passengers, the stage, which moved by such novel means, +rumbled onward on its way to Lariat. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +MOTOR RANGERS TO THE RESCUE. + + +"That came pretty near being like the time we collided with the hay +wagon in Lower California," commented Joe, as the auto got under way, +with her cumbersome tow rattling along behind. + +"Yes, only this time we didn't hit," laughed Nat, who had quite +recovered from the strain of those terrible moments when it seemed that +they must go crashing into the stage. + +"A m-m-m-miss is as g-g-g-good as a m-m-m-mile any day," said +Ding-dong, as his contribution to the conversation. + +As Cal Gifford had said, the road was a gentle gradient between steep +mountain ranges. Consequently, the towing of the coach was an easy +matter. The two boys in the tonneau steered it by giving the pole a +push or a tug as occasion required--much as they would have handled +the tiller of a boat. When the stage showed signs of coming ahead too +fast Cal shoved the foot brake forward, at once checking the impetus. + +Quite a small crowd turned out to witness the strange scene as the two +vehicles rolled into Lariat. The place was a typical western mountain +station. There was a small post-office, two or three rough houses +and a hotel. In the heydey of gold mining, Lariat had been quite a +flourishing place, but the hand of decay was upon it at the present +time. The hotel, however, was, as Ding-dong noticed, apparently open +for business. At least several loungers arose from their chairs on +the porch, and came forward with exclamations of surprise, as the two +conveyances lumbered into town. + +Nat shut off power in front of the post-office and at the same time +Cal applied and locked the brakes, bringing the stage likewise +to a standstill. The postmaster, a long, lanky Westerner, with a +much-patched pair of trousers tucked into boot tops, was already out in +front of his little domain. + +"Ther horses be back in ther barn," he volunteered, as Cal looked at +him questioningly. "They come galloping in here like a blue streak an +hour ago." + +"Yep, bin held up again," Cal volunteered as the crowd gathered about +the stage, "and ef it hadn't been for these bubble boys here we +wouldn't hev got inter town yit." + +"Take everything, Cal?" asked the postmaster. + +"Yep; stock, lock and barrel, as the feller says. Left us our +vallibles, though. I reckon they would have taken them if it hadn't bin +for the noise this here gasolene giglet made as it come over ther hill. +Thet scared 'em, and they galloped off, takin' ther plugs with 'em." + +"Consarn 'em! I reckon they're some of Col. Merced Morello's gang. +They've bin active hereabouts lately. Jes heard afore you come in thet +they'd raided a ranch up north an' tuk two hundred head of stock." + +"Outrageous! Outrageous!" exclaimed the white-whiskered man, who had +been listening with an angry, red countenance, "why does not some one +capture them?" + +"Well, sir," rejoined the postmaster, "if you kin tell us whar ter find +'em we'll furnish ther men to smoke 'em out. But up to date no one +ain't bin able ter git a glimpse of 'em. They jes' swoop down and then +vanish ag'in." + +"They've got some hidin' place off in the mountins," opined Cal; "but +you can bet that the old colonel's foxy enough ter keep it close, +wherever it is." + +"Betcher life," said one or two in the crowd who had heard. + +While this had been going on the Motor Rangers had been hard at work +unhitching their car from the stage. In this operation they had been +considerably bothered by the crowd which, never having seen an auto +before, elbowed right up and indulged in comment and investigation. +Ding-dong caught one bewhiskered old fellow in the very act of +abstracting a spark plug. The boy promptly switched on the current and +the investigator, with a wild yell, hopped backward into the crowd, +wringing his hand. + +"The critter bit me," he explained to the crowd. Such was his +explanation of the sharp electric shock he had received. + +The proprietor of the hotel now hastened up, and began urging the +passengers on the stage to stay the night in his hotel. Another stage +went on from Lariat, and after a run of sixty miles struck the railroad +in the valley. This stage was to start in half an hour. After a hasty +meal the white-whiskered man and his family, and several of the other +passengers, decided to continue their journey. The boys, however, after +a consultation, came to the determination to spend the night at Lariat. + +Their first care had been to hunt up the blacksmith Cal had referred +to, and to give into his hands the connecting rod. He promised to have +it welded as good as new by morning. This arranged, the boys sauntered +back to the hotel just in time to watch the other stage pull out. On a +rear seat sat the white-whiskered man. He was still boiling, despite +the fact that the robbers had not harmed him or his family in any way. +In fact, he occasionally simmered over. + +The last the boys saw of him he had gotten hold of a fat, good-natured +little man, who looked like a drummer, and they could hear frequent +exclamations of "Bah!" coming back toward them, like the explosions of +a rapid-fire gun. A moment later the stage vanished behind a rocky turn +in the road. + +Soon after the boys were called in to supper. Among the company at the +meal was a tall man with a black mustache drooping down each side of +his mouth in typical Western fashion. + +"He looks like the pictures of Alkali Ike," remarked Joe in an +undertone as they concluded the meal and arose, leaving the +black-mustached man and the others still eating. + +Outside they found it was a beautiful night. The storm of the afternoon +had laid the dust, and the moon was rising brilliantly in the clear and +sharp atmosphere peculiar to the high regions of the Sierras. In the +silvery radiance every rock and bush was outlined sharply. The road +lay between black curtains of mountainside, like a stretch of white +ribbon. + +"Let's go for a stroll," suggested Nat, as they stood about on the +veranda wondering what they could do with themselves till bedtime. + +The other two were nothing loath, and so, without bothering to say a +word to any one, the lads sauntered off down the road. The balmy scent +of pines and the mountain laurel hung heavily in the air. Nat inhaled +it delightedly. + +"I tell you, fellows, this is living," he exclaimed. + +"You bet," agreed Joe heartily. + +"T-t-t-that p-p-pie was f-f-fine," said the unpoetical Ding-dong, +smacking his lips at the recollection of the dessert. + +"There you go," said Nat in mock disgust, "always harping on eating." + +"T-th-that's b-b-better-phwit--than eating on harpoons, isn't it?" +asked Ding-dong, with a look of injured innocence. + +"I said harping on eating. Not harpoons on eating," retorted Nat. + +"Oh," said Ding-dong. "Well, don't wail about it." + +"Say, if you make any more puns I'll chuck you down into that canyon," +threatened Joe, pointing downward into a black abyss which, at the +portion of the road they had now reached, yawned to one side of the +thoroughfare. + +"You make me chuckle," grunted the incorrigible Ding-dong, avoiding the +threatened fate, however, by clambering and hiding behind a madrone +tree. + +"Tell you what I'll do," cried Nat suddenly. + +"Well, what?" demanded Joe, as Nat stopped short. + +"I'll run you fellows a race to the bottom of the hill." + +"You're on," cried Ding-dong from his retreat, and emerging immediately +thereafter, "don't bust your emergency brake though, or we'll have more +trouble." + +He peered ahead down the moonlit canyon, and noted that the road was +quite steep for a distance of about a quarter of a mile. + +The boys were all good runners and experts, in fact, at all branches +of athletics. Their blood fairly tingled as Nat lined them up and they +stood awaiting the word "go." + +At last it came. + +Like arrows from so many bows the three boys shot forward, Ding-dong +in the lead. How his stubby legs did move! Like pistons in their speed +and activity. There was no question about it, Ding-dong could run. Five +feet or so behind him came Joe and at his rear was Nat, who, knowing +that he was ordinarily a faster runner than either, had handicapped +himself a bit. + +He speedily overhauled the others, however, although Ding-dong gave him +a stiff tussle. Reaching the finishing line, Nat looked back up the +moonlit road. Ding-dong and Joe were speeding toward him neck and neck. + +"Go it, Ding-dong!" yelled Nat, "come on, Joe." + +In a cloud of dust and small rocks the two contestants rushed on. +Suddenly one of Ding-dong's feet caught in a rock, and at the impetus +he had attained, the sudden shock caused him to soar upward into the +air, as if he were about to essay a flight through space. + +Extending his arms spread-eagle fashion, the fleshy, stuttering youth +floundered above the ground for a brief second, and then, as Joe dashed +across the line he came down with a resounding crash. Flat on his face +he fell in the middle of the dusty road. + +"Pick him up," exclaimed Nat as he saw the catastrophe. + +Joe, who had by this time checked his speed, headed about after Nat, +and started for the recumbent Ding-dong. As they neared his side, +however, the lad jumped up with a grin on his rotund features. + +"Fooled you, didn't I?" he chuckled. + +"Goo--d gracious. I thought you had fractured every bone in your body," +exclaimed Nat. + +"Can't hurt me; I'm made of cast-iron," snickered Ding-dong. + +"I always knew that applied to your head," said Joe, determined to +tease the boy a bit in revenge for the fright he had given them, "but I +never realized before that the complaint had spread all over you." + +"I'd have won the race anyhow if I hadn't taken that tumble," retorted +Ding-dong, and as this seemed to be no more than the truth the others +had nothing to say in rejoinder. + +"I guess we had better be getting back to the hotel," said Nat, "we +want to get an early start to-morrow, so a good night's sleep will be +in order." + +But the words were hardly out of his mouth before he stopped short. + +The boy had heard voices, apparently coming from the air above them. +He soon realized, however, that in reality the speakers were on the +mountain-side above them. In fact, he now saw that a trail cut into +the road above the point at which they stood. In their dash down the +hill they had not noticed it. The other lads, who had also heard the +voices, needed no comment to remain quiet. + +While they stood listening a figure appeared on the trail, walking +rapidly down it. As the newcomer drew closer the boys recognized +the features and tall, ungainly outline of the man with the black +mustache--"Alkali Ike." He came forward as if with a definite purpose +in mind. Evidently, he was not, like the boys, out for a moonlight +stroll. + +As he approached he stopped and listened intently. Then he gave a low, +peculiar whistle. It was like the call of a night bird. + +Instantly, from the hill-side above them they heard the signal--for +such it seemed--replied to. + +At the same instant whoever was on the hillside above began to advance +downward. The boys, crouching back in a patch of shadow behind a +chaparral clump, could hear the slipping and sliding of their horses' +hoofs as they came down the rocky pathway. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +AN APPOINTMENT ON THE TRAIL. + + +"Something's up," whispered Joe, as if this fact was not perfectly +obvious. + +"Hush," warned Nat, "that fellow who just came down the trail is the +chap we noticed at supper." + +"Alkali Ike?" + +"Yes. That's what you called him." + +"He must have a date here." + +"Looks that way. If I don't miss my guess he's here to meet whoever is +coming on horseback down that trail." + +"Are you going to stay right here?" + +"We might as well. I've got an idea somehow that these chaps are up to +some mischief. It doesn't look just right for them to be meeting way +off here." + +"That's right," agreed Joe, "but supposing they are desperate +characters. They may make trouble for us." + +"I guess not," rejoined Nat, "we're well hidden in the shadow here. +There's not a chance of their seeing us." + +"Well I hope not." + +But the arrival of the horsemen on the trail put a stop to further +conversation right then. There were two of them, both, so far as the +boys could see, big, heavy men, mounted on active little ponies. Their +long tapaderos, or leather stirrup coverings, almost touched the ground +as they rode. + +"Hello, Al," exclaimed one of them, as the black mustached man came +forward to meet them. + +"Hello, boys," was the rejoinder in an easy tone as if the speaker had +no fear of being overheard, "well, you pulled it off I see." + +"Yes, and we'd have got more than the express box too if it hadn't been +for the allfiredest noise you ever heard at the top of the trail all of +a sudden. It came just as we was about ter go through ther pockets of +the passengers. Sounded like a boiler factory or suthin'. I tell you we +lit out in a hurry." + +The speaker was one of the pony riders. As he spoke Nat gave Joe a +nudge and the other replied with a look of understanding. The men who +stood talking not a score of paces from them had taken part in the +stage-robbery. + +The man on foot seemed immensely amused at the mention of the "terrible +noise" his companions said they had been alarmed by. + +"Why, that was an automobubble," he laughed. + +"A bubble!" exclaimed one of the others, "what in the name of the +snow-covered e-tarnal hills is one of them coal oil buckboards doin' in +this neck of ther woods?" + +"Why, three kids are running it on a pleasure trip. The Motor Rangers, +or some such fool name, they call theirselves. They hitched the bubble +on ter ther stage and towed her inter town as nice as you please." + +"Did you say they called theirselves the Motor Rangers?" asked the +other mounted man who up to this time had not spoken. + +"That's right, why?" + +"One of 'em a fat, foolish lookin' kid what can't talk straight?" asked +the other instead of replying. + +Nat nudged Ding-dong and chuckled, in imminent danger of exposing their +hiding place. It tickled him immensely to hear that youth described in +such an unflattering manner. + +"Why yep. There is a sort of chumpish kid with 'em. For the matter of +that all three of 'em are stuck up, psalm singin' sort of kids. Don't +drink nor smoke nor nuthin'." + +"True for you. We're not so foolish," breathed Nat to Joe. + +"Why are you so anxious about 'em, Dayton?" asked the other rider who +had remained silent while his comrade was making the recorded inquiries. + +"Cos I know 'em and I've got some old scores to even up with them," +was the rejoinder. "Do you remember what I told you about some kids +fooling us all down in Lower California?" + +"Yep. What of it?" + +"Well, this is the same bunch. I'm sure of it." + +"The dickens you say. Do they travel with much money about them?" + +It was the black-mustached man who was interested now. + +"I don't know about that. But their bubble is worth about $5,000 and +one of them has a gold mine in Lower Cal. Then, too, they always carry +a fine stock of rifles and other truck." + +"They'd be worth plucking then?" + +"I guess so. At any rate I'd like to get even with them even if we +didn't get a thing out of it. Ed. Dayton doesn't forgive or forget in a +hurry." + +Small wonder that the boys leaned forward with their ears fairly aching +to catch every word. Nat knew now why the outline of one of the riders +had seemed familiar to him. The man was evidently none other than Ed. +Dayton, the rascal who had acted as the millionaire Hale Bradford's +lieutenant in Lower California. + +Nat, it will be recalled, was captured on the peninsula and an attempt +made to force him to give up papers showing his right to the mine, +which the gang Hale Bradford had gathered about him was working. I can +tell you, Nat was mighty glad that he and his companions happened to be +there in the shadow; for, thought he to himself:-- + +"Forewarned is forearmed, Mr. Ed. Dayton." + +But the men were resuming their talk. + +"Tell you what you fellows do," said the black-mustached man. "Just lie +off here in the brush for an hour or so and I'll go back to the hotel +and look around. Then I'll come back and tell you if the coast's clear. +They've got their auto out in some sort of a shed and if we could run +it we could swipe the whole thing. Can you run an auto, Ed.? Seems to +me I've heard you talk about them." + +"Can a dog bark?" inquired the other, who if the memory of my readers +goes back that far, they will recall had at one time been a chauffeur +for Mr. Pomery. + +"Very well then, that's settled. At all events it might be a good thing +to smash up the car if we can't do anything else with it." + +"That's right Al.," agreed Ed. Dayton's companion, "we don't want any +nosy kids around in the mountains. They might discover too much." + +"That's so, too. Well, you leave it to me, Al. Jeffries, and I'll +bet you that after to-night they'll all be glad to go home to their +mammies." + +But right here something happened which might, but for good fortune, +have caused a different ending to this story. + +Ding-dong Bell, among other peculiarities, possessed a pair of very +delicate nostrils, and the slightest irritation thereof caused him to +sneeze violently. Now at the time of the year of which we are writing +the California mountains are covered with a growth, called in some +localities tar weed. This plant gives off an irritating dust when it +is shaken or otherwise disturbed, and the hoofs of the two riders' +ponies had kicked up a lot of this pungent powder. Just as the rascals +concluded their plans a vagrant puff of wind carried some of it in +Ding-dong's direction. + +Realizing what serious consequences it might have, the lad struggled +with all his might against his immediate inclination to sneeze, but try +as he would he could not keep the ultimate explosion back. + +"A-ch-oo-oo-oo-oo!" + +It sounded as loud as the report of a cannon, in the silent canyon, and +quite as startling. + +"What in thunder was that?" exclaimed Ed. Dayton wheeling his pony +round. + +He, of course, saw nothing, and regarded his companions in a puzzled +way. + +Al. Jeffries was tugging his black mustache and looking about him +likewise for some explanation. But he could not find it. In the +meantime, the boys, in an agony of apprehension, scarcely dared to +breathe. They crouched like rabbits behind their shelter awaiting what +seemed inevitable discovery. + +"Must have been a bird," grunted Ed. Dayton's companion. + +"Funny sort of bird," was the rejoinder. + +"That's right. I am a funny sort of bird," thought Ding-dong with an +inward chuckle. + +"Sounded to me more like somebody sneezin'," commented Ed. Dayton who +was still suspicious. + +"It'll be a bad day for them if there was," supplemented Al. Jeffries +grimly. + +"Tell you what we do, boys," came a sudden suggestion from Ed.'s +companion, which sent a chill to the hearts of the boys; "let's scatter +about here and look around a bit." + +"That's a good idea," was the alarming rejoinder. + +Nat was just revolving in his mind whether it would be the better +expedient to run, and trust to hiding in the rocks and chaparral, or to +leap up and try to scare the others' ponies, and then escape. But just +then Al. Jeffries spoke: + +"No use wastin' time on that now, boys," he said, "it's gettin' late. +You do as I say, and then in a while we'll all take a little spin in +that grown up taxi cab of the Motor Rangers." + +To the intense relief of the boys the others agreed. Soon after this +the trio of rascals separated. Ed. Dayton and his companions rode back +up the trail while Al. Jeffries started off for the hotel. + +As soon as their footsteps grew faint Nat galvanized into action. + +"We've got a lot to do in a very short time," he announced excitedly. +"Come on, Joe! Shake a foot! We've got to beat Mr. Al. back to the +hotel." + +"How?" inquired Joe amazedly, but not doubting in his own mind that Nat +had already thought the matter out thoroughly. + +"We'll skirt along the mountain-side above him. If we are careful he +won't hear us." + +"That is, if Ding-dong can muffle that nasal gatling gun of his," +grunted Joe. "Say, young fellow, the next time you want to sneeze when +we're in such a tight place, just oblige us by rolling over the edge of +the canyon, will you?" + +"I c-c-c-o-o-ouldn't help it," sputtered Ding-dong sorrowfully. + +"Couldn't," exclaimed the indignant Joe, "you didn't even try." + +"I did too. But I couldn't remember whether the book said that you +could stop sneezing by pulling the lobe of your ear or rubbing the +bridge of your nose." + +"So you did both?" + +"Y-y-y-yes; why?" + +"Well, they were both wrong. You should have wiggled your right big toe +while you balanced a blade of grass on your chin." + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +SOME RASCALS GET A SCARE. + + +Everybody in the hotel at Lariat had long retired to bed, when three +youthful forms stole toward the stable which had been turned into a +temporary garage for the Motor Rangers' big car. From their bed-room +window, the boys had, a few moments before, watched Al. Jeffries stride +off down the trail to meet his cronies for the second time and inform +them that the time was ripe to put up their attempted trick on the lads. + +The doughty Al., on his return to the hotel after the conference at +which the lads were eavesdroppers, had found nothing to excite his +suspicion. The boys were all seated on the porch and apparently had not +moved since he had last seen them. Al. had even sat around with them a +while, trying to pump them, but of course, after what they knew of him, +they did not give him much information. Nat had formed an idea that +the man was a sort of agent for the gang of the famous Morello. That +is, he hung about towns and picked up any information he could about +shipments of specie from the mines, or of wealthy travellers who might +be going through. In this surmise we may say that Nat was correct. + +But to return to the three lads whom we left at the beginning of the +chapter stealthily slipping across the moonlit space between the hotel +and the stable. All three had changed their boots for soft moccasins, +in which they made next to no noise at all as they moved. Each lad, +moreover, carried under his arm a small bundle. Their clothing +consisted of trousers and shirts. Their broad-brimmed sombreros had +been doffed with their coats. The Motor Rangers were, so to speak, +stripped for action. And it was to be action of a lively kind as the +event was to show. + +On their arrival at the stable the boys slipped into an empty stall +alongside their car, and undoing their bundles, hastily donned what was +in them. Then Nat uncorked a bottle, while a strong odor filled the +air. It was a pungent sort of reek, and from the bottle could be seen a +faint greenish light glowing. + +Their preparations completed, the Motor Rangers crouched behind the +wooden wall of the stall, awaiting the next move on the program. + +"And for heaven's sake sit on that sneeze!" Joe admonished Ding-dong. + +Before very long the boys could hear cautious footsteps approaching the +barn, and the sound of low whispering. + +"The auto's right in here," they caught, in Jeffries' voice. "Say, what +a laugh we'll have on those kids in the morning." + +"They laugh best who laugh last," thought Nat to himself, clutching +more tightly a small gleaming thing he had in his hand. + +"This is pie to me," they could hear Dayton whispering, in a cautious +undertone, "I told those kids I'd get even on them for driving me out +of Lower California, and here's where I do it." + +Nat gritted his teeth as he listened. + +"You're going to get something that you don't expect," he muttered +softly to himself. + +The next instant the barn door framed three figures. Behind them were +two ponies. The feet of the little animals were swathed in sacks so +that they made no noise at all. + +"Pretty foxy," whispered Joe, "they've padded the ponies' hoofs." + +"Hush!" ordered Nat, "don't say a word or make a move till I give the +signal." + +"There's the car," whispered Jeffries, as they drew closer and the +shadow of the place enclosed them, blotting out their outlines. + +"Seems a shame to run it over a cliff, don't it?" put in Dayton's +fellow pony rider. + +"That's the only thing to do with it," said Dayton abruptly, "I want to +give those kids a lesson they won't forget." + +"So, you rascals," thought Nat, "you were going to run the car over a +cliff were you? Oh, how I'd like to get my hands on you for just five +minutes." + +"Go on, Dayton. Climb into the thing and start her up," said Jeffries. + +"Hope them kids don't wake up," put in Dayton's companion. + +"They're off as sound as tops," Al. assured him, "I listened at their +door after I came out, and they were snoring away like so many buck +saws." + +With the ease born of familiarity with motor vehicles, Dayton climbed +into the driver's seat and bent over the steering wheel. + +Presently there came a sharp click! + +"Now!" whispered Nat. + +As he gave the word, from behind the wooden partition upreared three +terrifying objects. Their faces glared greenly and their white forms +seemed to be shrouded in graveyard clothes. + +In unison they uttered a dismal cry. + +"Be-ware! Oh be-ware of the car of the Motor Ranger boys!" + +"Wow!" yelled Dayton's companion. + +As he gave the alarmed cry he fairly reeled back against the opposite +stall and fell with a crash. At the same instant, an old claybank mule +tethered in there awoke, and resenting the man's sudden intrusion, let +fly with his hind hoofs. This shot the ruffian's form full tilt into +that of Al. Jeffries, who was making at top speed for the door, and the +two fell, in a rolling, cursing, struggling, clawing heap on the stable +floor. + +"Lemme up!" yelled Al. Jeffries, in mortal terror of the grim sheeted +forms behind him. + +"Lemme go!" shouted Dayton's companion, roaring half in fear and half +in pain at the reminiscences of the mule's hoofs he carried. + +But the startling apparitions, while at their first appearance they had +made Dayton recoil, only fooled him for an instant. Springing erect +from his first shock of amazement and alarm he gave an angry shout. + +"Get up there you fools." + +"Oh the ghosts! The ghosts with the green faces," bawled Al. Jeffries. + +"Ghosts!" roared Dayton angrily, "they're no ghosts. Get up and knock +their heads off." + +Suiting the action to the word he leaped from the car and charged +furiously at Nat. The boy's fist shot out and landed with a crash on +the point of his jaw, but although Dayton reeled under the force of the +blow he recovered instantly and charged furiously again on the sheeted +form. + +In the meantime, Al. Jeffries and the other man had rolled apart and +perceived the state of affairs. The noise of the impact of Nat's fist +showed conclusively that it was no ghostly hand that had struck the +blow, and the fact rallied their fleeting courage. As furiously as had +Dayton, they charged upon the boys. The rip and tear of sheets, and the +sound of blows given and received, mingled with the angry exclamations +of the men and the quick, panting breath of the boys. + +Suddenly, Nat levelled the little bright glinting thing he had clutched +in his hand as they crouched behind the wooden partition. He pressed a +trigger on its underside and a hissing sound followed. + +"Sfiz-z-z-z-z-z!" + +At the same instant the air became surcharged with a pungent odor. It +seemed to fill the atmosphere and made nostrils and eyes smart. + +"Ammonia!" shouted Al. Jeffries, staggering backward and dabbing +desperately at his face where the full force of Nat's charge had +expended itself. As upon the other occasion, when the ammonia pistols +had been used, the rout of the enemy was complete. With muffled +imprecations and exclamations of pain, the three reeled, half blinded, +out of the barn. + +At the same instant the boys heard windows thrown up and the sharp +report of a revolver. + +"Fire! Thieves! Murder!" came from one window, in the landlord's voice, +following the discharge of the pistol. + +"Get to the ponies," roared Dayton, "we'll have the whole hornets' nest +about our ears in a minute." + +The others needed no urging. Grabbing Al. Jeffries by the arm, Dayton's +companion, who was only partially blinded, made for his little steed. +But Dayton, who had hardly received any of the aromatic discharge, +suddenly whipped about and snatched a revolver from his side. Before +the boys could dodge the man fired at them. + +Nat felt the bullets fan the air by his ear, but fortunately, the man +fired so quickly and the excitement and confusion was such, that in the +moonlight he missed his aim. + +"I'll make you smart for this some day!" he yelled, as fearful of +lingering any longer he swung himself into his saddle. He drove home +the spurs and with a squeal and a bound the little animal carried him +out of the region of the hotel. + +As for Dayton's companion he was already a good distance off with Al. +Jeffries clinging behind him on his saddle. + +Joe had made for the auto and seized a rifle from the rack in the +tonneau as Dayton galloped off, but Nat sharply told him to put it down. + +"We have scared the rascals off, and that's enough," he said. + +In a few minutes the Motor Rangers were surrounded by everybody in the +hotel, including Cal and the postmaster. They were warmly congratulated +on their success by all hands, and much laughter greeted their +account of the amusing panic into which the rascals had been thrown +by the sudden appearance of the glowing-faced ghosts, followed by the +discharge of the "mule battery." + +"How did yer git the green glowing paint?" asked Cal interestedly. + +"Why, we took the liberty of soaking two or three bundles of California +matches in the tooth glass," explained Nat, "and then we had a fine +article of phosphorus paint." + +"Wall if you ain't the beatingest," was the landlord's admiring +contribution. + +In the midst of the explanations, congratulations and angry +denunciation of Al. Jeffries and his companions, a sudden piping voice +was heard. + +"Yust von moment blease. Vait! Nod a mofe!--Ah goot, I haf you!" + +It was the little German, whom, the boys had discovered, was named +Hans Von Schiller Muller. He had sprung out of bed in the midst of the +excitement and instantly decided it would make a good subject for his +camera. He presented a queer figure as he stood there, in pajamas +several sizes too small for him and striped with vivid pink and green. +The shrinkage had been the work of a Chinese laundryman in the San +Joaquin Valley. + +"Say," exclaimed Joe, "you don't expect to get a picture out of that do +you?" + +"Chess. Sure. Vy nodt?" + +"Well, because in the first place you had no light," said Joe. + +"Ach! Donnerblitzen, miserable vot I am. I shouldn't have got id a +flash-light, aind't it. Hold on! Vait a minute. I get him." + +"Better defer it till to-morrow," said Nat, who like the rest, was +beginning to shiver in the keen air of the mountains, "it's too cold to +wait for all your preparations." + +And so, when Herr Muller returned to the fatherland there was one +picture he did not have, and that was a portrait of the Motor Rangers +as they appeared immediately after routing three notorious members of +Col. Morello's band of outlaws. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +A PHOTOGRAPHER IN TROUBLE. + + +The boys were not up as early the next morning as they had anticipated. +In the first place, it was somewhat dull and overcast, and in the +second they were naturally tired after their exciting adventures of the +preceding day and night. The first person to hail them as they left +the dining room where they had partaken of a hearty breakfast was Cal +Gifford. The stage driver drew them aside and informed them in an irate +voice that on account of the stage having been held up the day before, +he had been notified by telegraph early that morning that his services +would be no longer required by the Lariat Stage Company. + +"What are you going to do?" asked Nat, after he had extended his +sympathies to the indignant Cal. + +"Wall, I've got a little mine up north of here that I think I'll go and +take a look at," said Cal. + +"How far north?" asked Nat interestedly. + +"Oh, 'bout two hundred miles. I'm all packed ready ter go, but I cain't +git a horse." + +He indicated a battered roll of blankets and a canteen lying on the +porch. Surmounting this pile of his possessions was an old rifle--that +is, in pattern and design, but its woodwork gleamed, its barrel was +scrupulously polished, and its mechanism well oiled. Like most good +woodsmen and mountaineers, Cal kept good care of his weapons, knowing +that sometimes a man's life may depend on his rifle or revolver. + +"Can't get a horse?" echoed Nat. "Why, I should think there would be no +trouble about that." + +"Wall, thar wouldn't hev bin, but thet little Dutchman bought a nag +this mornin' and started off ter take picters on his lonesome." + +"I guess you mean he hired one, don't you?" asked Joe. + +"No siree. That Teutonic sport paid hard cash fer ther plug. He tole +the landlord that he means ter make a trip all through the Sierras +hereabout, making a fine collection of pictures." + +"He must be crazy, starting off alone in an unknown country," exclaimed +Nat. + +"Thet's jes' what they all tole him, but there ain't no use arguin' +with er mule or a Dutchman when their mind's set. He started off about +an hour ago with a roll of blankets, a frying pan and his picture box." + +"He stands a chance of getting captured by Col. Morello's band," +exclaimed Joe. + +"It's likely," agreed Cal, "but what I was a goin' ter tell yer wuz +that ther plug he bought was ther last one they had here. An' so now +I'm stuck I guess, till they git some more up from ther valley." + +"Tell you what you do," said Nat after a brief consultation with his +chums, "why not take a ride with us as far as your way lies, and then +proceed any way you like?" + +"What, ride with you kids in thet gasolene tug boat?" + +"Yes, we'd be glad to have you. You know the roads and the people up +through here, and could help us a whole lot." + +"Say, that's mighty white of yer," said Cal, a broad smile spreading +over his face, "if I wouldn't be in ther way now----" + +"We'll be very glad to have you," Nat assured him, while Joe and +Ding-dong nodded their heads in affirmation, "are you ready to start?" + +Cal nodded sidewise at his pile of baggage. + +"Thar's my outfit," he said. + +"All right. Then I'll pay our bill and we'll start right away." + +And so it was arranged. Ten minutes later the Motor Rangers in their +big touring car rolled majestically out of the town of Lariat, while +Cal in the tonneau waved his sombrero to admiring friends. + +"This is ther first time I ever rode a benzine broncho," he declared as +the car gathered way and was soon lost to the view of the citizens of +Lariat in a cloud of dust. + +The road lay through the same canyon in which they had so fortunately +overheard the conversation of Al. Jeffries and his cronies the night +before. It was a sparkling morning, with every object standing out +clear and intense in the brilliant light of the high Sierras. A crisp +chill lay in the air which made the blood tingle and the eyes shine. +As they rolled on with the engine singing its cheering song Cal, too, +burst into music: + + "Riding along on my gasolene bronc; + Instead of a whinny it goes 'Honk! Honk!' + If we don't bust up we'll be in luck, + You'd be blowed sky-high by a benzine buck!" + +About noon they emerged from the narrow canyon into a wide valley, the +broad, level floor of which was covered with green bunch grass. Through +its centre flowed a clear stream, fed by the snow summits they could +see in the distance. Cattle could be seen feeding at the far end of +it and it was evidently used as a pasture by some mountain rancher. +As they drew closer to a clump of large redwood trees at one end of +the valley Nat gave a sudden exclamation of surprise, and stood up in +the tonneau. Joe, who was at the wheel, sighted the scene which had +attracted the others' attention at the same instant. + +A group of cattlemen could be seen under one of the larger trees, with +a figure in their midst. They were clustered about the central object, +and appeared to be handling him pretty roughly. + +Nat snatched up the glasses from their pocket in the tonneau and +levelled them on the scene. He put them down again with an exclamation +of excitement. + +"They're going to lynch that fellow," he announced. + +"What!" roared Cal, "lend me them peep glass things, young chap." + +Joe stopped the car, while Cal took a long look. He confirmed Nat's +opinion. + +"They've got the rope over a limb of that tree already," he said. + +"How are we to help him?" cried Nat, whose first and natural thought +had been to go to the unfortunate's assistance. + +"What do you want ter help him fer," grunted Cal, "like as not he's +some sort of a horse thief or suthin'. You bet those fellers wouldn't +be going ter string him up onless he had bin doin' suthin' he hadn't +orter." + +Nat was not so sure about this. From what he knew of the West its +impulsive citizens occasionally executed a man first and inquired into +the justice of it afterward. + +"Steer for those trees, Joe," he ordered sharply. + +Joe, without a word, obeyed, while Cal shrugged his shoulders. + +"May be runnin' inter trouble," he grunted. + +"If you're scared you can get out," said Nat more sharply than was his +wont. + +Cal looked angry for a moment, but then his expression changed. + +"Yer all right, boy," he said heartily, "and if ther's trouble I'm with +you every time." + +"Thanks," rejoined Nat simply, "that's the opinion I'd formed of you, +Cal." + +The car had now left the road and was rolling over the pasture which +was by no means as smooth as it had appeared from the mountain road. +However, they made good progress and as their shouts and cries had +attracted the attention of the group of punchers under the trees, they +at least had achieved the delay of the execution. They could now see +every detail of the scene, without the aid of the field glasses. But +the visage of the intended victim was hidden from them by the circle +of wild-looking figures about him. As the Motor Rangers drew closer a +big, raw-boned cattle puncher, with a pair of hairy "chaps" on his legs +and an immense revolver in his hand, rode toward them. As his figure +separated itself from the group Cal gave a low growl. + +"Here comes trouble," he grumbled, closing his hand over the well-worn +butt of his pistol. + +"Howdy, strangers," drawled the newcomer, as he drew within earshot. + +"Howdy," nodded the boys, not however, checking the auto. + +"Hold on thar," cried the cowpuncher raising a big, gauntleted hand, +"don't come no further, strangers. Thar's ther road back yonder." + +He backed up his hint by exhibiting his revolver rather ostentatiously. +But Nat's eyelids never quivered as he looked the other full in the +face and asked in a tone that sounded like one of mild, tenderfoot +inquiry:-- + +"What are you doing there, mister--branding calves?" + +"No we ain't, young feller," rejoined the cowpuncher, "Now if +you're wise you'll take that fer an answer and get out of here +pronto--quick--savee!" + +"I don't see any reason why we can't drive through here," said Nat, +cunningly stringing out the talk so that the car could creep quite +close to the group of would-be lynchers. + +"You don't see no reason?" + +"No." + +"Wall, stranger--thar's six reasons here and they all come out at once." + +As he spoke the cowpuncher tapped the shiny barrel of his revolver with +a meaning gesture. Nat saw that he could not go much further with +safety. + +"Now you git!" snarled the cowboy. "You've had fair warning. Vamoose!" + +As he spoke the group about the tree parted for a minute as the +cowpunchers composing it gazed curiously at the auto, which was nearing +them. As they separated, the figure of the victim became visible. The +boys greeted the sight with a shout of amazement which was echoed by +Cal. + +"Boys, it's Herr Muller!" shouted Nat. + +"Wall ther blamed Dutchman!" gasped Cal, "has he bin stealin' horses?" + +"Yep," rejoined the puncher briefly, "he hev. An' we're goin' ter +string him up. Now you git out." + +"All right," spoke Nat suddenly, with a flashing light of excitement +blazing in his eyes. + +"We'll get, but it will be--THIS WAY!" + +As he spoke he leaped into the driver's seat, pushing Joe to one side. + +The next instant the car was leaping forward with a roar and a bound, +headed full at the band of amazed and thunderstruck cowpunchers. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +LOST IN A PETRIFIED FOREST. + + +Before the lynching party regained its senses Nat had rushed the car +up alongside Herr Muller. Before that blonde pompadoured son of the +fatherland knew what had occurred, Joe's strong arms, aided by Cal's +biceps, jerked him off his feet and into the tonneau. But the long +lariat which was already about his neck trailed behind, and the first +of the punchers that realized what was happening darted forward and +seized it as the car sped forward. + +"P-ouf-o-o-o-f!" choked the unfortunate German, as the noose tightened. +The cowpuncher who had hold of the other end of the rope dug his heels +into the ground and braced himself. Herr Muller would have been jerked +clean out of the tonneau by his unlucky neck had it not been for +Ding-dong Bell, who, with a swift sweep downward of his knife blade +severed the rope. + +As the strain was abruptly relieved the cowpuncher who had hold of the +other end went toppling backward in a heap. But at the same instant the +rest came to their senses, and headed by the man who had threatened +Nat, they clambered on their ponies and swept forward, uttering wild +yells. + +If this had been all, the occupants of the auto could have afforded +to disregard them, but, apparently realizing the hopelessness of +attempting to overtake the fleeing car they unlimbered their revolvers +and began a fusillade. + +Bullets whistled all about the Motor Rangers and their companions, but +luckily nobody was hit. Nat's chief fear though, and his apprehension +was shared by the rest, was that one of the bullets might puncture a +tire. + +"If it ever does--good night!" thought Nat as the angry, vengeful yells +of the cheated punchers came to his ears. + +But to his joy they now sounded more faintly. The pursuit was dropping +behind. Right ahead was the feeding herd. In a few minutes the car +would be safe from further attack,--when suddenly there came an ominous +sound. + +"Pop!" + +At the same moment the car gave a lurch. + +"Just what I thought," commented Nat, in a despairing voice, "they've +winged a tire." + +"Shall we have to stop?" asked Cal rather apprehensively, although a +grim look about the corners of his mouth betokened the fact that he was +ready to fight. + +"Den maype I gedt idt a pigdure, aind idt?" asked Herr Muller, with +what was almost the first free breath he had drawn since Master Bell +slashed the rope. + +"Good Lord!" groaned Cal in comical despair, "my little man, if those +fellows ever get us you'll be able to take a picture of your own +funeral." + +"How would dot be bossible?" inquired Herr Muller innocently, "if I +voss a deader I couldn't take my own pigdure, aind't idt?" + +But before any of them could make a reply, indignant or otherwise, a +sudden occurrence ahead of them caused their attention to be diverted +into a fresh channel. The cattle, terrified at the oncoming auto, had +stopped grazing and were regarding it curiously. Suddenly, one of them +gave an alarmed bellow. It appeared to be a signal for flight, for like +one animal, the herd turned, and with terrified bellowings, rushed +madly off into the pine forests on the eastern side of the valley. + +This was a fortunate happening for the boys, for the cowpunchers were +now compelled finally to give up their chase of the automobile and head +off after the stampeded cattle. + +"I reckon we'd better not come this way again; it wouldn't be +healthy-like," grinned Cal, hearing their shouts and yells grow faint +in the distance as they charged off among the trees. + +"There's one thing," said Nat as he brought the crippled auto to a halt +a short distance off, "they won't worry us for some time." + +"No. Among them pine stumps it'll take 'em a week to round up their +stock." + +And now all hands turned to Herr Muller and eagerly demanded his +story. It was soon told. He had arrived in the valley a short time +before they had, and, charmed by its picturesque wildness, had begun +enthusiastically taking pictures. In doing so, he had dismounted, and +wandered some distance from his horse. When he turned his attention to +it again, it had disappeared. However, although at first he thought +he had lost the animal he soon found it grazing off among a clump +of willows by the creek. He had mounted it and was riding off when +suddenly the cowpunchers appeared, and as soon as their eyes fell on +the horse accused the German of stealing it. + +"I dell dem dot dey is mistakes making, but der use voss iss?" he went +on. "Dey say dot dey pinch me anyhow." + +"Lynch you, you mean, don't you?" inquired Nat. + +"Vell dey pinch me too, dond dey?" asked Herr Muller indignantly. +"Howefer, I egsplain by dem dot dey make misdage and den a leedle bull +boy----" + +"Cowboy," corrected Cal with a grin. + +"Ach, how I can tell idt you my story if you are interrupt all der +time," protested the German. "Well as I voss saying, der bull-boy tells +me, 'loafer vot you iss you dake idt my bony vile I voss go hunting +John rabbits. Yust for dot vee hang you py der neck.'" + +"What did you say?" asked Nat, who began to think that the +absent-minded German might actually have taken a wrong horse by +accident. + +"I say, 'Dot is my horse. I know him lige I know it mein brudder.' But +dey say dot I iss horse bustler----" + +"Rustler," muttered Cal. + +"And dot I most be strunged oop. So I dake idt der picdures und gif dem +my address in Chermany und den I prepare for der endt." + +"Weren't you scared?" demanded Cal incredulously, for the German had +related this startling narrative without turning a hair; in fact, +he spoke about it as he might have talked about a tea party he had +attended. + +"Ach himmel, ches I voss scaredt all right. Pudt der voss no use in +saying noddings, voss dere?" + +"No I guess if you put it that way there wasn't," laughed Nat, "but you +saved your camera I see." + +He looked at the black box hanging round the German's neck by a strap. + +"Yah," grinned Herr Muller, "I say I von't pee hanged if dey don'dt led +itdt be mit der camera my neck py." + +"No wonder they say, 'Heaven help the Irish, the Dutch can look after +themselves,'" muttered Cal to himself as the entire party got out of +the machine and a new tire was unbuckled from the spare tire rack. + +The operation of replacing it was a troublesome one, and occupied some +time. + +So long did it take, in fact, that it was almost sundown by the time +the shoe had been finally bolted above the inner tube, and they were +ready to start once more. Just as they were about to be off Cal gave an +exclamation and pointed ahead. Looking up in the direction he indicated +the others saw coming toward them a saddled horse. But no rider +bestrode it, and the reins were entangled in its forefeet. It whinnied +as it saw them and came up close to the auto. + +"Great Scott!" exclaimed Cal, as he saw it, "those cowpunchers had you +right after all, Mr. Dutchman; this here is the plug you bought." + +"Yah! yah! I know him now!" exclaimed Herr Muller enthusiastically. +"See dere is my plankets diedt on py der saddle." + +"So they are," exclaimed Nat, "at least I suppose they're yours. Then +you actually were a horse thief and didn't know it. I suppose that when +your horse wandered off that cowpuncher came along on his pony and left +it while he went hunting jack rabbits. Then you, all absorbed in your +picture taking, mistook his horse for yours." + +"I guess dots der vay idt voss, chust a mistage," agreed Herr Muller +with great equanimity. + +"Say, pod'ner," said Cal, who had just led up the beast and restored it +to its rightful owner, "you're glad you're livin', ain't you?" + +The German's blue eyes opened widely as he stared at his questioner. + +"Sure I iss gladt I'm lifing. Vot for--vy you ask me?" + +"Wall, don't make any more mistakes like that," admonished Cal with +grave emphasis, "folks out here is touchy about them." + +As Herr Muller was going in the same direction as themselves he +accepted a seat in the tonneau and his angular steed was hitched on +behind as over the rough ground the car could not go any faster than +a horse could trot. For some time they bumped along the floor of the +valley and at last emerged at its upper end into a rocky-walled canyon, +not unlike the one through which they had gained the depression in the +hills. But to their uneasiness they could discover no road, or even a +trail. However, the bottom of the canyon was fairly smooth and so Nat +decided, after a consultation with Cal, to keep going north. A glance +at the compass had shown them that the canyon ultimately cut through +the range in that direction. + +"We'll strike a trail or a hut or suthin' afore long," Cal assured +them. + +"I hope we strike some place to make camp," grumbled Joe, "I'm hungry." + +This speech made them remember that in their excitement they had +neglected to eat any lunch. + +"Never mind, Joe," said Nat, "we'll soon come across a spring or a +place that isn't all strewn with rocks, and we'll camp there even if +there isn't a road." + +"No, there's no use going ahead in the dark," agreed Cal, looking about +him. + +It was now quite dark, and the depth of the canyon they were traversing +made the blackness appear doubly dense. But Nat, by gazing upward at +the sky, managed to keep the auto on a fairly straight course, although +every now and then a terrific bump announced that they had struck a big +boulder. + +"Wish that moon would hurry up and rise; then we could see something," +remarked Cal, as they crept along. The others agreed with him, but they +would not have the welcome illumination till some time later. They were +still in the canyon, however, when a dim, silvery lustre began to +creep over the eastern sky. Gradually the light fell upon the western +wall of the gorge and soon the surroundings were flooded with radiance. + +But it was a weird and startling scene that the light fell upon. Each +occupant of the car uttered an involuntary cry of amazement as he +gazed about him. On every side were towering trunks of what, at first +glance, seemed trees, but which, presently, were seen to be as barren +of vegetation as marble columns. Stumps of these naked, leafless forms +littered the ground in every direction. In the darkness seemingly, they +had penetrated quite a distance into this labyrinth, for all about them +now were the bare, black trunks. Some of them reached to an immense +height, and others were short and stumpy. All shared the peculiarity of +possessing no branches or leaves, however. + +"Where on earth are we?" asked Joe, gazing about him at the desolate +scene. + +"I can't make out," rejoined Nat in a troubled tone, "it's sort of +uncanny isn't it?" + +The others agreed. + +"Ugh; it remindts me of a grafeyardt," shivered the German, as he +looked about him at the bare stumps rising black and ghostlike in the +pale moonlight. + +Suddenly Cal, who had been gazing about him, shouted an explanation of +the mystery. + +"Boys, we're in a petrified forest!" he exclaimed. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +THE MIDNIGHT ALARM. + + +The boys would have been glad to explore the petrified forest that +night had it been practicable. They had read of the mysterious stone +relics of ancient woods, which exist in the remote Sierras, but they +had never dreamed they would stumble upon one so opportunely. However, +even had they been less tired, it would have been out of the question +to examine the strange place more thoroughly that night. + +As there did not seem to be any limit to the place so far as they could +see, the boys decided to camp where they were for the night. The auto +was stopped and the horse unhitched and turned loose at the end of a +lariat to graze, his rope being made fast round one of the more slender +stone trunks. + +"Feels like hitching him to the pillar of the City Hall at home," +laughed Joe, as he formed a double half hitch and left the horse to +his own devices, first, however, having watered the animal at a small +spring which flowed from the foot of a large rock at one side of the +mysterious stone valley. + +In the meantime, Cal had built a fire of sage brush roots, for there +was no wood about, every bit of it having turned to stone long ages +before. The pile, on being ignited, blazed up cheerfully, illuminating +the sterile, lonely spot with a merry red blaze. The spider was taken +out of the utensil locker, and soon bacon was hissing in it and canned +tomatoes and corn bubbling in adjacent saucepans. A big pot of coffee +also sent up a savory aroma. Altogether, with canned fruit for dessert, +the Motor Rangers and their friends made a meal which quite atoned for +the loss of their lunch. Even Ding-dong admitted that he was satisfied +by the time Cal drew out a short and exceedingly black pipe. The +former stage driver rammed this full of tobacco and then leisurely +proceeded to light it. After a few puffs he looked up at the group +around him. They were lolling about on waterproof blankets spread out +on the rock-strewn ground, a portion of which they had cleared. In +the background stood the dark outlines of the auto, and beyond, the +mysterious shadows of the petrified forest, the bequest to the present +of the long departed stone age. + +"I've bin a thinkin'," began Cal, as if he were delivering his mind of +something he had been inwardly cogitating for some time, "I've bin a +thinkin' that while we are in this part of the country we ought to keep +a good look out at night." + +"You think that Morello's band may give us more trouble?" asked Nat. + +"I don't jes' think so," rejoined Cal earnestly, "I'm purty jes' nat'ly +sure of it. They ain't the sort of fellers ter fergit or furgive." + +"I guess you're right," agreed Nat, "that man Dayton alone is capable +of making lots of trouble for us. We'll do as you say and set a watch +to-night." + +"I vind und set my votch every night," declared Herr Muller, proudly +drawing out of his pocket an immense timepiece resembling a bulbous +silver vegetable. + +"This is a different kind of watch that we're talking about," laughed +Nat. + +It was ultimately arranged, after some more discussion, that Joe and +Nat should watch for the first part of the night and Ding-dong and Cal +Gifford should come on duty at one o'clock in the morning. It seemed +to young Bell that he hadn't been asleep more than five minutes when +he was roughly shaken by Nat and told to tumble out of the tonneau as +it was time to go on watch. Already Cal, who like an old mountaineer +preferred to sleep by the fire, was up and stirring. It took a long +time, though, to rout Ding-dong out of his snug bed. The air at that +altitude is keen and sharp, and being turned out of his warm nest was +anything but pleasant to the lad. + +"L-l-l-let the D-d-d-d-dutchman do it," he begged, snuggling down in +his blankets. + +"No," said Nat firmly, "it's your turn on duty. Come on now, roll out +or we'll pull you out." + +Finally, with grumbling protestations, the stuttering youth was hauled +forth, and, while Nat and Joe turned in, he and Cal went on duty, or +"sentry go," as they say in the army. + +"Now then," said Cal crisply, as the shivering Ding-dong lingered by +the fire with his rifle in his chilled hands, "you go off there to the +right and patrol a hundred feet or more. I'll do the same to the left. +We'll meet at the fire every few minutes and get warm." + +"A-a-all r-r-r-right," agreed Ding-dong, who stood in some awe of the +stage driver. Consequently, without further demur, he strode off on +his post. Having reached the end of it he marched back to the fire and +warmed himself a second. Then he paced off again. This kept up for +about an hour when suddenly Cal, who was at the turning point of his +beat, heard a startling sound off to the right among the tomb-like +forms of the stone trees. + +Bang! + +It was followed by two other shots. + +Bang! Bang! + +The reports rang sharply, amid the silence of the desolate place, and +sent an alarmed chill even to Cal's stout heart. He bounded back toward +the fire just in time to meet Ding-dong, who came rushing in with a +scared white face, from the opposite direction. At the same time Nat +and Joe awakened, and hastily slipping on some clothes, seized their +rifles and prepared for trouble. + +"What's the matter?" demanded Cal, in sharp, crisp tones, of the +frightened sentinel. + +"Indians!" was the gasped-out reply, "the p-p-p-place is f-f-f-full of +them." + +"Indians!" exclaimed Cal, hastily kicking out the bright fire and +leaving it a dull heap of scattered embers, "are you sure?" + +"S-s-s-sure. I s-s-s-saw their f-f-f-fif-feathers." + +"That's queer," exclaimed Cal, "I never heard of any Indians being in +this section before. But come on, boys, it's clear the lad here has +seen something and we'd better get ready for trouble." + +An improvised fort was instantly formed, by the boys crouching in +various points of vantage in the automobile with their rifles +menacingly pointed outward. Herr Muller snored on serenely, and they +allowed him to slumber. + +They must have remained in tense poses without moving a muscle for half +an hour or more before any one dared to speak. Then Nat whispered, + +"Queer we don't see or hear anything." + +"They may be creeping up stealthily," rejoined Cal, "don't take your +eye off your surroundings a minute." + +For some time more the lads watched with increasing vigilance. At +length even Cal grew impatient. + +"There's something funny about this," he declared, and then turning on +Ding-dong he demanded: + +"Are you sure you saw something?" + +"D-d-d-didn't I s-s-s-s-shoot at it?" indignantly responded the boy. + +"I know, but you actually saw something move?" persisted Nat. + +"Of c-c-c-course I did. You didn't think I was go-go-going to +s-s-s-shoot at a put-put-petrified tree, did you?" + +"We'll wait a while longer and then if nothing shows up I'm going to +investigate," declared Cal. + +"I'm with you," agreed Nat. + +As nothing occurred for a long time the Motor Rangers finally climbed +out of the car, and with their rifles held ready for instant action, +crept off in the direction from which Ding-dong's fusillade had +proceeded. Every now and then they paused to listen, hardly breathing +for fear of interrupting the silence. But not a sound could they +hear. However, Ding-dong stuck stoutly to his story that he had seen +something move and had fired at it, whereupon it had vanished. + +"Maybe it was Morello's gang trying to give us a scare," suggested Nat. + +"Ef they'd ever got as close to us as this they'd hev given us worse +than a scare," confidently declared Cal. + +By this time they had proceeded quite some distance, and Cal stopped +Ding-dong with a question. + +"Whereabouts were you when you fired?" + +"I-I do-do-do-do-don't know," stuttered the lad. + +"You don't know?" indignantly echoed Nat, "you're a fine woodsman." + +"Y-y-y-y-yes I do t-t-t-too," Ding-dong hastened to amend, "I was +here--right here." + +He ascended a small knoll covered with grass, at the foot of one of the +stone trees. + +"Which direction did you fire in?" was Nat's next question. + +"Off t-t-t-that w-w-w-w-w-way," spoke Ding-dong. "Wow, there he is now!" + +The boy gave a yell and started to run, and the others were +considerably startled. + +From the little eminence on which they stood they could see, projecting +from behind one of the pillars, something that certainly did look like +two feathers sticking in an Indian's head dress. As they gazed the +feathers moved. + +"Shoot quick!" cried Joe, jerking his rifle up to his shoulder, but Cal +yanked it down with a quick pull. + +"Hold on, youngster. Not so fast," he exclaimed, "let's look into this +thing first." + +Holding his rifle all ready to fire at the least alarm, the former +stage driver crept cautiously forward. Close at his elbow came Nat, +with his weapon held in similar readiness. + +"There is something there--see!" exclaimed Nat in an awed tone. + +"Yes," almost shouted the guide, "and it's that Dutchman's old plug!" + +The next instant his words were verified. The midnight marauder at whom +Ding-dong had fired was nothing more dangerous than the horse of Herr +Muller. It had broken loose in the night and was browsing about when +the amateur sentry had come upon it. In the moonlight, and when seen +projecting from behind a pillar, its ears, which were unusually long, +did look something like the head dress of an Indian. + +"Wow!" yelled Nat, "this is one on you, Ding-dong!" + +"Yes, here's your Indian!" shouted Joe, doubling up with laughter. + +"Whoa, Indian," soothed Cal, walking up to the peaceful animal, "let's +see if he hit you." + +But the merriment of the lads was increased when an examination of the +horse failed to show a scratch or mark upon it. + +"That's another on you, Ding-dong," laughed Nat, "you're a fine +sentinel. Why, you can't even hit a horse." + +"Well, let the Dutchman try and see if he can do any better," rejoined +Ding-dong with wounded dignity. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +ALONG THE TRAIL. + + +"Voss iss dot aboudt mein horse?" + +The group examining that noble animal turned abruptly, to find the +quadruped's owner in their midst. Herr Muller still wore his famous +abbreviated pajama suit, over which he had thrown a big khaki overcoat +of military cut belonging to Nat. Below this his bare legs stuck out +like the drum sticks of a newly plucked chicken. His yellow hair was +rumpled and stood up as if it had been electrified. Not one of the boys +could help laughing at the odd apparition. + +"Well, pod'ner," rejoined Cal, taking up the horse's broken hitching +rope and leading it back to its original resting place, "you're purty +lucky ter hev a horse left at all. This yar Ding-dong Bell almost 'put +him in the well' fer fair. He drilled about ten bullets more or less +around the critter's noble carcass." + +"But couldn't hit him with one of them," laughed Nat, to Ding-dong's +intense disgust. The stuttering lad strode majestically off to the +auto, and turned in, nor could they induce him to go on watch again +that night. + +The morning dawned as fair and bright and crisp as mornings in the +Sierras generally do. The sky was cloudless and appeared to be borne +aloft like a blue canopy, by the steep walls of the canyon enclosing +the petrified forest. The boys, on awakening, found Cal already up and +about, and the fragrance of his sage brush fire scenting the clear air. + +"'Mornin' boys," sang out the ex-stage driver as the tousled heads +projected from the auto and gazed sleepily about, "I tell yer this is +ther kind of er day that makes life worth livin'." + +"You bet," agreed Nat, heading a procession to the little spring at the +foot of one of the giant petrified trees. + +"It's c-c-c-c-cold," protested Ding-dong, but before he could utter +further expostulations his legs were suddenly tripped from under him +and he sprawled head first into the chilly, clear water. Joe Hartley +was feeling good, and of course poor Ding-dong had to suffer. By the +time the latter had recovered his feet and wiped some of the water out +of his eyes, the others had washed and were off for the camp fire. With +an inward resolve to avenge himself at some future time, Ding-dong soon +joined them. + +If the petrified forest had been a queer-looking place by night, viewed +by daylight it was nothing short of astonishing. + +"It's a vegetable cemetery," said Cal, looking about him. "Each of +these stone trees is a monument, to my way of thinking." + +"Ach, you are a fullosopher," applauded Herr Muller, who had just risen +and was gingerly climbing out of the tonneau. + +"And you're full o' prunes," grunted Cal to himself, vigorously slicing +bacon, while Nat fixed the oatmeal, and Joe Hartley got some canned +fruit ready. + +Presently breakfast was announced, and a merry, laughing party +gathered about the camp fire to despatch it. + +"I'll bet we're the first boys that ever ate breakfast in a petrified +forest," commented Joe. + +"I reckin' you're right," agreed Cal, "it makes me feel like an +ossified man." + +"Dot's a feller whose headt is turned to bone?" asked Herr Muller. + +"Must be Ding-dong," grinned Joe, which promptly brought on a renewal +of hostilities. + +"I've read that the petrification is caused by particles of iron +pyrites, or lime, taking the place of the water in the wood," put in +Nat. + +"Maybe so," agreed Cal, "but I've seen a feller petrified by too much +forty rod liquor." + +"I wonder what shook so many of the stony stumps down," inquired Joe, +gazing about him with interest. + +"Airthquakes, I guess," suggested Cal, "they get 'em through here once +in a while and when they come they're terrors." + +"We have them in Santa Barbara, too," said Nat, "they're nasty things +all right." + +"Come f-f-f-f-from the e-e-e-earth getting a t-t-t-t-tummy ache," +sagely announced Ding-dong Bell. + +While the boys got the car ready and filled the circulating water tank +with fresh water from the spring, Herr Muller and Cal washed the tin +dishes, and presently all was ready for a start. Herr Muller decided +that he would ride his horse this morning and so the move was made, +with that noble steed loping along behind the auto at the best pace his +bony frame was capable of producing. Luckily for him, the going was +very hard among the fallen stumps of the petrified trees, and the tall, +column-like, standing trunks, and the car could not do much more than +crawl. + +All were in jubilant spirits. The bracing air and the joyous sensation +of taking the road in the early dawn invigorated them. + +"I tell you," said Cal, "there's nothing like an early start in the +open air. I've done it a thousand times or more I guess, but it always +makes me feel good." + +"Dot iss righd," put in Herr Muller, "vunce at Heidelberg I gets me +oop by sunrise to fighd idt a doodle. I felt goot but bresently I gedt +poked it py der nose mit mein friendt's sword. Den I nodt feel so +goodt." + +While the others were still laughing at the whimsical German's +experience he suddenly broke into yodling: + + "Hi lee! Hi lo! + Hi lee! Hi lay! + Riding along by der fine summer's day; + Hi lee! Hi lo! + Hi lee! Hi lay! + Riding along on my----" + +"Ear!" burst out Joe, as the German's horse caught its foot in a gopher +hole, and stumbled so violently that it almost pitched the caroler over +its head. + +"That's ther first song I ever heard about a Chink," commented Cal, +when Herr Muller had recovered his equilibrium. + +"Voss is dot Chink?" asked Herr Muller, showing his usual keen interest +in any new word. + +"Gee whiz, but you Germans are benighted folks. Why, a Chink's a +Chinaman, of course." + +"Budt," protested the German spurring his horse alongside the auto and +speaking in a puzzled tone, "budt I voss not singing aboudt a Chinaman." + +"Wall, I'll leave it to anyone if Hi Lee and Hi Lo ain't Chink names," +exclaimed Cal. + +Whatever reply Herr Muller might have found to this indisputable +assertion is lost forever to the world. For at that moment Nat, who was +at the wheel, looked up to see a strange figure coming toward them, +making its way rapidly in and out among the column-like, petrified +trunks. His exclamation called the attention of the others to it and +they regarded the oncoming figure with as much astonishment as did he. + +It was the form of a very tall and lanky man on a very short and fat +donkey, that was approaching them. The rider's legs projected till they +touched the ground on each side like long piston rods and moved almost +as rapidly as he advanced. What with the burro's galloping and the +man's rapid footwork, they raised quite a cloud of dust. + +"Say, is that fellow moving the burro, or is the burro moving him?" +inquired Joe, with perfectly natural curiosity. + +Faster and faster moved the man's legs over the ground, as he came +nearer to the auto. + +"I should think he'd walk and let the burro ride," laughed Nat. + +As he spoke the boy checked the auto and it came to a standstill. The +tall rider could now be seen to be an aged man with a long, white +beard, and a brown, sunburned face, framed oddly by his snowy whiskers. +He glanced at the boys with a pair of keen eyes as he drew alongside, +and stopped his long-eared steed with a loud: + +"Whoa!" + +"Howdy," said Cal. + +"Howdy," rejoined the stranger, "whar you from?" + +"South," said Cal. + +"Whar yer goin'?" + +"North," was the rejoinder. + +"Say, stranger, you ain't much on the conversation, be yer?" + +"Never am when I don't know who I be talking to," retorted Cal. The +boys expected to see the other get angry, but instead he broke into a +laugh. + +"You're a Westerner all right," he said. "I thought everybody knew me. +I'm Jeb Scantling, the sheep herder from Alamos. I'm looking fer some +grass country." + +"Bin havin' trouble with the cattlemen?" inquired Cal. + +"Some," was the non-committal rejoinder. + +"Wall, then you'd better not go through that way," enjoined Cal, +"there's a bunch of cattle right through the forest thar." + +"Thar is?" was the somewhat alarmed rejoinder, "then I reckon it's no +place fer me." + +"No, you'd better try back in the mountains some place," advised Cal. + +"I will. So long." + +The old man abruptly wheeled his burro, and working his legs in the +same eccentric manner as before soon vanished the way he had come. + +"That's a queer character," commented Nat, as the old man disappeared +and the party, which had watched his curious actions in spellbound +astonishment, started on once more. + +"Yes," agreed Cal, "and he's had enough to make him queer, too. A +sheepman has a tough time of it. The cattlemen don't want 'em around +the hills 'cos they say the sheep eat off the feed so close thar ain't +none left fer the cattle. And sometimes the sheepmen start fires to +burn off the brush, and mebbe burn out a whole county. Then every once +in a while a bunch of cattlemen will raid a sheep outfit and clean it +out." + +"Kill the sheep?" asked Joe. + +"Yep, and the sheepmen, too, if they so much as open their mouths to +holler. I tell you a sheepman has his troubles." + +"Was this fellow just a herder, or did he own a flock?" inquired Nat. + +"I've heard that he owns his bunch," rejoined Cal. "He's had lots of +trouble with cattlemen. No wonder he scuttled off when I tole him thar +was a bunch of punchers behind." + +"I'm sorry he went so quickly," said Nat, "I wanted to ask him some +questions about the petrified forest." + +"Well, we're about out of it now," said Cal, looking around. + +Only a few solitary specimens of the strange, gaunt stone trees now +remained dotting the floor of the canyon like lonely monuments. +Presently they left the last even of these behind them, and before long +emerged on a rough road which climbed the mountain side at a steep +elevation. + +"No chance of your brake bustin' agin, is ther?" inquired Cal, rather +apprehensively. + +"No, it's as strong as it well can be now," Nat assured him. + +"Glad of that. If it gave out on this grade we'd go backward to our +funerals." + +"Guess that's right," agreed Joe, gazing back out of the tonneau at the +steep pitch behind them. + +Despite the steepness of the grade and the rough character of the road, +or rather trail, the powerful auto climbed steadily upward, the rattle +of her exhausts sounding like a gatling gun in action. + +Before long they reached the summit and the boys burst into a shout +of admiration at the scene spread out below them. From the elevation +they had attained they could see, rising and falling beneath them, like +billows at sea, the slopes and summits of miles of Sierra country. Here +and there were forests of dense greenery, alternated with bare, scarred +mountain sides dotted with bare trunks, among which disastrous forest +fires had swept. It was a grand scene, impressive in its magnitude and +sense of solitary isolation. Far beyond the peaks below them could be +seen snow-capped summits, marking the loftiest points of the range. +Here and there deep dark wooded canyons cut among the hills reaching +down to unknown depths. + +"Looks like a good country for grizzlies or deer," commented Cal. + +"Grizzlies!" exclaimed Joe, "are there many of them back here?" + +"Looks like there might be," rejoined Cal, "this is the land of big +bears, big deer, little matches, and big trees, and by the same token +there's a clump of the last right ahead of us." + +Sure enough not a hundred yards from where they had halted, there stood +a little group of the biggest trees the lads had ever set eyes on. +The loftiest towered fully two hundred feet above the ground, while a +roadway could have been cut through its trunk--as is actually the case +with another famous specimen of the Sequoia Gigantea. + +The foliage was dark green and had a tufted appearance, while the +trunks were a rich, reddish brown. The group of vegetable mammoths was +as impressive a sight as the lads had ever gazed upon. + +"Them is about the oldest livin' things in ther world," said Cal gazing +upward, "when Noah was building his ark them trees was 'most as big as +they are now." + +"I tole you vot I do," suddenly announced Herr Muller, "I take it a +photogrift from der top of one of dem trees aindt it?" + +"How can you climb them?" asked Nat. + +"Dot iss easiness," rejoined the German, "here, hold Bismark--dot iss +vot I call der horse--und I gedt out mein climbing irons." + +Diving into his blanket-roll he produced a pair of iron contrivances, +shaped somewhat like the climbing appliances which linemen on telegraph +systems use to scale the smooth poles. These were heavier, and with +longer and sharper steel points on them, however. Rapidly Herr Muller, +by means of stout straps, buckled them on, explaining that he had used +them to take pictures from treetops within the Black Forest. + +A few seconds later he selected the tallest of the trees and began +rapidly to ascend it. The climbing irons and the facility they lent him +in ascending the bare trunk delighted the boys, who determined to have +some made for themselves at the first opportunity. + +"He kin climb like a Dutch squirrel," exclaimed Cal admiringly, as with +a wave of his hand the figure of the little German grew smaller, and +finally vanished in the mass of dark, sombre green which clothed the +summit of the great red-wood. + +"He ought to get a dandy picture from way up there," said Joe. + +"Yes," agreed Nat, "he----" + +The boy stopped suddenly short. From the summit of the lofty tree there +had come a sharp, piercing cry of terror. + +"Help! help! Quvick or I fall down!" + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +TREED!--TWO HUNDRED FEET UP. + + +Mingling with the alarming yells of the German came a strange spitting, +snarling sound. + +Filled with apprehensions, the boys and Cal rushed for the foot of the +immense tree and gazed upward into the lofty gloom of its leafy summit. +They uttered a cry of alarm as they did so. In fact the spectacle their +eyes encountered was calculated to cause the heart of the most hardened +woodsman to beat faster. + +Astride of a branch, with his shoe soles dangling two hundred feet +above the ground, was Herr Muller, while between him and the trunk of +the tree was crouched a snarling, spitting wild cat of unusual size. It +seemed about to spring at the human enemy who had unwittingly surprised +it in its aerial retreat. + +The boys were stricken speechless with alarm as they gazed, but Cal +shouted encouragingly upward. + +"Hold on there, Dutchy. We'll help you out." + +"I know. Dot iss all right," came back the reply in a tremulous tone, +"but I dink me dis branch is rodden und ef der tom cat drives me much +furder out I down come." + +"Don't dare think of such a thing," called up Cal, "just you grip tight +and don't move." + +"All right, I try," quavered the photographer, about whose neck still +dangled the tool of his craft. + +Cal's long legs covered the space between the tree and the auto in +about two leaps, or so it seemed to the boys. In a flash he was back +with his well worn rifle and was aiming it upward into the tree. + +But as he brought the weapon to his shoulder and his finger pressed +the trigger the formidable creature crouching along the limb, sprang +full at the luckless Herr Muller. With a yell that stopped the breath +of every one of the alarmed party below, the German was seen to lose +his hold and drop, crashing through the foliage like a rock. As he +fell a shower of small branches and twigs were snapped off and floated +downward into space. + +But Herr Muller was not doomed, as the boys feared was inevitable, +to be dashed to pieces on the ground. Instead, just as it appeared +impossible that he could save himself from a terrible death, the German +succeeded in seizing a projecting limb and hanging on. The branch bent +ominously, but it held, and there he hung suspended helplessly with +nothing under him but barren space. Truly his position now did not +appear to be materially bettered from its critical condition of a few +minutes before. + +But the boys did not know, nor Cal either, that the Germans are great +fellows for athletics and gymnastics, and almost every German student +has at one time or another belonged to a Turn Verein. This was the case +with Herr Muller and his training stood him in good stead now. With a +desperate summoning of his strength, he slowly drew himself up upon the +bending limb, and began tortuously to make his way in toward the trunk. + +As he did so, the wild cat perceiving that it was once more at close +quarters with its enemy, advanced down the trunk, but it was not +destined this time to reach the German. Cal took careful aim and fired. + +Before the echo of the sharp report had died away a tawny body came +clawing and yowling downward, out of the tree, tumbling over and over +as it shot downward. The boys could not repress a shudder as they +thought how close Herr Muller had come to sharing the same fate. + +The creature was, of course, instantly killed as it struck the ground, +and was found to be an unusually large specimen of its kind. Its fur +was a fine piece of peltry and Cal's skillful knife soon had it off +the brute's carcass. A preparation of arsenic which the boys carried +for such purposes, was then rubbed on it to preserve it till it could +be properly cured and mounted. This done, it was placed away with the +mountain lion skin in a big tin case in the tonneau. + +While all this was going on, Herr Muller recovered the possession of +his faculties, which had almost deserted him in the terrible moment +when he hung between life and death. Presently he began to descend the +tree. Near the bottom of the trunk, however, his irons slipped and he +came down with a run and a rush that scraped all the skin off the palms +of his hands, and coated his clothes with the red stain of the bark. + +He was much too glad to be back on earth, however, to mind any such +little inconveniences as that. + +"Boys, I tole you ven I hung dere I dink by myselfs if ever I drop, I +drop like Lucifer----" + +"L-l-lucy who?" inquired Ding-dong curiously. + +"Lucifer--der devil you know, nefer to rise no more yet already." + +"I see you have studied Milton," laughed Nat, "but I can tell you, all +joking aside, you gave us a terrible scare. I want you to promise to do +all your photographing from safe places hereafter." + +"I vould suffer more dan dot for mein art," declared Herr Muller +proudly, "Ach, vot a terrible fright dot Robert cat give me." + +"Yep, those bob cats,--as we call them for short,--are ugly customers +at close quarters," put in Cal, with a grin. + +"Say," said Nat, suddenly pointing below them, "that little stream down +there looks as if it ought to have some trout in it. What do you say if +we try and get some for dinner?" + +"All right," agreed Cal, "you fellers go fishin' and the perfusser here +and I will stand by the camp." + +"Chess. I dinks me I dondt feel much like valking aroundt," remarked +Herr Muller, whose face was still pale from the alarming ordeal he had +undergone. + +So the boys selected each a rod and set out at a rapid pace for the +little brook Nat had indicated. The watercourse boiled brownly along +over a rough bed of rocks, forming here and there little waterfalls and +cascades, and then racing on again under flowering shrubs and beneath +high, rocky ramparts. It was ideal trout water, and the boys, who were +enthusiastic fishermen, welcomed the prospect of "wetting a line" in it. + +The brook was about a quarter of a mile from the camp under the big +trees, and the approach to it was across a park-like grassy slope. +Beyond it, however, another range shot up forbiddingly, rearing its +rough, rugged face to the sky like an impassable rampart. Gaunt pines +clothed its rocky slope, intermingled with clumps of chaparral and the +glossy-leaved madrone bushes. They grew almost down to the edge of the +stream in which the boys intended to fish. + +The sport, as Nat had anticipated, was excellent. So absorbed in it did +he become in fact, that he wandered down the streamlet's course farther +than he had intended. Killing trout, however, is fascinating sport, and +the time passed without the boy really noticing at all how far he had +become separated from his companions. + +At last, with a dozen fine speckled beauties, not one of which would +weigh less than three-quarters of a pound, the boy found time to look +about him. There was not a sign of Joe or Ding-dong Bell and he +concluded that they must be farther up the stream. With the intention +of locating them he started to retrace his footsteps. + +"Odd how far a fellow can come without knowing it, when he's fishing," +mused Nat. I wonder how many other boys have thought the same thing! + +As he went along he looked about him. On his right hand towered the +rocky slopes of the range, with the dark shadows lying under the gaunt +pine trees. On his other hand, separated from him, however, by some +clumps of madrone and manzinita, was the grove of big trees under which +the auto was parked, and where Cal and Herr Muller were doubtlessly +impatiently awaiting his arrival and that of his companions. + +"Got to hurry," thought Nat, mending his pace once more, but to his +dismay, as he stepped forward, his foot slipped on a sharp-edged rock, +and with a wrench of sharp pain he realized that he had twisted his +ankle. The sprain, judging by the pain it gave him, seemed to be a +severe one, too. + +"Wow!" thought Nat, sinking back upon another rock and nursing his +foot, "that was a twister and no mistake. Wonder if I can get back on +foot. Guess I'll rest a minute and see if it gets any better." + +The boy had sat thus for perhaps five minutes when there came a +sudden rustling in the brush before him. At first he did not pay much +attention to it, thinking that a rabbit, or even a deer might be going +through. Suddenly the noise ceased abruptly. Then it came again. This +time it was louder and it sounded as if some heavy body was approaching. + +"Great Scott!" was the sudden thought that flashed across the boy's +mind, "what if it's a bear!" + +He had good cause for alarm in such a case, for he had nothing more +formidable with which to face it but his fishing rod. But the next +moment the boy was destined to receive even a greater shock than the +sudden appearance of a grizzly would have given him. + +The shrubs before him suddenly parted and the figure of a man in +sombrero, rough shirt and trousers, with big boots reaching to his +knees, stepped out. + +"Ed. Dayton!" gasped Nat looking up at the apparition. + +"Yep, Ed. Dayton," was the reply, "and this time, Master Nat, I've got +you where I want you. Boys!" + +He raised his voice as he uttered the last word. + +In response, from the brush-wood there stepped two others whom Nat had +no difficulty in recognizing as the redoubtable Al. Jeffries and the +man with whom he had struggled on the stable floor the memorable night +of the attempted raid on the auto. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +NAT'S LUCKY ESCAPE. + + +If a round black bomb had come rolling down the mountain side and +exploded at Nat's feet he could not have been more thunderstruck than +he was at the sudden appearance of his old enemy. True, he should have +had such a possibility in mind, but so intent had he been on his trout +fishing, and the pain of his injury on the top of that, that he had not +given a thought to the possibility of any of their foes being about. + +"Don't make a racket," warned Al. Jeffries ominously, as he flourished +a revolver about, "I'm dreadful nervous, and if you make a noise I +might pull the trigger by accident." + +Nat saw at once that this was one way of saying that he would be shot +if he made any outcry, and he decided that there was nothing for him +to do but to refrain from giving any shout of alarm. Had his ankle not +been wrenched and giving him so much pain the boy would have tried to +run for it. But as it was, he was powerless to do anything but wait. + +"Ain't quite so gabby now as you was in Lower California," snarled +Dayton vindictively, as the boy sat staring at his captors. + +"If you mean by that that I am not doing any talking, you're right," +rejoined Nat. + +"That's a purty nice watch you've got there," remarked Al., gazing at +Nat's gold timepiece which had been jerked out of his breast pocket +when he fell over the rock. + +"Yes," agreed Nat, determined not to show them that he was alarmed by +his predicament, "my dead father gave me that." + +"Well, just hand it over." + +"What?" + +Nat's face flushed angrily. His temper began to rise too. + +"Come on, hand it over and don't be all night about it," ordered Al. + +Nat jumped to his feet. + +His fists were clenched ready for action. It seemed clear that if they +were going to take the watch from him while he had strength to protect +himself that they had a tough job in front of them. But an unexpected +interruption occurred. It came from Ed. Dayton. + +"See here, Al.," he growled, "don't get too previous. I reckon the +colonel can dispose of the watch as he sees fit. All such goes to him +first you know, so as to avoid disputes." + +"Don't see where you come in to run this thing," muttered Al., but +nevertheless he subsided into silence. + +All this time Nat's mind had been working feverishly. But cast about as +he would he could not hit on a plan of escape. + +"I guess the only thing to do is to let them make the first move, and +then lie low and watch for a chance to get away," he thought to himself. + +"Wonder what they mean to do with me anyhow?" + +He was not left long in doubt. + +"Get the horses," Dayton ordered, turning to Al. Jeffries. + +The other, still grumbling, turned obediently away however. There +seemed to be no doubt that Ed. Dayton was a man of some power in the +band. Nat saw this with a sinking heart. He knew the vengeful character +of the man too well for it not to cause him the gravest apprehension +of what his fate might be. Not by so much as a flicker of an eyelash, +however, did he let the ruffians see that he was alarmed. He would not +for worlds have given them the satisfaction of seeing him weaken. + +Pretty soon Al. returned with three ponies. The animals must have been +hidden in the brush on the opposite, or mountain side of the stream, +for this was the direction in which Al. had gone to get them. They were +a trio of wiry little steeds. On the back of each was a high-horned and +cantled Mexican saddle, with a rifle holster and a canteen slung from +it. The bridle of Dayton's pony was decorated with silver ornaments in +the Western fashion. + +"Come on. Get up kid," said Dayton gruffly, seizing Nat by the +shoulder, "we've got a long way to go with you." + +A long way to go! + +The words sounded ominous, and Nat, hurt as he was, decided on taking +a desperate chance. Springing suddenly to his feet he lowered his head +and ran full tilt at Dayton, driving his head into the pit of the +ruffian's stomach with the force of a battering ram. + +"Wo-o-o-f!" + +With the above exclamation the rascal doubled up and pitched over. +Before the others could recover their presence of mind Nat, despite the +pain in his ankle, had managed to dash in among the brush where it was +impossible to aim at him with any hope of bringing him down. + +Nevertheless, Dayton's companions started firing into the close-growing +vegetation. + +"Fire away," thought Nat, painfully struggling through the thick +growth, "the more bullets you waste the fewer you'll have for your +rascally work." + +But Dayton had, by this time, scrambled to his feet, and the boy could +hear him shouting angry commands. At the same instant came shouts from +another direction. + +With a quick flash of joy, Nat recognized the new voices. The shouts +were in the welcome and familiar tones of Cal Gifford and the Motor +Rangers. + +"Mount, boys, and get out of here quick!" + +The warning shout came from behind the fleeing boy, and was in the +voice of Dayton. The rascal evidently had heard, and interpreted +aright, the exclamations and shouts from the meadow side of the brook. +The next instant a clattering of hoofs announced the fact that the +members of Col. Morello's band of outlaws were putting all the distance +between themselves and the Motor Rangers' camp that they could. + +"Good riddance," muttered Nat, thinking how nearly he had come to being +borne off with them. + +But the tension of the excitement over, the pain in his ankle almost +overcame him. He sank limply down on a rock and sent out a cry for aid. + +"Cal! Cal! this way!" + +"Yip yee!" he heard the welcome answering shout, and before many +seconds had passed Herr Muller's horse, with the Westerner astride +of its bony back, came plunging into the brush. Behind came Joe and +Ding-dong, wide-eyed with excitement. They had missed their comrade +and had been searching for him when the sound of the shots came. Cal, +who had also become anxious, and had ridden down from the camp to the +stream side, was with them at the moment. Together the rescue party had +hastened forward, too late however, to find Dayton and his companions. +They naturally heard Nat's story with deep interest and attention. + +"Good thing them varmints didn't know that you two weren't armed," said +Cal, turning to Joe and Ding-dong, "or they might hev stayed. In which +case the whole bunch of us might have been cleaned out." + +"I think it will be a pretty good rule never to leave camp in future +without a revolver or a rifle," said Nat, painfully rising to his feet +and steadying himself by gripping Bismark's mane. + +"Right you are, my boy. We ought to have done thet in the first place. +Howsomever, the thing to do now is to get you back ter camp. Come on, +I'll give you a leg up." + +As he spoke, Cal slid off Bismark's back, and presently Nat was in his +place. Escorted by Joe and Ding-dong, the cavalcade lost no time in +getting back to where the auto had been left in charge of Herr Muller. + +"Get any pictures while we was gone?" asked Cal as they came within +hailing distance. + +"Nein," rejoined the German sorrowfully. + +"Nine," exclaimed Cal looking about him, "where in thunder did you get +nine subjects about here?" + +"He means no," said Nat, who had to laugh despite his pain, at this +confusion of tongues. + +"Wall, why can't he say so?" grunted Cal, plainly despising the +ignorance of the foreigner. + +Nat's ankle was found to be quite badly twisted, but Cal's knowledge of +woodcraft stood them in good stead. After examining it and making sure +that nothing was broken, the former stage driver searched about the +grassy meadow for a while and finally plucked several broad leaves from +a low-growing bush. These had a silvery tint underneath and were dark +on the upper surface. + +"Silver weed," said Cal briefly, as he came back to the camp. Selecting +a small pot, he rapidly heated some water on the fire which Herr Muller +had kindled in his absence. This done, he placed the leaves to steep in +it and after a while poured off the water and made a poultice with the +leaves. This he bound upon Nat's ankle and in a wonderfully short time +the pain was much reduced, and the boy could use his foot. + +In the meantime, a spiderful of beans and bacon had been cooked to go +with the fried trout, and the inevitable coffee prepared. For dessert +they had canned peaches, topping off the spread with crackers and +cheese. + +"Tell you," remarked Cal, as he drew out his black pipe and prepared +to enjoy his after dinner smoke, "this thing of travelling round in an +auto is real, solid comfort. We couldn't hev had a spread like that if +we'd bin on the trail with a packing outfit." + +Dinner over and Nat feeling his ankle almost as well as ever, it +was decided to start on at once. For one thing, the outlaws might +have marked the camping place and it was not a good enough strategic +position to withstand an attack if one should be made. + +"We want to be in a snugger place than this if that outfit starts in on +us," said Cal decisively. + +"Do you think they'll make us more trouble then?" inquired Joe. + +"I think that what they did to-day shows that they are keeping pretty +close watch on us, my boy. It's up to us to keep our eyes open by day +and sleep with one optic unclosed at night." + +Herr Muller and Ding-dong Bell, who had undertaken the dishwashing, +soon concluded the task and the Motor Rangers once more set out. They +felt some regret at leaving the beautiful camping spot behind them, but +still, as Cal had pointed out, it was a bad location from which to +repulse an enemy, supposing they should be attacked. + +"Vell, I'm gladt I didndt drop from dot tree," remarked Herr Muller, +gazing back at the lofty summit of the imposing Big Tree, in which he +had had such a narrow escape. + +"You take your pictures on terra firma after this," advised Joe. + +"Or if you do any more such stunts leave the camera with us," suggested +Cal, who was leading the Teuton's steed. + +"Then we could get a g-g-g-g-good pup-p-p-picture of what England +d-d-dreads," stuttered Ding-dong. + +"What's that?" inquired Nat. + +"The G-g-g-g-g-german p-p-p-peril," chuckled the stuttering youth. + +Soon after leaving the pleasant plateau of the big trees the scenery +became rough and wild in the extreme. The Sierras are noted for their +deep, narrow valleys, and after about an hour's progress over very +rough trails the Motor Rangers found themselves entering one of these +gloomy defiles. After the bright sunlight of the open country its dim +grandeur struck a feeling of apprehension into their minds. It seemed +chilly and oppressive somehow. + +"Say, perfusser," suggested Cal presently, "just sing us that Chinese +song to cheer us up, will you?" + + "Hi lee! Hi lo! + Hi lee! Hi lay!----" + +The "perfusser," as Cal insisted on calling him, had obligingly begun +when from ahead of them and high up, as it seemed, came a peculiar +sound. + +It was a crackling of brush and small bushes apparently. Instinctively +Nat stopped the car and it was well that he did so, for the next +instant a giant boulder came crashing down the steep mountainside above +them. + +[Illustration: Instinctively Nat stopped the car, and it was well that +he did so, for the next instant a giant boulder came crashing down.] + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +THE VOLLEY IN THE CANYON. + + +Nat had stopped in the nick of time. As the auto came to an abrupt +halt, almost jolting those in the tonneau out of their seats, there was +a roar like the voice of an avalanche. From far up the hillside a cloud +of dust grew closer, and thundered past like an express train. In the +midst of the cloud was the huge, dislodged rock, weighing perhaps half +a ton or more. + +So close did it whiz by, in fact, just ahead of the car, that Nat could +almost have sworn that it grazed the engine bonnet. The ground shook +and trembled as if an earthquake was in progress, during the passage of +the huge rock. + +"Whew! Well, what do you think of that!" gasped Joe. + +"I thought the whole mountainside was coming away," exclaimed +Ding-dong, startled into plain speech by his alarm. + +Of course the first thing to be done was to clamber out of the car and +examine the monster rock, which had come to rest some distance up the +side of the opposite cliff to that from which it had fallen, such had +been its velocity. Nat could not help shuddering as he realized that +if the great stone had ever struck the auto it would have been, in the +language of Cal, "Good-night" for the occupants of that vehicle. + +"Ach, vee vould haf been more flat as a pretzel alretty yet," exclaimed +Herr Muller, unslinging his ever ready camera, and preparing to take a +photo of the peril which had so narrowly missed them. + +"This must be our lucky day," put in Joe, "three narrow escapes, one +after the other. I wonder if there'll be a fourth." + +"Better not talk about it, Joe," urged Cal, "the next time we might not +be so fortunate." + +"Guess that's right," said Nat, who was examining the boulder with some +care. + +Apparently it had been one of those monster rocks which glacial action +in the bygone ages has left stranded, delicately balanced on a +mountainside. Some rocks of this character it takes but a light shove +to dislodge. So perfectly are other great masses poised that it takes +powerful leverage to overcome their inertia--to use a term in physics. + +But the scientific aspect of the rock was not what interested Nat. What +he wanted to find out was just how such a big stone could have become +unseated from the mountainside and at a time when its downfall would, +but for their alertness, have meant disaster and perhaps death, to the +Motor Rangers. Nat had an idea, but he did not wish to announce it till +he was sure. + +Suddenly he straightened up with a flushed face. His countenance bore +an angry look. + +"Come here, fellows," he said, "and tell me what you make of this mark +at the side of the rock." + +He indicated a queer abrasion on one side of the stone. The living +stone showed whitely where the lichen and moss had been scraped aside. + +"Looks like some cuss had put a lever under it," pronounced Cal, after +a careful inspection. + +"That's what. Fellows, this rock was deliberately tilted so that it +would come down on us and crush us. Now there's only one bunch of men +that we know of mean enough to do such a thing and that's----" + +_Phut-t-t!_ + +Something whistled past Nat's ear with a noise somewhat like the +humming of a drowsy bee, only the sound lasted but for a fraction of a +second. + +Nat knew it instantly for what it was. + +A bullet! + +It struck the rock behind him, and not half an inch from a direct line +with his head, with a dull spatter. + +The boy could not help turning a trifle pale as he realized what an +exceedingly narrow escape he had had. Cal's countenance blazed with +fury. + +"The--the dern--skunks!" he burst out, unlimbering his well polished +old revolver. + +"Reckon two kin play at that game." + +But Nat pulled the other's arm down. + +"No good, Cal," he said, "the best thing we can do is to get out of +here as quickly as possible. One man up there behind those rocks could +wipe out an army down in here." + +Cal nodded grimly, as he recognized the truth of the lad's words. Truly +they were in no position to do anything but, as Nat had suggested, get +out as quickly as possible. + +As they reached this determination another bullet whizzed by and struck +a rock behind them, doubly convincing them of the wisdom of this +course. Fortunately, as has been said, the boulder had rolled clear +across the floor of the narrow canyon, such had been its velocity. This +was lucky for the lads, for if it had obstructed the way they would +have been in a nasty trap. With no room to turn round and no chance of +going ahead their invisible enemies would have had them at their mercy. + +But if they could not see the shooters on the hillside, those marksmen +appeared to have their range pretty accurately. Bullets came pattering +about them now in pretty lively fashion. Suddenly Herr Muller gave an +exclamation and a cry of mingled pain and alarm. A red streak appeared +at the same instant on the back of his hand where the bullet had nicked +him. But this was not the cause of his outcry. The missile had ended +its career in the case in which he carried his photographic plates. + +Nat heard the exclamation and turned about as the car began to move +forward. + +"Where are you hurt?" he asked anxiously, fearing some severe injury +might have been inflicted on their Teutonic comrade. + +"In der plate box," was the astonishing reply. + +"Good heavens, you are shot in the stomach?" cried Joe. + +"No, but seferal of my plates have been smashed, Ach Himmel voss +misfordune." + +"I suppose you thought that plate box meant about the same thing as +bread basket," grinned Nat, turning to Joe, as they sped forward. A +ragged fire followed them, but no further damage to car or occupants +resulted. Herr Muller's horse, in the emergency, behaved like a +veteran. It trotted obediently behind the car without flinching. + +"Bismark, I am proudt off you," smiled his owner, after the damage to +the plate box had been investigated and found to be not so serious as +its owner had feared. + +"We must have drawn out of range," said Cal, as after a few more +desultory reports the firing ceased altogether. + +"I hope so, I'm sure," responded Nat, "I tell you it's a pretty mean +feeling, this thing of being shot at by a chap you can't see at all." + +"Yep, he jes' naturally has a drop on you," agreed Cal. "Wonder how +them fellers trailed us?" + +"Simple enough," rejoined Nat, "at least, it is so to my way of +thinking. They didn't _trail_ us at all. They just got ahead of us." + +"How do you mean?" asked Cal, even his keen wits rather puzzled. + +"Why they figured out, I guess, that we weren't going to be such +cowards as to let their attempts to scare us turn us back. That being +the case, the only way for us to proceed forward from the Big Trees +was to drive through this canyon. I reckon therefore that they just +vamoosed ahead a bit and were ready with that big rock when we came +along." + +"The blamed varmints," ground out the ex-stage driver, "I wonder if +they meant to crush us?" + +"Quite likely," rejoined Nat, "and if this car hadn't been able to stop +in double-quick jig-time, they'd have done it, too. Of course they may +have only intended to block the road so that they could go through us +at their leisure. But in that case I should think that they would have +had the rock already there before we came along." + +"Just my idea, lad," agreed the Westerner heartily, "them pestiferous +coyotes wouldn't stop at a little thing like wiping us out, if it was +in their minds ter do it. But I've got an idea that we must be getting +near their den. I've heard it is back this way somewhere." + +"If that is so," commented Nat, "it would account for their anxiety to +turn us back. But," and here the boy set his lips grimly, "that's one +reason why I'm determined to go on." + +"And you can bet that I'm with you every step of the way," was Cal's +hearty assurance. He laid a brown paw on Nat's hands as they gripped +the steering wheel. I can tell you, that in the midst of the perils +into which Nat could not help feeling they were now approaching, it +felt good to have a stalwart, resourceful chap like Cal along. + +"Thanks, Cal. I know you'll stick," rejoined Nat simply, and that was +all. + +The canyon--or more properly, pass--which they had been traversing soon +came to an end, the spurs of the mountains which formed it sloping +down, and "melting" off into adjoining ranges. This formed a pleasant +little valley between their slopes. The depression, which was perhaps +four miles in circumference, was carpeted with vivid green bunch grass. +Clumps of flowering shrubs stood in the centre where a small lake, +crystal clear, was formed by the conjunction of two little streams. +The water was the clear, cold liquid of the mountains, sharp with the +chill of the high altitudes. + +After the boys had selected a camping place on a little knoll +commanding all parts of the valley, their first task was to bring up +buckets of water and clean off the auto which, by this time, as you +may imagine, was pretty grimy and dusty. Several marks on the tonneau, +too, showed where bullets had struck during the brush in the canyon. +Altogether, the car looked "like business," that is to say, as if +it had gone through other ups and downs than those of the mountains +themselves. + +An inspection of the big gasolene tank showed that the emergency +container was almost exhausted, and before they proceeded to anything +else, Nat ordered the tanks filled from the stock they carried in the +big "store-room," suspended under the floor of the car. + +"We might have to get out of here in a hurry, when there would be no +time to fill up the tanks," he said. "It's best to have everything +ready in case of accidents." + +"That's right," agreed Cal, "nothing like havin' things ready. I +recollect one time when I was back home in Iowy that they----" + +But whatever had occurred--and it was doubtless interesting--back at +Cal's home in Iowa, the boys were destined never to know; for at that +moment their attention was attracted to the horse of Herr Muller, which +had been tethered near a clump of madrone shrubs not far from the lake. + +"He's gone crazy!" shouted Joe. + +"M-m-m-mad as a h-h-h-atter in Mum-m-march," sputtered Ding-dong. + +No wonder the boys came to such a conclusion. For a respectable equine, +such as Herr Muller's steed had always shown himself to be, Bismark +certainly was acting in an extraordinary manner. + +At one moment he flung his heels high into the air, and almost at the +same instant up would come his forelegs. Then, casting himself on the +ground, he would roll over and over, sending up little showers of turf +and stones with his furiously beating hoofs. All the time he kept up a +shrill whinnying and neighing that greatly added to the oddity of his +performance. + +"Ach Himmel! Bismark is a loonitacker!" yelled Herr Muller, rushing +toward his quadruped, of which he had become very fond. + +But alas! for the confidence of the Teuton. As he neared Bismark, the +"loonitacker" horse up with his hind legs and smiting Herr Muller +in the chest, propelled him with speed and violence backward toward +the lake. In vain Herr Muller tried to stop his backward impetus by +clutching at the brush. It gave way in his hands like so much flax. +Another second and he was soused head over heels in the icy mountain +water. + +"What in the name of Ben Butler has got inter the critter?" gasped Cal +amazedly. The others opened their eyes wide in wonder. All of them had +had something to do with horses at different stages of their careers, +but never in their united experiences had a horse been seen to act like +Bismark, the "loonitacker." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +A "LOONITACKER" HORSE. + + +"I have it!" cried Nat suddenly. + +"What, the same thing as Bismark?" shouted Joe, "here somebody, hold +him down." + +"No, I know what's the matter with him--loco weed!" + +He stooped down and picked up a small, bright green trefoil leaf. Cal +slapped his leg with an exclamation as he looked at it. + +"That's right, boy. That's loco weed, sure. It's growing all around +here, and we was too busy to notice it. That old plug has filled his +ornery carcass up on it." + +By this time the German had crawled out of the water, and was poking a +dripping face, with a comical expression of dismay on it, through the +bushes about the lake. Not seeing Bismark near, he ventured out a few +paces, but the horse suddenly spying him made a mad dash for him. Herr +Muller beat a hasty retreat. Even Bismark could not penetrate into the +thick brush after him. + +"Vos is los mit Bismark?" yelled the German from his retreat at the +boys and Cal, who were almost convulsed with laughter at the creature's +comical antics. + +"I guess his brains is loose," hailed back Cal, whose knowledge of the +German language was limited. + +"He's mad!" shouted Joe by way of imparting some useful information. + +"Mad? Voss iss he madt about?" + +"Oh, what's the use?" sighed Joe. Then placing his hands funnelwise to +his mouth he bawled out:-- + +"He's locoed!" + +"Low toed?" exclaimed the amazed German. "Then I take him mit der +blacksmith." + +"Say, you simian-faced subject of Hoch the Kaiser, can't you understand +English?" howled Cal, in a voice that might have dislodged a mountain. +"Bismark is crazy, locoed, mad, off his trolley, got rats in his +garret, bats in his belfry, bug-house, screw-loose, daft, looney--now +do you understand?" + +"Yah!" came the response, "now I know. Bismark is aufergerspeil." + +"All right, call it that if you want to," muttered Cal. Then, as +Bismark, with a final flourish of his heels and a loud shrill whinny, +galloped off, the Westerner turned to the boys. + +"Well, we've seen the last of him for a while." + +"Aren't you going to try to catch him?" asked Nat, as he watched the +horse dash across the meadow-like hollow, and then vanish in the belt +of dark wood on the hillside beyond. + +"No good," said Cal decisively, "wouldn't be able to do a thing with +him for days. That loco weed is bad stuff. If I'd ever noticed it +growing around here you can bet that Bismuth, or whatever that Dutchman +calls him, wouldn't have left the camp." + +Herr Muller, rubbing a grievous bump he had received when the +ungrateful equine turned upon the hand that fed him, now came up and +joined the party. He made such a grievous moan over the loss of his +horse that Nat's heart was melted. He promised finally that they would +stay in the vicinity the next day, and if Bismark had not appeared that +they would make a short search in the mountains for him. + +This was strongly against Cal's advice, but he, too, finally gave in. +The Westerner knew better even than the boys with what a desperate gang +they were at odds, and he did not favor anything that delayed their +getting out of that part of the country as quick as possible. + +"My mine is only a day or so's run from here," he said to Nat, "and if +once we reached there we could stand these fellows off till help might +be summoned from some place below, and we could have Morello's gang all +arrested." + +"That would be a great idea," agreed Nat, "do you think it could be +done?" + +"Don't see why not," rejoined Cal, "but you'll see better when you get +a look at the place. It's a regular natural fortress, that's what it +is. My plan would be to hold 'em there while one of us rides off to +Laredo or Big Oak Flat for the sheriff and his men." + +"We'll talk some more about that," agreed Nat, to whom the idea +appealed immensely. In fact, he felt that there was little chance +of their really enjoying their trip till they were sure that Col. +Morello's gang was disposed of. Somehow Nat had a feeling that they +were not through with the rascals yet. In which surmise, as we shall +see, he was right. + +Supper that night was a merry meal, and after it had been disposed of, +the waterproof tent which the boys had brought along was set up for the +first time. With its sod cloth and spotless greenish-gray coloring, it +made an inviting looking little habitation, more especially when the +folding cots were erected within. But Herr Muller was in a despondent +mood. He ate his supper in silence and sat melancholy and moody +afterward about the roaring camp fire. + +"Ach dot poor horse. Maypee der wolves get der poor crazy loonitacker," +he moaned. + +"Wall," commented Cal judicially, "ef he kin handle wolves as well as +he kin Dutchmen he's no more reason to be scared of 'em than he is of +jack-rabbits." + +Of course watches were posted that night, and extra careful vigilance +exercised. The events of the day had not added to the boys' confidence +in their safety, by any means. There was every danger, in fact, of a +night attack being attempted by their enemies. + +But the night passed without any alarming interruption. And the morning +dawned as bright and clear as the day that had preceded it. Breakfast +was quickly disposed of, and then plans were laid for the pursuit of +the errant Bismark. + +Cal was of the opinion, that if the effect of the loco weed had worn +off, that the horse might be found not far from the camp. There was +a chance, of course, that he might have trotted back home. But Cal's +experience had shown him that in the lonely hills, horses generally +prefer the company of human kind to the solitudes and that if the +influence of the crazy-weed was not still upon him the quadruped would +be found not very far off. + +This was cheering news to the photographing Teuton, who could hardly +eat any breakfast so impatient was he to be off. Cal was to stay and +guard the camp with Ding-dong for a companion. The searching party was +to consist of Nat, in command, with Joe and Herr Muller as assistants. + +All, of course, carried weapons, and it was agreed that the signal in +case of accident or attack, would be two shots in quick succession, +followed by a third. Two shots alone would announce that the horse was +found; while one would signify failure and an order to turn homeward. + +These details being arranged, and Herr Muller thoroughly drilled in +them, the searchers set forth. The little meadow was soon traversed, +and at the edge of the woods, which clothed the slope at this side of +the valley, they separated. Nat took the centre, striking straight +ahead on Bismark's trail, while the other two converged at different +radii. + +The hill-side was not steep, and walking under the piñons and madrones +not difficult. Occasionally a clump of dense chaparral intervened, so +thick that it had to be walked around. It would have been waste of time +to attempt to penetrate it. + +All three of the searchers, as may be imagined, kept a sharp look-out, +not only for trace of Bismark but also for any sign of danger. But they +tramped on, while the sun rose higher, without anything alarming making +itself manifest. + +But of Bismark not a trace was to be found. He had, apparently, +vanished completely. The ground was dry and rocky, too, which was bad, +so far as trailing was concerned. Nat, although he now and then tumbled +on a hoof mark or found a spot where Bismark had stopped to graze, saw +nothing further of the horse. + +At last he looked at his watch. He gave an exclamation of astonishment +as he did so. It was almost noon. + +"Got to be starting back," he thought, and drawing his revolver, he +fired one shot, the signal agreed upon for the return. + +This done, he set off walking at a brisk pace toward what he believed +was the valley. But Nat, like many a more experienced mountaineer, had +become hopelessly turned around during his wanderings. While it seemed +to him he was striking in an easterly direction, he was, as a matter of +fact, proceeding almost the opposite way. + +After tramping for an hour or more the boy began to look about him. + +"That's odd," he thought as he took in the surroundings, "I don't +remember seeing anything like this around the valley." + +It was, in fact, a very different scene from that surrounding the +camp that now lay about him. Instead of a soft, grass-covered valley, +all that could be seen from the bare eminence on which he had now +climbed, was a rift in some bare, rocky hills. The surroundings were +inexpressibly wild and desolate looking. Tall rocks, like the minarets +of Eastern castles, shot upward, and the cliffs were split and riven +as if by some immense convulsion of nature. + +High above the wild scene there circled a big eagle. From time to time +it gave a harsh scream, adding a dismal note to the dreary environment. + +For a flash Nat felt like giving way to the wild, unreasoning panic +that sometimes overwhelms those who suddenly discover they are +hopelessly lost. His impulse was to dash into the wood and set off +running in what he thought must be the right direction. But he checked +himself by an effort of will, and forced his mind to accept the +situation as calmly as possible. + +"How foolish I was not to mark the trees as I came along!" he thought. + +If only he had done that it would have been a simple matter to find +his way back. A sudden idea flashed into his mind, and drawing out his +watch the boy pointed the hour hand at the sun, which was, luckily, in +full sight. He knew that a point between the hour hand thus directed, +and noon, would indicate the north and south line. + +As Nat had begun to think, this test showed him that he had been +almost completely turned about, and had probably come miles in the +wrong direction. + +The east lay off to his right. Nat faced about, and was starting +pluckily off in that direction when a sudden commotion in a clump of +chaparral below attracted his attention. A flock of blue jays flew up, +screaming and scolding hoarsely in their harsh notes. + +Nat was woodsman enough to know that the blue jay is the watch-dog +of the forests. Their harsh cries betoken the coming of anything for +half a mile or more. Sometimes, however, they do not scream out their +warning till whatever alarms them is quite close. + +As the birds, uttering their grating notes, flew upward from the clump +in the chaparral, Nat paused. So still did he keep that he could +distinctly hear the pounding of his heart in the silence. But presently +another sound became audible. + +The trampling of horses coming in his direction! + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +THE MOTOR RANGER'S PERIL. + + +"Reckon Nat must have forgotten to fire the signal," thought Joe, +sinking down on a rock, some little time before the former had halted +to listen intently to the approaching noise. + +Suddenly, however, the distant report came, borne clearly to his ears. + +"There it goes," thought Joe. "One shot. I guess that means good-bye to +the Dutchman's horse." + +Knowing that it would be no use looking about for Nat, for evidently +from the faint noise of the shot it had been fired at some distance, +Joe faced about and started back for the camp. When he reached it, he +found to his surprise, that Herr Muller had returned some time before. +As a matter of fact, Joe formed a shrewd suspicion from the rapid time +he must have made on his return, that Herr Muller had sought a snug +spot and dozed away the interval before Nat's shot was heard. + +As it so happened he was not very far from the truth. The German, +having tramped quite a distance into the woods, had argued to himself +that he stood about as good a chance of recovering his horse by +remaining still as by proceeding. So he had seated himself with a big +china-bowled pipe, to await the recall signal. He had started on the +hunt with much enthusiasm, but tramping over rough, stony ground, under +a hot sun, is one of the greatest solvents of enthusiasm known. And so +it had proved in the German's case. + +He had, however, a fine tale to tell of his tramp, and to listen to +him one would have thought that he was the most industrious of the +searchers. + +"Guess we'd better start dinner without Nat," said Cal, after they had +hung around, doing nothing but watching the pots simmer over the camp +fire, for an hour or two. + +"That's a gug-g-g-good idea," agreed Ding-dong. + +Joe demurred a bit at the idea of not waiting for their young leader, +but finally he, too, agreed to proceed with the meal. As will be seen +by this, not much anxiety was yet felt in the camp over Nat's absence. +He was stronger and much more wiry than the other two searchers, and +it was altogether probable that he had proceeded much farther than had +they. + +But, as the afternoon wore on and no Nat put in an appearance, +conversation seemed to languish. Anxious eyes now sought the rim of +the woods on the opposite side of the clearing. Nobody dared to voice +the fears that lay at their hearts, however. Cal, perhaps, alone among +them, realized the extent of the peril in which Nat stood, if he were +lost in the mountains. It was for this reason that he did not speak +until it became impossible to hold out hope any longer. + +This was when the shadows began to lengthen and the western sky burned +dull-red, as the sun sank behind the pine-fringed mountain tops. Then, +and not till then, Cal spoke what was on his mind. + +His comrades received the news of Cal's conviction that Nat was +lost without the dismay and outward excitement that might have been +expected. As a matter of fact, the dread that something had happened to +the lad had been in the minds of all of them for some hours, although +each tried to appear chipper and cheerful. There was no evading the +facts as they stood, any longer, however. + +Very soon night would fall, with its customary suddenness in these +regions. Unless Nat returned before that time--which was so improbable +as to hardly be worth considering--there remained only one conclusion +to be drawn. + +"Whatever can we do?" demanded Joe, in a rather shaky voice, as he +thought of his comrade out on the desolate mountain side, hungry and +perhaps thirsty, looking in vain for a trace of a trail back to camp. + +"Not much of anything," was Cal's disquieting reply, "except to stay +put." + +"You mean stay right where we are?" + +"That's right, boy. There's a chance that Nat may be back before long. +Only a chance, mind you, but in that case we want ter be right here." + +"Suppose he is h-h-h-h-hurt?" quavered out Ding-dong, voicing a fear +they had all felt, but had not, so far, dared to speak of. + +Cal waved his hand in an inclusive way at the range opposite. + +"That will mean a search for him," he said, "and he may be any place in +those hills within a ten-mile radius. Talk about lookin' fer a needle +in a haystack. It 'ud be child's play, to finding him in time to do +anything." + +They could not but feel the truth of his words. + +"Besides," went on Cal, "there's another thing. We know that that +ornery bunch of skunks and coyotes of Morello's is sky-hootin' round +here some place. If we leave the camp they might swoop down on it and +clean it out, and then we'd be in a worse fix than ever." + +"That's right," admitted Joe, "but it seems dreadfully tough to have to +sit here with folded hands and doing nothing; while Nat----" + +His voice broke, and he looked off toward the mountains, now dim and +dun-colored in the fast gathering night. + +"No use giving way," said Cal briskly, "and as fer sitting with folded +hands, it's the worst thing you could do. Here you," to Herr Muller, +"hustle around and git all ther wood you can. A big pile of it. We'll +keep up a monstrous fire all night in case the lad might happen to see +it." + +"It will give us something to think about anyhow," said Joe, catching +the infection of Cal's brisk manner; "come on, Herr Muller, I'll help +you." + +They started off to collect wood, while Ding-dong Bell and Cal busied +themselves with the supper dishes and then cleaned up a variety of +small jobs around the camp. + +"Jes' stick this bit of advice in your craw, son," advised Cal as he +went briskly about his tasks, "work's the thing that trouble's most +scart of, so if ever you want to shake your woes pitch in an' tackle +something." + +While Nat's comrades are thus employed, let us see for ourselves +what has become of the lad. We left him listening intently to some +approaching horsemen. He remained in this attentive attitude only long +enough to assure himself that they were indeed coming toward him, and +then, like a flash, his mind was made up. + +It was clear to the boy that travellers in such a remote part of the +Sierras were not common. It also came into his mind that Col. Morello's +band was reputed to have their hiding place somewhere in the vicinity. +The brief glance about him that Nat had obtained had shown him that it +was just the sort of place that men anxious to hide themselves from the +law would select. In the first place, it was so rugged and wild as to +be inaccessible to any but men on foot or horseback, and even then it +would have been a rough trip. + +The valley, or rather "cut," in the hills, up which the sound of hoofs +was coming, was, as has been said, narrow and deep in the extreme. +From the summits of its cliffs a defence of the trail that lay beneath +would be easy. Stationed on those pinnacled, natural turrets, two +might, if well supplied with ammunition, have withstood an army. All +these thoughts had occurred to Nat before he made his resolution--and +turning, started to run. + +But as he sped along a fresh difficulty presented itself. The hillside +at this point seemed to be alive with blue-jays. They flew screaming +up, as he made his way along, and Nat knew that if they had acted as +a warning to him of approaching danger the vociferous birds would be +equally probable to arouse the suspicions of whoever was coming his way. + +He paused to listen for a second, and was glad he had done so. The +horsemen, to judge from their voices, had already reached the spot upon +which he had been standing when he first heard them. What wind there +was blew toward him and he could hear their words distinctly. + +"Those jays are acting strangely, Manuello. I wonder if there is +anybody here." + +"I do not know, colonel," was the reply from the other unseen speaker, +"if there is it will be to our advantage to find him. We don't want +spies near the Wolf's Mouth." + +"Wolf's Mouth," thought Nat, "If that's the name of that abyss it's +well called." + +"You are right, Manuello," went on the first speaker, "after what +Dayton told us about those boys I don't feel easy in my mind as long +as they are in our neighborhood. If Dayton and the others had not +miscalculated yesterday we shouldn't have been bothered with them any +longer." + +"No," was the rejoinder, "it's a pity that boulder didn't hit them and +pound them into oblivion. Just because they happen to be boys doesn't +make them any the less dangerous to us." + +At this unlucky moment, while Nat was straining his ears to catch every +word of the conversation a stone against which he had braced one of his +feet gave way. Ordinarily he would have hardly noticed the sound it +made as it went bounding and rolling down the hillside, but situated as +he was, the noise seemed to be as startling and loud as the discharge +of a big gun. + +"What was that?" asked the man who had been addressed as "colonel." + +"A dislodged stone," was the reply, "someone is in there; the blue-jays +didn't fly up for nothing." + +"So it would seem. We had better investigate before going farther." + +"Still, it is important that we find where those boys are camped." + +"That is true, but it is more important that we find out who is in that +brush." + +Without any more delay, the two horses were turned into the hillside +growth. Nat could hear their feet slipping and sliding among the loose +rocks on the mountain as they came toward him. He did not dare to run +for fear of revealing his whereabouts. + +Close at hand was a piñon tree, which spread out low-growing branches +all about. Nat, as he spied it, decided that if he could get within +its leafy screen unobserved he would, if luck favored him, escape the +observation of the two men--one of whom he was certain now, must be +the famous, or infamous, Col. Morello himself. + +Without any repetition of the unlucky accident of the minute before, he +crept to the trunk of the tree and hoisted himself noiselessly up. As +he had surmised, the upper branches made a comfortable resting place +impervious to the view from below. + +Hardly had he made himself secure, before the horses of the two outlaws +approached the tree and, rather to Nat's consternation, halted almost +immediately beneath it. + +Could the keen-eyed leader of the outlaw band have discovered his +hiding place? It was the most anxious moment of the boy's life. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA. + + +Few men, and still fewer boys, have ever been called upon to face the +agonizing suspense which Nat underwent in the next few seconds. So +close were the men to his hiding place that his nostrils could scent +the sharp, acrid odor of their cigarettes. He was still enough as he +crouched breathless upon the limb to have been carved out of wood, like +the branch upon which he rested. He did not even dare to wink his eyes +for fear of alarming the already aroused suspicions of the two men +below him. + +"Guess those jays got scared at a lion or something," presently decided +the man who had been addressed as "colonel." + +Nat, peering through his leafy screen, could see him as he sat upright +on his heavy saddle of carved leather and looked about him with a pair +of hawk-like eyes. + +Colonel Morello, for Nat had guessed correctly when he concluded that +the man was the famous leader, was a man of about fifty years, with a +weather-beaten face, seamed and lined by years of exposure and hard +living. But his eye, as has been said, was as keen and restless as an +eagle's. A big scar made a livid mark across his cheek indicating the +course of a bullet, fired years before when Morello had been at the +head of a band of Mexican revolutionists. In that capacity, indeed, he +had earned his brevet rank of "colonel." + +A broad-brim gray sombrero, with a silver embossed band of leather +about it, crowned the outlaw chief's head of glossy black hair, worn +rather long and streaked with gray. Across his saddle horn rested +a long-barrelled automatic rifle, of latest make and pattern. For +the rest his clothes were those of an everyday mountaineer with the +exception of a wide red sash. His horse was a fine buckskin animal, and +was almost as famous in Sierran legend as its redoubtable master. + +His companion was a squat, evil-visaged Mexican, with none of the +latent nobility visible under the cruelty and rapaciousness which +marred what might have once been the prepossessing countenance of +Morello. His black hair hung in dank, streaky locks down to the greasy +shoulders of his well-worn buckskin coat, and framed a wrinkled face +as dark as a bit of smoked mahogany, in which glittered, like two live +coals, a pair of shifty black eyes. He was evidently an inferior to the +other in every way--except possibly in viciousness. + +Such were the two men who had paused below the tree in which was +concealed, none too securely, the leader of the young Motor Rangers. As +to what his fate might be if he fell into their hands Nat could hazard +a guess. + +All at once the lad noticed that the branch of the tree upon which he +was lying was in motion. His first thought was that one of the men +might be shaking it in some way. But no--neither of them had moved. +They were seemingly following the remark of the colonel regarding the +blue-jays, and taking a last look about before leaving. In another +moment Nat would have been safe, but as he moved his eyes to try and +see what had shaken the bough he suddenly became aware of an alarming +thing. + +From the branch of another tree which intertwined with the one in which +he was hidden, there was creeping toward him a large animal. The boy +gave a horrified gasp as he saw its greenish eyes fixed steadily on him +with a purposeful glare. + +Step by step, and not making as much noise as a stalking cat, the +creature drew closer. To Nat's terrified imagination it almost seemed +as if it had already given a death spring, and that he was in its +clutches. + +Truly his predicament was a terrible one. If he remained as he was the +brute was almost certain to spring upon him. On the other hand to make +a move to escape would be to draw the attention of the outlaws to his +hiding place. + +"Phew," thought Nat, "talk about being between two fires!" + +Instinctively he drew his revolver. He felt that at least he stood more +of a chance with his human foes than he did with this tawny-coated +monster of the Sierran slopes. + +If the worst came to the worst he would fire at the creature and trust +to luck to escaping from the opposite horn of his dilemma. But in +this Nat had reckoned without his host--or rather, his four-footed +enemy--for without the slightest warning the big creature launched +its lithe body through the air. With a cry of alarm Nat dropped, and +it landed right on the spot where a second before he had been. At the +same instant the colonel and his companion wheeled their horses with +a startled exclamation. The horses themselves, no less alarmed, were +pawing the ground and leaping about excitedly. + +The boy's fall, and the howl of rage from the disappointed animal, +combined to make a sufficiently jarring interruption to the calm and +quiet of the mountain side. + +"Caramba! what was that?" the colonel's voice rang out sharply. + +"It's a boy!" cried his companion, pointing to Nat's recumbent form. +To the lad's dismay, in his fall his revolver had flown out of its +holster and rolled some distance down the hillside. He lay there +powerless, and too stunned and bruised by the shock of his fall to move. + +But the great cat above him was not inactive. Foiled in its first +spring it gathered itself for a second pounce but the colonel's sharp +eye spied the tawny outline among the green boughs. Raising his rifle +he fired twice. At the first shot there came a howl of pain and rage. +At the second a crashing and clawing as the monster rolled out of the +tree and fell in a still, motionless heap not far from Nat. + +"Even the mountain lions seem to work for us," exclaimed the colonel +triumphantly, as he dismounted and walked to Nat's side. + +"Yes, señor, and if I make no mistake this lad here is one of the very +boys we are in search of." + +"You are right. These Americans are devils. I make no doubt but this +one was on his way to spy into our manner of living at our fort. Eh +boy, isn't that true?" + +"No," replied Nat, whose face was pale but resolute. He scrambled +painfully to his feet. Covered with dust, scratched in a dozen places +by his fall through the branches, and streaming with perspiration, +he was not an imposing looking youth right then; but whatever his +appearance might have been, his spirit was dauntless. + +"No," he repeated, "I came up here to look for a horse that one of us +had lost." + +"That's a very likely story," was the colonel's brief comment, in a +dry, harsh tone. His eyes grew hard as he spoke. Evidently he had made +up his mind that Nat was a spy. + +"It is true," declared Nat, "I had no idea of spying into your affairs." + +"Oh no," sneered the colonel vindictively, "I suppose you will tell us +next that you did not know where our fort is; that you were not aware +that it is up that gorge there?" + +"This is the first I've heard of it," declared Nat truthfully. + +"I hold a different opinion," was the rejoinder, "if you had not +been up here on some mischievous errand you would not have concealed +yourself in that tree. Eh, what have you to say to that?" + +"Simply that from all I had heard of you and your band. I was afraid +to encounter you on uneven terms, and when I heard you coming, I hid," +replied Nat. + +"That is it, is it? Well, I have the honor to inform you that I don't +believe a word of your story. Do you know what we did with spies when I +was fighting on the border?" + +Nat shook his head. The colonel's eyelids narrowed into two little +slits through which his dark orbs glinted flintily. + +"We shot them," he whipped out. + +For a moment Nat thought he was about to share the same fate. The +colonel raised his rifle menacingly and glanced along the sights. But +he lowered it the next minute and spoke again. + +"Since you are so anxious to see our fort I shall gratify your wishes," +he said. "Manuello, just take a turn or two about that boy and we'll +take him home with us; he'll be better game than that lion yonder." + +Manuello nimbly tumbled off his horse, and in a trice had Nat bound +with his rawhide lariat. The boy was so securely bundled in it that +only his legs could move. + +"Good!" approvingly said the colonel as he gazed at the tightly tied +captive, "it would be folly to take chances with these slippery +Americanos." + +Manuello now remounted, and taking a half-hitch with the loose end of +his lariat about the saddle horn, he dug his spurs into his pony. The +little animal leaped forward, almost jerking Nat from his feet. He only +remained upright with an effort. + +"Be careful, Manuello," warned the colonel, "he is too valuable a prize +to damage." + +Every step was painful to Nat, bruised as he was, and weak from hunger +and thirst as well, but he pluckily gave no sign. He had deduced from +the fresh condition of his captors' ponies that they could not have +been ridden far. This argued that it would not be long before they +reached the outlaws' fortress. + +In this surmise he was correct. The trail, after winding among +chaparral and madrone, plunged abruptly down and entered the gloomy +defile he had noticed when he first made up his mind that he was lost. +Viewed closely the place was even more sinister than it had seemed +at a distance. Hardly a tree grew on its rugged sides, which were of +a reddish brown rock. It seemed as if they had been, at some remote +period, seared with tremendous fires. + +The trail itself presently evolved into a sort of gallery, hewn out +of the sheer cliff face. The precipice overhung it above, while below +was a dark rift that yawned upon unknown depths. So narrow was the +pass that a step even an inch or two out of the way would have plunged +the one making it over into the profundities of the chasm. A sort of +twilight reigned in the narrow gorge, making the surroundings appear +even more wild and gloomy. A chill came over Nat as he gazed about him. +Do what he would to keep up his spirits they sank to the lowest ebb as +he realized that he was being conducted into a place from which escape +seemed impossible. Without wings, no living creature could have escaped +from that gorge against the will of its lawless inhabitants. + +Suddenly, the trail took an abrupt turn, and Nat saw before him the +outlaws' fort itself. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +IN COLONEL MORELLO'S FORTRESS. + + +Directly ahead of them the gorge terminated abruptly in a blank wall +of rock, in precisely the same manner that a blind alley in a city +comes to a full stop. But "blank" in this case is a misnomer. The +rocky rampart, which towered fully a hundred feet above the trail, was +pierced with several small openings, which appeared to be windows. A +larger opening was approached by a flight of steps, hewn out of the +rock. Although Nat did not know it, the spot had once been a habitation +of the mysterious aborigines of the Sierras. The colonel, stumbling +upon it some years before, had at once recognized its possibilities +as a fortress and a gathering place for his band, and had hastened to +"move in." Stabling for the horses was found in a rocky chamber opening +directly off the trail. + +But Nat's wonderment was excited by another circumstance besides the +sudden appearance of the rock fort. This was the strange manner in +which the abyss terminated at the pierced cliff. As they came along, +the boy had heard the sound of roaring waters at the bottom of the +rift, and coupling this with the fact that the gorge emerged into the +cliff at this point, he concluded that a subterranean river must wind +its way beneath the colonel's unique dwelling place. + +Small time, however, did he have for looking about him. About a hundred +yards along the trail from the pierced cliff there was a strange +contrivance extending outward from the face of the precipice along +which the trail was cut. This was a sort of platform of pine trunks +of great weight and thickness, on the top of which were piled several +large boulders to add to the weight. This affair was suspended by +chains and was an additional safeguard to the outlaws' hiding place. +In the event of a sudden attack the chains were so arranged that they +could be instantly cast loose. This allowed the platform to crash +down, crushing whatever happened to be beneath it, as well as blocking +the trail. + +The colonel paused before they reached this, and whistled three times. + +"Who is it?" came a voice, apparently issuing from a hole pierced in +the rock at their left hand. + +"Two Eagles of the Pass," came the reply from the colonel as he gave +utterance to what was evidently a password. + +"Go ahead, two Eagles of the Pass," came from the invisible rock +aperture, and the party proceeded. + +A few paces brought them from under the shadow of the weighted platform +and to the foot of the flight of stone steps. A shaggy-headed man +emerged from the stable door as they rode up, and took the horses +of the new arrivals. He gazed curiously at Nat, but said nothing. +Evidently, thought the lad, the colonel is a strict disciplinarian. + +This was indeed the case. Col. Morello exacted implicit obedience +from his band, which at this time numbered some twenty men of various +nationalities. On more than one occasion prompt death had been the +result of even a suspicion of a mutinous spirit. + +With Manuello still leading him along, as if he were a calf or a sheep, +Nat was conducted up the stone staircase and into the rock dwelling +itself. The contrast inside the place with the heated air outside was +extraordinary. It was like entering a cool cellar on a hot summer's day. + +The passage which opened from the door in the cliff was in much the +same condition as it had been when the vanished race occupied the +place. In the floor were numerous holes where spears had been sharpened +or corn ground. Rude carvings of men on horseback, or warring with +strange beasts covered the walls. Light filtered in from a hole in the +rock ceiling, fully twenty feet above the floor of the place. Several +small doors opened off the main passage, and into one of these the +colonel, who was in the lead, presently turned, followed by Manuello +leading the captive lad. + +Nat found himself in a chamber which, if it had not been for the rough +walls of the same flame-tinted rock as the abyss, might have been the +living room of any well-to-do rancher. Skins and heads of various +wild beasts ornamented the walls. On the floor bright rugs of sharply +contrasting hues were laid. In a polished oak gun-case in one corner +were several firearms of the very latest pattern and design. A rough +bookshelf held some volumes which showed evidences of having been +well thumbed. From the ceiling hung a shaded silver lamp, of course +unlighted, as plenty of light streamed into the place from the window +in the cliff face. + +The three chairs and the massive table which occupied the centre of the +place were of rough-hewn wood, showing the marks of the axe, but of +skilled and substantial workmanship, nevertheless. The upholstery was +of deerskin, carefully affixed with brass-headed nails. + +The colonel threw himself into one of the chairs and rolled a fresh +cigarette, before he spoke a word. When he did, Nat was astonished, but +not so much as to be startled out of his composure. + +"I've heard about you from Hale Bradford," said the outlaw, "and I have +always been curious to see you." + +"Hale Bradford! Could it be possible," thought Nat, "that the rascally +millionaire who had appropriated his father's mine was also associated +with Col. Morello, the Mexican outlaw?" + +Nat suddenly recalled, however, that it was entirely likely that +Bradford, in his early days on the peninsula, had met Morello, who, at +that time, was a border marauder in that part of the country. Perhaps +they had met since Bradford's abrupt departure from Lower California. +Or perhaps, as was more probable, it was Dayton who had told the +colonel all about the Motor Rangers, and this reference to Bradford was +simply a bluff. + +"Yes, I knew Hale Bradford," was all that Nat felt called upon to say. + +"Hum," observed the colonel, carefully regarding his yellow paper roll, +"and he had good reason to know you, too." + +"I hope so," replied Nat, "if you mean by that, that we drove the +unprincipled rascal out of Lower California." + +"That does not interest me," retorted Morello, "what directly concerns +you is this: one of my men, an old acquaintance of mine, who has +recently joined me, was done a great injury by you down there. He wants +revenge." + +"And this is the way he takes it," said Nat bitterly, gazing about him. + +"I don't know how he means to take it," was the quiet reply. "That must +be left to him. Where is Dayton?" he asked, turning to Manuello. + +"Off hunting. The camp is out of meat," was the reply. + +"Well, I expect Mr. Trevor will stay here till he returns," remarked +the colonel with grim irony, "take him to the west cell, Manuello. See +that he has food and water, and when Dayton gets back we will see what +shall be done with him." + +He turned away and picked up a book, with a gesture signifying that he +had finished. + +Nat's lips moved. He was about to speak, but in the extremity of his +peril his tongue fairly clove to the roof of his mouth. To be left to +the tender mercies of Dayton! That was indeed a fate that might have +made a more experienced adventurer than Nat tremble. The boy quickly +overcame his passing alarm, however, and the next moment Manuello was +conducting him down the passage toward what Nat supposed must be the +west cell. + +Before a stout oaken door, studded with iron bolts, the evil-visaged +Mexican paused, and diving into his pocket produced a key. Inserting +this in a well-oiled lock, he swung back the portal and disclosed a +rock-walled room about twelve feet square. This, then, was the west +cell. Any hope that Nat might have cherished of escaping, vanished as +he saw the place. It was, apparently, cut out of solid rock. It would +have taken a gang of men armed with dynamite and tools many years to +have worked their way out. The door, too, now that it was open, was +seen to be a massive affair, formed of several layers of oak bolted +together till it was a foot thick. Great steel hinges, driven firmly +into the wall, held it in place and on the outside, as an additional +security to the lock, was a heavy sliding bolt of steel. + +Manuello gave Nat a shove and the boy half stumbled forward into the +place. + +The next minute the door closed with a harsh clamor, and he was alone. +So utterly stunned was he by his fate that for some minutes Nat simply +stood still in the centre of the place, not moving an inch. But +presently he collected his faculties, and his first care was to cast +himself loose from the rawhide rope the Mexican had enveloped him in. +This done, he felt easier, and was about to begin an inspection of the +place when a small wicket, not more than six inches square, in the +upper part of the door opened, and a hand holding a tin jug of water +was poked through. Nat seized the receptacle eagerly, and while he was +draining it the same hand once more appeared, this time with a loaf of +bread and a hunk of dried deer meat. + +Nat's hunger was as keen as his thirst, and wisely deciding that +better thinking can be done on a full stomach than on an empty one, he +speedily demolished the provender. So utterly hopeless did the outlook +seem that many a boy in Nat's position would have thrown himself on +the cell floor and awaited the coming of his fate. Not so with Nat. He +had taken for his motto, "While there is life there is hope," although +it must be confessed that even he felt a sinking of the heart as he +thought over his position. Guided by the light that came into the cell +through the small wicket, the boy began groping about him and beating +on the wall. For an hour or more he kept this up, till his hands were +raw and bleeding from his exertions. It appeared to him that he had +pounded every foot of rock in the place, in the hope of finding some +hollow spot, but to no avail. The place was as solid as a safety vault. + +Giving way to real despair at last, even the gritty boy owned himself +beaten. Sinking his face in his hands he collapsed upon the cell floor. +As he did so voices sounded in the corridor. One of them Nat recognized +with a thrill of apprehension, as Dayton's. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +A RIDE FOR LIFE. + + +The next moment the door was flung open, but not before Nat had jumped +to his feet. He did not want his enemies, least of all Dayton, to find +him crouching in a despondent attitude. To have brought despair to +Nat's heart was the one thing above all others, the lad realized, which +would delight Ed. Dayton highly. + +Dayton was accompanied by Manuello and Al. Jeffries. The latter seemed +highly amused at the turn things had taken. + +"Well! well! well! What have we here!" he cried ironically, tugging +his long black mustaches as the light from the passage streamed in +upon Nat, "a young automobiling rooster who's about to get a lesson in +manners and minding his own business. Oh say, Ed., this is luck. Here +is where you get even for the other day." + +"Oh, dry up," admonished Dayton sullenly, "I know my own business best." + +He advanced toward Nat with a sinister smile on his pale face. Dayton +had, as Manuello had informed Colonel Morello, been off hunting. His +clothes were dust covered, from the tip of his riding boots--high +heeled and jingle spurred in the Mexican fashion--to the rim of his +broad sombrero. He had evidently lost no time in proceeding to the cell +as soon as he learned that Nat was a captive. + +"Looks as if we had you bottled up at last, my elusive young friend," +he grated out, "this is the time that you stay where we want you." + +"What are you going to do, Dayton?" asked Nat, his face pale but +resolute, though his heart was beating wildly. Knowing the man before +him as he did, he had no reason to expect any compassion, nor did he +get any. + +"You'll see directly," rejoined Dayton, "come with me. I'm going to let +the colonel boss this thing." + +Nat didn't say a word. In fact, there was not anything to be said. +Dayton, as well as Manuello and Al. Jeffries, was armed, and all had +their weapons ready for instant action. It would have been worse than +madness to attempt any resistance right then. + +With Dayton ahead of him and Manuello and Jeffries behind, Nat stepped +out of the cell and into the dimly lit passage. Never had daylight +looked sweeter or more desirable to him than it did now, showing in a +bright, oblong patch at the end of the passage. + +But Nat, much as he longed to make a dash for it then and there, saw no +opportunity to do so and in silence the little procession passed along +the passageway and entered the colonel's room. Colonel Morello looked +up as they entered, but did not seem much surprised. Doubtless he had +had a chat with Dayton on the latter's return from hunting and was +aware that Nat would be ushered before him. + +"Here he is, colonel," began Dayton advancing to the table, while +Manuello, ever on the outlook for a cigarette, also stepped a pace to +the front, to help himself from a package of tobacco and some rice +papers that lay upon the table. This left only Al. Jeffries standing in +the door-way. + +Swift as the snap of an instantaneous camera shutter Nat's mind was +made up. Crouching low, as he was used to do in football tactics, he +made a rush at Al. Jeffries, striking him between the legs like a +miniature thunderbolt. As he made his dash he uttered an ear-splitting +screech:-- + +"Yee-ow!" + +He shrewdly calculated that the sudden cry would further demoralize the +astonished outlaws. Jeffries was literally carried off his feet by the +unexpected rush. He was forcibly lifted as Nat dashed beneath him and +then he fell in a heap, his head striking a rock as he did so, knocking +him senseless. + +Like an arrow from a bow Nat sped straight for the end of the passage +through which he had spied, a minute before, two horses standing still +saddled and bridled. They were the steeds upon which Dayton and +Jeffries had just ridden in. Such had been Dayton's haste to taunt Nat, +however, that he and his companion deferred putting up their ponies +till later. Nat, on his journey down the passage, had spied the animals +and his alert mind had instantly worked out a plan of escape; as +desperate a one, as we shall see, as could well be imagined. + +As Al. toppled over in a heap, another outlaw, who was just entering +the passage, opposed himself to Nat. He shared the black-mustached +one's fate, only he came down a little harder. Neither he nor Al. moved +for some time in fact. In the meantime, Morello, Dayton and Manuello, +dashing pellmell after the fleeing lad, stumbled unawares over the +prostrate Al., and all came down in a swearing, fighting heap. + +This gave Nat the few seconds he needed. In two flying leaps he was +down the steps and had flung himself into the saddle of one of the +horses, before the stableman knew what was happening. When the latter +finally woke up and heard the bandits' yells and shouts coming from the +passage-way, it was too late. With a rattle of hoofs, and in a cloud +of dust, Nat was off. Off along the trail to freedom! + +"Yee-ow!" + +The boy yelled as he banged his heels into the pony's sides and the +spirited little animal leaped forward. + +Bang! + +Nat's sombrero was lifted from his head and he could feel the bullets +fairly fan his hair as he rode on. + +"Stop him! Stop him!" came cries from behind. And then a sudden order:-- + +"Let go the man-trap!" + +If Nat had realized what this meant he would have been tempted to give +up his dash for freedom then and there. But he had hardly given a +thought to the big suspended platform of pine trunks and rocks while +on his way to the outlaws' fort, nor even if he had noticed it more +minutely, would he have guessed its purpose. + +But as the order to release the crushing weight and send it crashing +down upon the trail was roared out by the colonel, a clatter of hoofs +came close behind. It was Dayton, who had hastily thrown himself +upon the other horse and was now close upon Nat. Drawing a revolver +he fired, but the bullet whistled harmlessly by Nat's head. At the +terrific pace they were making an accurate shot was, fortunately for +our hero, impossible. + +And now Nat was in the very shadow of the great platform. + +At that instant he heard a sudden creaking overhead, and looked up just +in time to realize that the ponderous mass was sagging. In one flash +of insight he realized the meaning of this. The great mass had been +released and was about to descend. + +Crack! + +"Ye-oo-ow!" + +The heavy quirt, which Nat had found fastened to the saddle horn, was +laid over the startled pony's flanks. It gave an enraged squeal and +flung itself forward like a jack-rabbit. + +At the same instant came a shout from behind. + +"Stop, Dayton. Stop!--The man-trap!" + +[Illustration: Nat, as the pony leaped forward, instinctively bent low +in the saddle.] + +Nat, as the pony leaped forward, instinctively bent low in the saddle. +As they flashed forward a mighty roar sounded in his ears. Behind him, +with a sound like the sudden release of an avalanche, the man-trap had +fallen. It had been sprung by the colonel's own hand. + +So close to Nat did the immense weight crash down that it grazed his +pony's flanks, but--Nat was safe. + +Behind him, he heard a shrill scream of pain and realized that Dayton +had not been so fortunate. + +"Has he been killed?" thought Nat as his pony, terrified beyond all +control by the uproar behind it, tore up the trail in a series of long +bounds. + +"Safe!" thought the lad as he dashed onward. But in this he was wrong. +Nat was far from being safe yet. + +Even as he murmured the word to himself there came a chorus of shouts +from behind. Turning in his saddle, the boy could see pursuing him +six or seven men, mounted on wiry ponies, racing toward the wreckage of +the ponderous man-trap. With quirt and spur they urged their frightened +animals over the obstruction. From the midst of the débris Nat could +see Dayton crawling. The man was evidently hurt, but the others paid no +attention to him. + +"A thousand dollars to the one who brings that boy down!" + +The cry came in the voice of Col. Morello. + +Nat laid his quirt on furiously. But the pony he bestrode had been used +for hunting over the rugged mountains most of that day and soon it +began to flag. + +"They're gaining on me," gasped Nat, glancing behind. + +At the same instant half a dozen bullets rattled on the rocks about +him, or went singing by his ears. As the fusillade pelted around him, +Nat saw, not more than a hundred yards ahead, the end of the trail. The +point, that is, where it lost itself in the wilderness of chaparral +and piñon trees, among which he had met the adventure which ended in +his capture. If he could only gain that shelter, he would be safe. But +on his tired, fagged pony, already almost collapsing beneath him, could +he do it? + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +OUTWITTING HIS ENEMIES. + + +There was a feeling of pity in Nat's heart for the unfortunate pony +he bestrode. The lad was fond of all animals, and it galled him to be +compelled to drive the exhausted beast so unmercifully, but it had to +be done if his life were to be saved. + +Crack! crack! came the cruel quirt once more, and the cayuse gamely +struggled onward. Its nostrils were distended and its eyes starting out +of its head with exhaustion. Its sunken flanks heaved convulsively. Nat +recognized the symptoms. A few paces more and the pony would be done +for. + +"Come on, old bronco!" he urged, "just a little way farther." + +With a heart-breaking gasp the little animal responded, and in a couple +of jumps it was within the friendly shelter of the leafy cover. A yell +of rage and baffled fury came from his pursuers as Nat vanished. The +boy chuckled to himself. + +"I guess I take the first trick," he thought, but his self-gratulation +was a little premature. As he plunged on amid the friendly shelter +he could still hear behind him the shouts of pursuit. The men were +scattering and moving forward through the wood. There seemed but little +chance in view of these maneuvers, that Nat, with only his exhausted +pony under him, could get clear away. As the shouts resounded closer +his former fear rushed back with redoubled force. + +Suddenly his heart almost stopped beating. + +In the wood in front of him he could hear the hoof-tramplings of +another horse. + +They were coming in his direction. Who could it be? Nat realized that +it was not likely to prove anybody who was friendly to him. He was +desperately casting about for some way out of this new and utterly +unexpected situation, when, with a snort, the approaching animal +plunged through the brush separating it from Nat. As it came into view +the boy gave a sharp exclamation of surprise. + +The new arrival was Herr Muller's locoed horse, now, seemingly, quite +recovered from its "late indisposition." It whinnied in a low tone as +it spied Nat's pony, and coming alongside, nuzzled up against it. + +To Nat's joy, Bismark showed no signs of being scared of him, and +allowed the boy to handle him. But in the few, brief seconds that had +elapsed while this was taking place, Col. Morello's gang had drawn +perilously near. The trampling and crashing as they rode through the +woods was quite distinct now. + +"After him, boys," Nat could hear the colonel saying, "that boy knows +our hiding place. We've got to get him or get out of the country." + +"We'll get him all right, colonel," Nat heard Manuello answer +confidently. + +"Yep. He won't go far on that foundered pony," came another voice. + +In those few, tense moments of breathing space Nat rapidly thought out +a plan of escape. Deftly he slipped the saddle and bridle off the +outlaw's pony, and transferred them to Bismark's back. + +Then, as the chase drew closer, he gave the trembling pony a final +whack on the rump with the quirt. The little animal sprang forward, its +hoofs making a tremendous noise among the loose rocks on the hillside. + +Half frantic with fear, its alarm overcame its spent vitality, and it +clattered off. + +"Wow! There he goes!" + +"Yip-ee-ee! After him, boys!" + +"Now we've got him!" + +These and a score of other triumphant cries came from the outlaws' +throats as they heard the pony making off as fast as it could among +the trees, and naturally assumed that Nat was on its back. With yells +and shrieks of satisfaction they gave chase, firing volleys of bullets +after it. The fusillade and the shouts, of course, only added to the +pony's fear, and made it proceed with more expedition. + +As the cries of the chase grew faint in the distance, Nat listened +intently, and then, satisfied that the outlaws had swept far from his +vicinity, urged Bismark cautiously forward. This time he travelled in +the right direction, profiting by his experiment with his watch. But +urge Bismark on as he would, darkness fell before he was out of the +wilderness. But still he pressed on. In his position he knew that it +was important that he reach the camp as soon as possible. Not only on +his own account, but in order that he might give warning of the attack +that Col. Morello would almost certainly make as soon as he realized +that his prisoner had got clear away. If they had been interested in +the Motor Rangers' capture before, the outlaws must by now be doubly +anxious to secure them, Nat argued. The reason for this had been voiced +by Col. Morello himself while he was conducting the chase in the wood: + +"That boy knows our hiding place." + +"You bet I do," thought Nat to himself, "and if I don't see to it that +the whole bunch is smoked out of there before long it won't be my +fault." + +Tethering Bismark to a tree the boy clambered up the trunk. His object +in so doing was to get some idea of his whereabouts. + +But it was dark, I hear some reader remark. + +True, but even in the darkness there is one unfailing guide to the +woodsman, providing the skies be clear, as they were on this night. The +north star was what Nat was after. By it he would gauge his direction. +Getting a line on it from the outer star of "the dipper" bowl, Nat soon +made certain that he had not, as he had for a time feared, wandered +from his course. + +Descending the tree once more, he looked at his watch. It was almost +midnight, yet in the excitement of his flight he felt no exhaustion +or even hunger. He was terribly thirsty though, and would have given +a lot for a drink of water. However, the young Motor Ranger had faced +hardships enough not to waste time wishing for the unattainable. So, +remounting Bismark, he pressed on toward the east, knowing that if he +rode long enough he must strike the valley which would bring him to his +friends. + +All at once, a short distance ahead, he heard a tiny tinkle coming +through the darkness. It was like the murmuring of a little bell. Nat +knew, though, that it was the voice of a little stream, and a more +welcome sound, except the voices of his comrades, he could not have +heard at that moment. + +"Here's where we get a drink, Bismark, you old prodigal son," he said +in a low tone. + +A few paces more brought them into a little dip in the hillside down +which the tiny watercourse ran. Tumbling off his horse Nat stretched +himself out flat and fairly wallowed in the water. When he had +refreshed his thirst, Bismark drinking just below him, the boy laved +his face and neck, and this done felt immensely better. + +He was just rising from this al-fresco bath when, from almost in front +of his face as it seemed, came a sound somewhat like the dry rattle +of peas in a bladder. It was harsh and unmusical, and to Nat, most +startling, for it meant that he had poked his countenance almost into +the evil wedge-shaped head of a big mountain rattler. + +"Wow!" yelled the boy tumbling backward like an acrobat. + +At the same instant a dark, lithe thing that glittered dully in the +starlight, was launched by his cheek. So close did it come that it +almost touched him. But Nat was not destined to be bitten that night +at least. As the long body encountered the ground after striking, and +Bismark jumped back snorting alarmedly, Nat picked up a big rock and +terminated Mr. Rattler's existence on the spot. + +Sure of his direction now, the boy remounted, and crossing the stream, +arrived in due course near to the camp. The first thing he almost +stumbled across was the prostrate form of Herr Muller, sound asleep +just outside the flickering circle of light cast by the fire. + +"Now for some fun," thought Nat, and slipping off his horse he crouched +behind the sleeping Teuton, and with a long blade of grass, began +tickling his ear. At first Herr Muller simply stirred uneasily, and +kicked about a bit. Then finally he sat up erect and wide awake. The +first thing he saw was a tall, dark form bent over him. + +With a wild succession of whoops and frantic yells he set off for the +camp in an astonishing series of leaps and bounds, causing Nat to +exclaim as he watched the performance:-- + +"That Dutchman could certainly carry off a medal for broad jumping." + +A few of the leaps brought Herr Muller fairly into the camp-fire, +scattering the embers right and left and thoroughly alarming the +awakened adventurers. + +As they started up and seized their arms, Nat caused an abrupt +cessation of the threatened hostilities by a loud hail:-- + +"Hullo, fellows!" + +"It's Nat--whoop hurroo!" came in a joyous chorus, and as description +is lamentably inadequate to set forth some scenes, I will leave each of +my readers to imagine for himself how many times Nat's hand was wrung +pump-handle fashion, and how many times he was asked:-- + +"How did it happen?" + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +HERR MULLER GETS A CHILLY BATH. + + +"Shake a le-e-eg!" + +Rather later than usual the following morning the lengthy form of Cal +reared itself upright in its blankets and uttered the waking cry. From +the boys there came only a sleepy response in rejoinder. They were all +pretty well tired out with the adventures and strains of the day before +and had no inclination to arise from their slumbers. Even Nat, usually +the first to "tumble up," didn't seem in any hurry to crawl out of his +warm nest. + +Winking to himself, Cal picked up two buckets and started for the +little lake. He soon filled them with the clear, cold snow-water, and +started back with long strides across the little meadow. + +"Here's where it rains for forty days and forty nights," he grinned, as +poising a bucket for a moment he let fly its contents. + +S-l-o-u-s-h! + +What a torrent of icy fluid dashed over the recumbent form of Herr +Von Schiller Muller! The Teuton leaped up as if a tarantula had been +concealed in his bed clothes, but before he could utter the yell that +his fat face was framing Cal was on him in one flying leap and had +clapped a big brown hand over his mouth. + +"Shut up," he warned, "if you want to have some fun with the others." + +He pointed to the pail which was still half full. Herr Muller instantly +comprehended. Dashing the water out of his eyes he prepared to watch +the others get their dose, on the principle, I suppose, that misery +loves company. + +S-l-o-u-s-h! + +This time Ding-dong and Joe got the icy shower bath, and sputtering +and protesting hugely, they leaped erect. But the water in their eyes +blinded them and although they struck out savagely, their blows only +punctured the surrounding atmosphere. + +"Here, hold this bucket!" ordered Cal, handing the empty pail to the +convulsed Dutchman. + +"Oh-ho-ho-ho dees iss too much!" gasped Herr Muller, doubling himself +up with merriment, "I must mage me a picdgure of him." + +In the meantime Cal had dashed the contents of the other bucket over +Nat, who also sprang up full of wrath at the unexpected immersion. + +"Take this, too," ordered Cal, handing the other empty bucket to Herr +Muller. Tears were rolling down the German's fat cheeks. He was bent +double with vociferous mirth as he shook. + +"Dees iss der best choke I haf seen since I hadt der measles!" he +chuckled. + +Shouts of anger rang from the boys' throats as they rushed about, +shaking off water like so many dogs after a swim. Suddenly their eyes +fell on Herr Muller doubled with laughter and holding the two buckets. +From time to time, in the excess of his merriment he flourished them +about. + +"Oh-ho-ho-ho, I dink me I die ef I dodn't laughing stop it." + +"Hey, fellows!" hailed Nat, taking in the scene, "there's the chap that +did it." + +"That Dutchman?--Wow!" + +With a whoop the three descended on the laughter-stricken Teuton, and +before he could utter a word of expostulation, they had seized him +up and were off to the little lake at lightning speed, bearing his +struggling form. + +"Help! Murder! Poys, I don't do idt. It voss dot Cal vot vatered you!" + +The cries came from the German's lips in an agonizing stream of +entreaty and expostulation. But the boys, wet and irritated, were in no +mood for mercy. To use an expressive term, though a slangy one, they +had caught Herr Muller "with the goods on." + +Through the alders they dashed, and then---- + +Splash! + +Head over heels Herr Muller floundered in the icy water, choking and +sputtering, as he came to the surface, like a grampus--or, at least +in the manner, we are led to believe, grampuses or grampi conduct +themselves. + +As his pudgy form struck out for the shore the boys' anger gave way +to yells of merriment at the comical sight he presented, his scanty +pajamas clinging tightly about his rotund form. + +"Say, fellows, here comes Venus from the bath!" shouted Nat. + +"First time I heard of a Dutch Venus!" chortled Joe. + +"Poys, you haf made it a misdake," expostulated Herr Muller, standing, +with what dignity he could command, on the brink of the little lake. +His teeth were chattering as if they were executing a clog dance. + +"D-dod-d-dot C-c-c-c-al he do-done idt. If you don'd pelieve me,--Loog!" + +He pointed back to the camp and there was Cal rolling about on the +grass and indulging in other antics of amusement. + +"Wow!" yelled Nat, "we'll duck him, too." + +At full speed they set off for the camp once more, Cal rising to his +feet as they grew near. He looked unusually large and muscular somehow. + +"W-w-w-w-w-where w-w-w-w-will we t-t-t-t-tackle him?" inquired +Ding-dong, who seemed quite willing to yield his foremost place in the +parade of punishment. + +"I guess," said Nat slowly and judiciously, "I guess we'll--leave Cal's +punishment to some other time." + +Breakfast that morning was a merry meal, and old Bismark, who had +naturally been tethered in a post perfectly free from loco weed, came +in for several lumps of sugar as reward for his signal service of the +day before. All were agreed that if the old horse had not wandered +along so opportunely that Nat might have been in a bad fix. + +"I wonder if they'd have dared to kill me?" said Nat, drawing Cal aside +while the others were busy striking camp and washing dishes. + +"Wall," drawled Cal, "I may be wrong, but I don't think somehow that +you'd hev had much appetite fer breakfast this mornin'." + +"I'm inclined to agree with you," said Nat, repressing a shudder as he +recalled the tones of the colonel's voice. + +"And that reminds me," said Cal, "that our best plan is to get on ter +my mine as quick as we can. It ain't much of a place. You know there's +mighty little mining down here nowadays but what is done by the big +companies with stamp mills and hundreds of thousands invested. But I +reckon we kin be safe there while we think up some plan to get these +fellows in a prison where they belong." + +"That's my idea exactly," said Nat, "I'm pretty sure that now they are +aware that we know the location of their fort that they'll try to get +after us in every way they can." + +"Right you are, boy. Their very existence in these mountains depends on +their checkmating us some way. I think the sooner we get out of here +the better." + +"How soon can we get to the mine?" asked Nat. + +"Got your map?" + +"Yes." + +"Let's see it." + +Nat dipped down into his pocket and drew out his folder map of the +Sierra region. It was necessarily imperfect, but Cal, after much +cogitation, darted down his thumb on a point some distance to the +northwest of where they were camped. + +"It's about thar," he declared, "right in that thar canyon." + +"How soon can we get there?" + +"With luck, in two days, I should say. We can camp there while one of +us rides off and gets the sheriff and a posse. I tell you it'll be a +big feather in our caps to land those fellows where they belong. The +scallywags have made themselves the terror of this region for a long +time." + +"Well, don't let's holler till we're out of the wood," advised Nat. + +By this time the auto was ready and the others awaited their coming +with some impatience. + +"Are we all right?" asked Nat looking back at the tonneau and then +casting a comprehensive eye about. Bismark, hitched behind as usual, +was snorting impatiently and pawing the ground in quite a fiery manner. + +"Let 'er go," cried Cal. + +Chug-chu-g-chug! + +Nat threw on the power and off moved the auto, soon leaving behind the +camp on the knoll which had been the scene of so many anxieties and +amusing incidents. + +As they rode along Nat explained to the others the plan of campaign. It +was hailed with much joy and Joe and Ding-dong immediately began asking +questions. Cal explained that his mine was located in a canyon which +had once been the scene of much mining activity, but like many camps in +the Sierras, those who once worked it--the argonauts--had long since +departed. Only a little graveyard with wooden head-boards on the hill +above the camp remained to tell of them. Cal had taken up a claim there +in the heyday of the gold workings and from time to time used to visit +it and work about the claim a little. He had never gotten much gold out +of it, but it yielded him a living, he said. + +"Anybody else up there?" asked Nat. + +"Only a few Chinks," rejoined Cal. + +"I don't like 'em," said Joe briefly, "yellow-skinned, mysterious +cusses." + +"M-m-m-my mother had a C-c-c-c-chinese c-c-c-c-cook--phwit!--once," put +in Ding-dong, "but we had to fire him." + +"Why?" inquired Cal with some show of interest. + +"We could never tell whether he was sus-s-s-singing over his work or +moaning in agony," rejoined Ding-dong. + +"Say, is that meant for a joke?" asked Nat amid a deadly silence. + +"N-n-no, it's a f-f-fact," solemnly rejoined Ding-dong. + +"That feller must hev bin a cousin to the short-haired Chinaman who +couldn't be an actor," grinned Cal. + +"What is this, a catch?" asked Joe suspiciously. + +"No," Cal assured him. + +"Oh, all right, I'll bite," said Nat with a laugh, "why couldn't the +short-haired Chinaman be an actor?" + +"Pecoss he voss a voshman, I subbose," suggested Herr Muller. + +"Oh, no," said Cal, "because he'd always miss his queue." + +"Reminds me of the fellow who thought he was of royal blood every time +he watered his wife's rubber plant which grew in a porcelain pot," +grinned Nat. + +"I'll bite this time," volunteered Joe, "How was that, Mister Bones?" + +"Well, he said that when he irrigated it, he rained over china," +grinned Nat, speeding the car up a little grade. + +"If this rare and refined vein of humor is about exhausted," said Joe +with some dignity after the laugh this caused had subsided, "I would +like to draw the attention of the company to that smoke right ahead of +us." + +"Is that smoke? I thought it was dust," said Nat, squinting along the +track ahead of them. + +The column of bluish, brownish vapor to which Joe had drawn attention +could now be seen quite distinctly, pouring steadily upward above +the crest of a ridge of mountains beyond them. Although they were +travelling at a considerable height they could not make out what was +causing it, but Cal's face grew grave. He said nothing, however, but +if the others had noticed him they would have seen that his keen eyes +never left the column which, as they neared it, appeared to grow larger +in size until it towered above its surroundings like a vaporous giant +or the funnel of a whirlwind. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +THE FIRE IN THE FOREST. + + +"Why, that smoke's coming up from those trees!" declared Nat as they +topped the rise, and saw below them the familiar panorama of undulating +mountain tops, spreading to the sky line in seeming unending billows. + +Sure enough, as he said, the smoke was coming from some great +timber-clad slopes directly in front of them. + +"May be some more campers," suggested Joe. + +"Not likely," said Cal gravely, "no campers would light a fire big +enough to make all that smoke." + +Nat did not reply, being too busy applying the brakes as the road +took a sudden steep pitch downward. At the bottom of the dip was a +bridge, made after the fashion of most mountain bridges in those remote +regions. That is to say, two long logs had been felled to span the +abyss the bridge crossed. Then across these string pieces, had been +laid other logs close together. The contrivance seemed hardly wide +enough to allow the auto to cross. Grinding down his brakes Nat brought +the machine to a halt. + +"I guess we'd better have a look at that bridge before we try to cross +it," he said, turning to Cal. + +"Right you are, boy," assented the ex-stage driver, getting out, "this +gasolene gig is a sight heavier than anything that bridge was ever +built for. Come on, Joe, we'll take a look at it." + +Accompanied by the young Motor Ranger the Westerner set off at his +swinging stride down the few paces between the auto and the bridge. +Lying on his stomach at the edge of the brink, he gazed over and +carefully examined the supports of the bridge and the manner in which +they were embedded in the earth on either side. + +Then he and Joe jumped up and down on the contrivance and gave it every +test they could. + +"I guess it will be all right," said Cal, as he rejoined the party. + +"You guess?" said Nat, "say, Cal, if your guess is wrong we're in for a +nasty tumble." + +"Wall, then I'm sure," amended the former stage driver, "I've driv' +stage enough to know what a bridge 'ull hold I guess, and that span +yonder will carry this car over in good shape. How about it, Joe?" + +"It'll be all right, Nat," Joe assured his chum, "in any case we are +justified in taking a chance, for after what you told us about the +colonel's gang it would be dangerous to go back again." + +"That's so," agreed Nat, "now then, all hold tight, for I'm going to go +ahead at a good clip. Hang on to Bismark, Herr Muller." + +"I holdt on py him like he voss my long lost brudder," the German +assured him. + +Forward plunged the auto, Bismark almost jerking Herr Muller out of +the tonneau as his head rope tightened. The next instant the car was +thundering upon the doubtful bridge. A thrill went through every one of +the party as the instant the entire weight of the heavy vehicle was +placed upon it the flimsy structure gave a distinct sag. + +"Let her have it, Nat!" yelled Cal, "or we're gone coons!" + +There was a rending, cracking sound, as Nat responded, and the car +leaped forward like a live thing. But as the auto bounded forward to +safety Bismark hung back, shaking his head stubbornly. Herr Muller, +caught by surprise, was jerked half out of the tonneau and was in +imminent peril of being carried over and toppling into the chasm. But +Joe grasped his legs firmly while Cal struck the rope--to which the +Teuton obstinately held--out of his hands. + +"Bismark! Come back!" wailed the German as the released horse turned +swiftly on the rickety bridge and galloped madly back in the direction +from which they had come. + +But the horse, which was without saddle or bridle, both having been +placed in the car when they started out, paid no attention to his +owner's impassioned cry. Flinging up his heels he soon vanished in a +cloud of dust over the hilltop. + +"Turn round der auto. Vee go pack after him," yelled the German. + +"Not much we won't," retorted Cal indignantly, "that plug of yours is +headed for his old home. You wouldn't get him across that bridge if you +built a fire under him." + +"And I certainly wouldn't try to recross it with this car," said Nat. + +"I should say not," put in Joe, "why we could feel the thing give way +as our weight came on it." + +"Goodt pye, Bismark, mein faithful lager--charger I mean," wailed Herr +Muller, "I nefer see you again." + +"Oh yes, you will," comforted Cal, seeing the German's real distress, +"he'll go right home to the hotel stable that he come frum. You'll see. +The man that owns it is honest as daylight and ef you don't come back +fer the horse he'll send you yer money." + +"Put poor Bismark will starfe!" wailed the Teuton. + +"Not he," chuckled Cal, "between here and Lariat is all fine grazing +country, and there's lots of water. He'll get back fatter than he came +out." + +"Dot is more than I'll do," wailed Herr Muller resignedly as Nat set +the auto in motion once more and they left behind them the weakened +bridge. + +"No auto 'ull ever go over that agin," commented Cal, looking back. + +"Not unless it has an aeroplane attachment," added Joe. + +But their attention now was all centred on the smoke that rose in front +of them. The bridge had lain in a small depression so that they had +not been able to see far beyond it, but as they rolled over the brow +of the hill beyond, the cause of the uprising of the vapor soon became +alarmingly apparent. + +A pungent smell was in the air. + +"Smells like the punks on Fourth of July," said Joe, as he sniffed. + +But joking was far from Cal's mind as he gazed through narrowed eyes. +The smoke which had at first not been much more than a pillar, was now +a vast volume of dark vapor rolling up crowdedly from the forests ahead +of them. Worse still, the wind was sweeping the fire down toward the +track they had to traverse. + +"The woods are on fire!" cried Nat as he gazed, and voicing the fear +that now held them all. + +As he spoke, from out of the midst of the dark, rolling clouds of +smoke, there shot up a bright, wavering flame. It instantly died down +again, but presently another fiery sword flashed up, in a different +direction, and hung above the dark woods. They could now hear quite +distinctly, too, the sound of heavy, booming falls as big trees +succumbed to the fire and fell with a mighty crash. + +"Great Scott, what are we going to do?" gasped Joe. + +"T-t-t-t-turn b-b-b-back!" said Ding-dong as if that settled the matter. + +"Py all means," chimed in Herr Muller, gazing ahead at the +awe-inspiring spectacle. + +"How are you going to do that when that bridge won't hold us?" asked +Nat. "Do you think we can beat the fire to the trail, Cal?" + +"We've gotter," was the brief, but comprehensive rejoinder. + +"But if we don't?" wailed Ding-dong. + +"Ef you can't find nothing ter say but that, jus' shut yer mouth," +warned Cal in a sharp tone. + +His face was drawn and anxious. He was too old a mountaineer not to +realize to a far greater extent than the boys the nature of the peril +that environed them. His acute mind had already weighed the situation +in all its bearings. In no quarter could he find a trace of hope, +except in going right onward and trusting to their speed to beat the +flames. + +True, they might have turned back and waited by the bridge, but the +woods grew right up to the trail, and it would be only a matter of time +in all probability before the flames reached there. In that case the +Motor Rangers would have been in almost as grave a peril as they would +by going on. The fire was nearly two miles from where they were, but +Cal knew full well the almost incredible rapidity with which these +conflagrations leap from tree to tree, bridging trails, roads, and even +broad rivers. It has been said that the man or boy who starts a forest +fire is an enemy to his race, and truly to any one that has witnessed +the awful speed with which these fires devour timber and threaten big +ranges of country, the observation must ever seem a just one. + +"Can't we turn off and outflank the flames?" asked Joe, as they sped on +at as fast a pace as Nat dared to urge the car over the rough trail. + +Cal's answer was a wave of his hand to the thickset trees on either +side. Even had it not been for the danger of fire reaching them before +they could outflank it, the trunks were too close together to permit of +any vehicle threading its way amidst them. + +There was but little conversation in the car as it roared on, leaping +and careering over rocks and obstructions like a small boat in a heavy +sea. The Motor Rangers were engaged in the most desperate race of their +lives. As they sped along the eyes of all were glued on the trail +ahead, with its towering walls of mighty pines and about whose bases +chaparral and inflammable brush grew closely. + +The air was perceptibly warmer now, and once or twice a spark was blown +into the car. Not the least awe-inspiring feature of a forest fire in +the mountains is the mighty booming of the great trunks as they fall. +It is as impressive as a funeral march. + +"Ouch, somebody burned my hand!" exclaimed Joe suddenly. + +But gazing down he saw that a big ember had lit on the back of it. He +glanced up and noticed that the air above them was now full of the +driving fire-brands. Overhead the dun-colored smoke was racing by like +a succession of tempest-driven storm clouds. A sinister gloom was in +the air. + +Suddenly, Cal, who had been half standing, gazing intently ahead, gave +a loud shout and pointed in front of them. The others as they gazed +echoed his cry of alarm. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +A DASH THROUGH THE FLAMES. + + +The object thus indicated by Cal was in fact about as alarming a thing +as they could have encountered. It was nothing more or less than the +smoking summit of a big tree a few hundred feet ahead of them. As +they gazed it broke into flame, the resinous leaves igniting with a +succession of sharp cracks like pistol shots. In a second the tree was +transformed into the semblance of an immense torch. Driven by the wind +the flames went leaping and rioting among its neighbors till all above +the Motor Rangers was a fiery curtain stretched between them and the +sky. + +To make matters worse, the smoke, as acrid and pungent as chemical +vapor, was driven in Nat's eyes, and he could hardly see to drive. +His throat, too, felt hot and parched, and his gloves were singed and +smoking in half a dozen places. + +"Get out that big bucket and fill it from the tank," he ordered as he +drove blindly onward. + +"Guess it's about time," muttered Cal as he, guessing the rest of Nat's +order, dashed the water right and left over the party, "we'd have bin +on fire ourselves in a few seconds." + +Nat drove as fast as he dared, but the fire seemed to travel +faster. The roar now resembled the voice of a mighty waterfall, and +occasionally the sharp cracks of bursting trunks or falling branches +filled the air. + +"The whole forest is going," bawled Cal, "put on more steam Nat." + +The boy did as he was directed and the beleaguered auto forged forward +a little more swiftly. Suddenly, however, a happening that bade fair +to put a dead stop to their progress occurred. Directly in front of +them the chaparral had blazed about a tree, till it had eaten into the +trunk. Weakened, the monster trembled for a moment and then plunged +downward. + +"Lo-ok ou-t!" + +Cal bellowed the warning, and just in time. Nat, half blinded as he +was, had not seen the imminent danger. + +With a crash like the subsidence of a big building, the tree toppled +over and fell across the track, blazing fiercely, and with a shower of +sparks and embers flying upward from it. + +[Illustration: As if it had been a leaping, hunting horse, the big car +bounced and jolted over the log.] + +A new peril now threatened the already danger-surrounded lads, and +their Western companion. The tree lay across their path, an apparently +insurmountable object. A glance behind showed that the flames had +already closed in, the fire, by some freak of the wind, having been +driven back from their temporary resting place. But they knew that the +respite was only momentary. + +Suddenly, the car surged forward, and before one of the party even +realized that Nat had made up his mind they were rushing full tilt for +the blazing log. + +"Wow!" yelled Cal carried away by excitement, as he sensed Nat's daring +purpose, "he's going ter jump it--by thunder!" + +Even as he spoke the auto was upon the log and its front wheels +struck the glowing, blazing barrier with a terrific thud. Had they not +been prepared for the shock the Motor Rangers would have scattered out +of the car like so many loose attachments. + +As if it had been a leaping, hunting horse, the big car bounced and +jolted over the log, which was fully six feet in diameter. It came down +again beyond it with a jounce that almost shook the teeth out of their +heads, but the lads broke into a cheer in which Herr Muller's and Cal's +voices joined, as they realized that Nat's daring had saved the day for +them. + +Behind them lay the fiercely blazing forest, but in front the road was +clear, although the resinous smell of the blaze and the smoke pall lay +heavily above them still. A short distance further a fresh surprise +greeted them. A number of deer, going like the wind, crossed the road, +fleeing in what their instinct told them was a safe direction. They +were followed by numerous wolves, foxes and other smaller animals. + +As they went onward they came upon a big burned-out patch in which an +ember must have fallen, carried by some freak of the capricious wind. +In the midst of it, squirming in slimy, scaly knots, were a hundred or +more snakes of half a dozen kinds, all scorched and writhing in their +death agonies. The boys were glad to leave the repulsive sight behind +them. At last, after ascending a steep bit of grade they were able to +gaze back. + +It was a soul-stirring sight, and one of unpassable grandeur. Below +them the fire was leaping and raging on its way eastward. Behind it lay +a smoking, desolate waste, with here and there a charred trunk standing +upright in its midst. Already the blaze had swept across the trail, +stripping it bare on either side. The lads shuddered as they thought +that but for good fortune and Nat's plucky management of the car, they +might have been among the ashes and débris. + +"Wall, boys," said Cal, turning to them, "you've seen a forest fire. +What do you think of it?" + +"I think," said Nat, "that it is the most terrible agent of destruction +I have ever seen." + +"I t-t-t-think we need a w-w-w-ash," stuttered Ding-dong. + +They burst into a laugh as they looked at one another and recognized +the truth of their whimsical comrade's words. With faces blackened and +blistered by their fiery ordeal and with their clothes scorched and +singed in a hundred places, they were indeed a vagabond looking crew. + +"I'll bet if old Colonel Morello could see us now we'd scare him away," +laughed Joe, although it pained his blistered lips to indulge in +merriment. + +"Wall, there's a stream a little way down in that hollow," said Cal, +pointing, "we'll have a good wash when we reach it." + +"And maybe I won't be glad, too," laughed Nat, setting the brakes for +the hill ahead of them. + +Suddenly Ding-dong piped up. + +"S-s-s-s-say, m-m-m-may I m-m-m-make a remark?" + +"Certainly, boy, half a dozen of them," said Cal. + +"It's a go-g-g-g-good thing we lost Bismark," grinned Ding-dong, in +which sage observation they all perforce acquiesced. + +"I've got something to say myself," observed Joe suddenly, "maybe you +other fellows have noticed it? This seat is getting awfully hot." + +"By ginger, so it is," cried Cal suddenly, springing up from the easy +posture he had assumed. + +"L-l-l-ook, there is s-s-s-smoke c-c-c-coming out from back of the +car!" cried Ding-dong alarmedly. + +As he spoke a volume of smoke rolled out from behind them. + +"Good gracious, the car's on fire!" yelled Nat, "throw some water on it +quick!" + +"Can't," exclaimed Cal, "we used it all up coming through the flames +yonder." + +"We'll burn up!" yelled Joe despairingly. + +Indeed it seemed like it. Smoke was now rolling out in prodigious +quantities from beneath the tonneau and to make the possibilities more +alarming still, the reserve tank full of gasolene was located there. + +The tonneau had now grown so hot that they could not sit down. + +"Get out, everybody," yelled Joe, as badly scared as he had ever been +in his life. + +"Yep, let us out, Nat," begged Cal. The Westerner was no coward, but he +did not fancy the idea of being blown sky high on top of an explosion +of gasolene any more than the rest. + +"Good thing I haven't got on my Sunday pants," the irrepressible +Westerner remarked. "Hey, Nat," he yelled the next minute, as no +diminution of speed was perceptible, "ain't you going ter stop?" + +"Not on your life," hurled back Nat, without so much as turning his +head. + +He evidently had some plan, but what it was they could not for the +life of them tell. Their hearts beat quickly and fast with a lively +sensation of danger as the burning auto plunged on down the rough +slope. + +All at once Joe gave a shout of astonishment. + +"I see what he's going to do now!" he exclaimed. + +So fast was the auto travelling that hardly had the words left his lips +before they were fairly upon the little rivulet or creek Cal's acute +eyes had spied from the summit of the hill. + +The next instant they were in it, the water coming up to the hubs. +Clouds of white steam arose about the car and a great sound of hissing +filled the air as the burning portion encountered the chill of the +water. + +"Wall, that beats a fire department," exclaimed Cal, as, after +remaining immersed for a short time, Nat drove the car up the opposite +bank which, luckily, had a gentle slope. + +As Cal had remarked, it did indeed beat a fire department, for the +water had put out the flames effectually. An investigation showed that +beyond having charred and blistered the woodwork and paint that the +fire had fortunately done no damage. It would take some little time +to set things to rights, though, after the ordeal they had all gone +through, and so it was decided that they would camp for a time at the +edge of the river. + +"Hullo, what's all that going on over there?" wondered Joe, as he +pointed to a cloud of dust in the distance. + +Cal rapidly shinned up a tree, and shading his eyes with his hand, +gazed for some moments in the direction of the cloud. + +"Sheep!" he announced as he slid down again, "consarn thet Jeb +Scantling, now I know who set thet fire." + +The boys looked puzzled till Cal went on to explain. + +"You know I told you fellows that cattlemen was dead sore at sheepmen," +he said, "and that's the reason." + +He jerked one brown thumb backward to indicate that "that" was the fire. + +"Do you mean to say that Jeb Scantling started it?" gasped Nat. The +idea was a new one to him. + +"Wall, I'd hate to accuse any one of doing sich a thing," rejoined Cal +non-committally, "but," he added with a meaning emphasis, "I've heard +of sheepmen setting tracts on fire afore this." + +"But whatever for?" inquired Joe in a puzzled tone. + +"So's to burn the brush away and hev nice green grass in the spring," +responded Cal. + +"Well, that's a nice idea," exclaimed Nat, "so they burn up a whole +section of country to get feed for a few old sheep." + +"Yep," nodded Cal, "and that's what is at the bottom of most of the +sheep and cattlemen's wars you read about." + +At first the boys felt inclined to chase up Jeb, but they concluded +that it would be impracticable, so, allowing the sheepman to take +his distant way off into the lonelier fastnesses of the Sierras, +they hastened to the stream and began splashing about, enjoying the +sensation hugely. Suddenly a voice on the bank above hailed them. +Somewhat startled they all turned quickly and burst into a roar of +laughter as they saw Herr Muller, who had slipped quietly from among +them "holding them up" with a camera. + +"Lookd idt breddy, blease," he grinned, "a picdgure I take idt." + +Click! + +And there the whole crew were transferred to a picture for future +development. + +"I guess we won't be very proud of that picture," laughed Nat, turning +to his ablutions once more. + +"No, we must answer in the negative," punned Joe. But the next minute +he paid the penalty as Cal leaped upon him and bore him struggling to +the earth. Over and over they rolled, Cal attempting to stuff a handful +of soapsuds in the punning youth's mouth. + +"Help! Nat!" yelled Joe. + +"Not me," grinned Nat, enjoying the rough sport, "you deserve your +fate." + +Soon after order was restored and they sat down to a meal to which they +were fully prepared to do ample justice. + +"Say," remarked Cal suddenly, with his mouth full of canned plum +pudding, "this stream and those sheep back yonder put me in mind of a +story I once heard." + +"What was it?" came the chorus. + +"Wall, children, sit right quiet an' I'll tell yer. Oncet upon a time +thar was a sheepman in these hills----" + +"Sing ho, the sheepman in the hills!" hummed Joe. + +"Thar was a sheepman in these hills," went on Cal, disdaining the +interruption, "who got in trouble with some cattlemen, the same way +as this one will if they git him. Wall, this sheepman had a pal and +the two of them decided one day that ef they didn't want ter act as +reliable imitations of porous plasters they'd better be gitting. So +they gabbled and got. Wall, the cattlemen behind 'em pressed em pretty +dern close, an' one night they come ter a creek purty much like this +one. + +"Wall, they was in a hurry ter git across as you may suppose, but the +problem was ter git ther sheep over. You see they didn't want ter +leave 'em as they was about all the worldly goods they had. But the +sheep was inclined to mutiny." + +"Muttony, you mean, don't you?" grinned Joe, dodging to safe distance. +When quiet was restored, Cal resumed. + +"As I said, the sheep was inclined ter argify"--this with a baleful +glance at Joe--"and so they decided that they'd pick up each sheep in +ther arms and carry them over till they got the hull three thousand +sheep across ther crick. You see it wuz ther only thing ter do." + +The boys nodded interestedly. + +"Wall, one of ther fellows he picks up a sheep and takes it across and +comes back fer another, and then ther other feller he does the same and +in the meantime ther first feller had got his other across and come +back fer more and ther second was on his way over and----" + +"Say, Cal," suggested Nat quietly, "let's suppose the whole bunch is +across. You see----" + +"Say, who's tellin' this?" inquired Cal indignantly. + +"You are, but----" + +"Wall, let me go ahead in my own way," protested the Westerner. "Let's +see where I was; I--oh yes, wall, and then ther other feller he dumped +down his sheep and come back fer another and----Say, how many does that +make, got across?" + +"Search me," said Joe. + +Nat shook his head. + +"I d-d-d-d-on't know," stuttered Ding-dong Bell. + +"Diss iss foolishness-ness," protested Herr Muller indignantly. + +"Wall, that ends it," said Cal tragically, "I can't go on." + +"Why not?" came an indignant chorus. + +"Wall, you fellers lost count of ther sheep and there ain't no way +of going on till we get 'em all over. You see there's three thousand +and----" + +This time they caught a merry twinkle in Cal's eye, and with wild yells +they arose and fell upon him. It was a ruffled Cal who got up and +resumed a sandy bit of canned plum pudding. + +"You fellers don't appreciate realism one bit," grumbled Cal. + +"Not three thousand sheep-power realism," retorted Nat with a laugh. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +THE HUT IN THE MOUNTAINS. + + +The next morning they were off once more. As may be imagined each +one of the party was anxious to reach the canyon in which Cal's mine +was located. There they would be in touch with civilization and in a +position to retaliate upon the band of Col. Morello if they dared to +attack them. + +On the evening of the second day they found themselves not far from +the place, according to Cal's calculations. But they were in a rugged +country through which it would be impossible to proceed by night, so it +was determined to make camp as soon as a suitable spot could be found. + +As it so happened, one was not far distant. A gentle slope +comparatively free from rocks and stones, and affording a good view in +either direction, was in the immediate vicinity. The auto, therefore, +was run up there and brought to a halt, and the Motor Rangers at once +set about looking for a spring. They had plenty of water in the tank, +but preferred, if they could get it, to drink the fresh product. Water +that has been carried a day or two in a tank is not nearly as nice as +the fresh, sparkling article right out of the ground. + +"Look," cried Joe, as they scattered in search of a suitable spot, +"there's a little hut up there." + +"M-m-m-maybe a h-h-h-hermit l-l-lives there," suggested Ding-dong in +rather a quavering voice. + +"Nonsense," put in Nat, "that hut has been deserted for many years. See +the ridge pole is broken, and the roof is all sagging in. Let's go and +explore it." + +With a whoop they set out across the slope for the ruined hut, which +stood back in a small clearing cut out of the forest. Blackened stumps +stood about it but it was long since the ground had been cultivated. A +few mouldering corn stalks, however, remained to show that the place +had once been inhabited. + +As for the hut itself, it was a primitive shelter of rough logs, the +roof of which had been formed out of "slabs" split from the logs +direct. A stone chimney was crumbling away at one end, but it was many +a year since any cheerful wreaths of smoke had wound upward from it. + +The boys were alone, Cal and Herr Muller having remained to attend to +the auto and build a fire. Somehow, in the fading evening light, this +ruined human habitation on the edge of the dark Sierran forest had +an uncanny effect on the boys. The stillness was profound. And half +consciously the lads sank their voices to whispers as they drew closer. + +"S-s-s-s-say hadn't we b-b-b-better go back and g-g-g-get a g-gun?" +suggested Ding-dong in an awe-struck tone. + +"What for," rejoined Joe, whose voice was also sunk to a low pitch, +"not scared, are you?" + +"N-n-n-no, but it seems kind of creepy somehow." + +"Nonsense," said Nat crisply, "come on, let's see what's inside." + +By this time they were pretty close to the place, and a few strides +brought Nat to the rotting door. It was locked apparently, for, as he +gave it a vigorous shake, it did not respond but remained closed. + +"Come on, fellows. Bring your shoulders to bear," cried Nat, "now then +all together!" + +Three strong young bodies battered the door with their shoulders with +all their might, and at the first assault the clumsy portal went +crashing off its hinges, falling inward with a startling "bang." + +"Look out!" yelled Nat as it subsided, and it was well he gave the +warning. + +Before his sharp cry had died out a dark form about the size of a small +rabbit came leaping out with a squeak like the sound made by a slate +pencil. Before the boy could recover from his involuntary recoil the +creature was followed by a perfect swarm of his companions. Squeaking +and showing their teeth the creatures came pouring forth, their +thousands of little eyes glowing like tiny coals. + +"Timber rats!" shouted Nat, taking to his heels, but not before some +of the little animals had made a show of attacking him. Nat was too +prudent a lad to try conclusions with the ferocious rodents, which can +be savage as wild cats, when cornered. Deeming discretion the better +part of valor he sped down the hillside after Ding-dong and Joe, who +had started back for the camp at the first appearance of the torrent of +timber rats. + +From a safe distance the lads watched the exodus. For ten minutes or +more the creatures came rushing forth in a solid stream. But at last +the stampede began to dwindle, and presently the last old gray fellow +joined his comrades in the woods. + +"Great Scott!" exclaimed Joe, "did you ever see such a sight?" + +"Well, I've heard of places in which the rats gathered in immense +numbers, but I never knew before that such a thing as we have seen was +possible," replied Nat; "there must have been thousands." + +"Mum-m-m-m-millions," stuttered Ding-dong, his eyes still round with +astonishment. + +"I suppose some supplies were left in there," suggested Nat, "and that +the rats gathered there and made a regular nesting place of it after +the owner departed." + +"Well, now that they have all cleared out, let's go and have a look," +said Joe. + +"Might as well," agreed Nat, "it's a good thing those creatures didn't +take it into their heads to attack us, as I have read they have done to +miners. They might have picked our bones clean." + +They entered the hut with feelings of intense curiosity. It was well +that they trod gingerly as they crossed the threshold, for the floor +was so honeycombed with the holes of the timber rats that walking +was difficult and even dangerous. The creatures had evidently gnawed +through the sill beams supporting the floor, for the hearthstone in +front of the open fireplace had subsided and sagged through into the +foundations, leaving a big open space. The boys determined to explore +this later but in the meantime other things in the hut attracted their +attention. + +There was a rough board table with a cracker box to serve as chair +drawn up close to it. But both the table and the box had been almost +gnawed to pieces by the ravenous rats. Some tin utensils stood upon the +table but all trace of what they might have contained had, of course, +vanished. Even pictures from illustrated magazines which had once been +pasted on the walls had been devoured, leaving only traces to show what +they had been. + +Nat, while the others had been investigating at large, had made his way +to the corner of the hut where a rude bunk had been built. As he gazed +into its dark recesses he shrank back with a startled cry. + +"Fellows! Oh, fellows! Come here!" + +The other two hastened to his side and were scarcely less shocked +than he at what they saw. Within the bunk, the bed clothing of which +had been devoured wholesale, lay a heap of whitened bones. A skull at +the head of the rude bed-place told all too clearly that the owner +had either been killed or had died in the lonely place and had been +devoured by the rats. The grisly evidences were only too plain. + +The boys were almost unnerved by this discovery, and it was some time +before any one of them spoke. Then Nat said in a low tone, almost a +whisper:-- + +"I wonder who he was?" + +"There's a tin box," said Joe, pointing to a receptacle beneath the +bunk, "maybe there's something in that to tell." + +"Perhaps," said Nat, picking the article up. It was a much battered +case of the type known as "despatch box." The marks of the rats' teeth +showed upon it, but it had not been opened. A rusty hammer with the +handle half gnawed off lay a short distance away. With one sharp blow +of this tool Nat knocked the lock off the despatch box. He gave a cry +of triumph as he opened it. Within, yellow and faded, were several +papers. + +"Let's get into the open air and examine these," suggested Nat, who +was finding the ratty odor of the place almost overpowering. The +others gladly followed him. Squatting down outside the hut in the +fading light, they opened the first paper. It seemed to be a will of +some sort and was signed Elias Goodale. Putting it aside for further +perusal, Nat, in turn, opened and glanced at a packet of faded letters +in a woman's handwriting, a folded paper containing a lock of hair, +seemingly that of an infant, and at last a paper that seemed fresher +than the others. This ink, instead of being a faded brown, was black +and clear. The paper seemed to have been torn from a blank book. + +"Read it out," begged Joe. + +"All right," said Nat, "there doesn't seem to be much of it, so I will." + +Holding the paper close to his eyes in the waning day, the boy read as +follows:-- + + "I am writing this with what I fear is my last + conscious effort. It will go with the other papers in + the box, and some day perhaps may reach my friends. I + hope and pray so. It has been snowing for weeks and + weeks. In my solitude it is dreadful, but no more of + that. I was took down ill three days ago and have been + steadily getting worse. It is hard to die like this on + the eve of my triumph, but if it is to be it must be. + The sapphires--for I found them at last--are hid under + the hearthstone. I pray whoever finds this to see that + they are restored to my folks whom I wronged much in my + life before I came out here. + + "As I write this I feel myself growing weaker. The + timber rats--those terrible creatures--have grown quite + bold now. They openly invade the hut and steal my + stores. Even if I recover I shall hardly have enough + to live out the winter. The Lord have mercy on me and + bring this paper to the hands of honest men. They will + find details in the other papers of my identity." + +"Is that all?" asked Joe as Nat came to a stop. + +"That's all," rejoined Nat in a sober voice. "What do you think of it?" + +"That we'd better tell Cal and see what he advises." + +"That's my idea, too. Come on, let's tell him about it." + +The Motor Rangers lost no time in hastening back to the camp and Cal's +face of amazement as he heard their story was a sight to behold. As +for Herr Muller he tore his hair in despair at not having secured a +photograph of the rats as they poured out of the ruined hut. + +"I've heard of this Elias Goodale," said Cal as he looked over the +papers. "He was an odd sort of recluse that used to come to Lariat +twice a year for his grub. The fellows all thought he was crazy. He was +always talking about finding sapphires and making the folks at home +rich. I gathered that some time he had done 'em a great wrong of some +kind and wanted to repair it the best way he could. Anyhow, he had a +claim hereabouts that he used to work on all the time. The boys all +told him that the Injuns had taken all the sapphires there ever was in +this part of the hills out of 'em, but he kep' right on. I last heard +of him about a year ago--poor chap." + +"Was he old?" asked Nat. + +"Wall, maybe not in years, but in appearance he was the oldest, saddest +chap you ever set eyes on. The boys all thought he was loony, but to +me it always appeared that he had some sort of a secret sorrow." + +"Poor fellow," exclaimed Nat, "whatever wrong he may have done his +death atoned for it." + +They were silent for a minute or so, thinking of the last scenes in +that lonely hut with the snow drifting silently about it and the dying +man within cringing from the timber rats. + +"Say!" exclaimed Joe suddenly, starting them out of this sad reverie, +"what's the matter with finding out if he told the truth about those +sapphires or if it was only a crazy dream?" + +"You're on, boy," exclaimed Cal, "I think myself that he must hev found +a lot of junk and figgered out in his crazy mind they wuz sapphires and +hid 'em away." + +"It's worth investigating, anyhow," said Nat, starting up followed by +the others. + +It took them but a few seconds to reach the hut. Having entered they +all crowded eagerly about the hearthstone. Cal dropped into the hole +with his revolver ready for any stray rats that might remain, but not +a trace of one was to be seen. Suddenly he gave a shout and seized a +rough wooden box with both hands. + +"Ketch hold, boys," he cried, "it's so heavy I can't hardly heft it." + +Willing hands soon drew the box up upon the crazy floor, and Nat +produced the rusty hammer. + +"Now to see if it was all a dream or reality," he cried, as he brought +the tool down on the half rotten covering. The wood split with a +rending sound and displayed within a number of dull-looking, half +translucent rocks. + +"Junk!" cried Cal, who had hoisted himself out of the hole by this +time, "a lot of blame worthless old pyrites." + +"Not py a chug ful," came an excited voice as Herr Muller pressed +forward, "dem is der purest sapphires I haf effer seen." + +"How do you know?" demanded Nat quickly. + +"Pecos vunce py Amstertam I vork py a cheweller's. I know stones in der +rough and dese is an almost priceless gollecdion." + +"Hoorooh!" yelled Cal, "we'll all be rich." + +He stepped quickly forward and prepared to scoop up a handful of the +rough-looking stones, but Nat held him back. + +"They're not ours, Cal," he said, "they belong to the folks named in +that will." + +"You're right, boy," said Cal abashed, "I let my enthoosiasm git away +with me. But what are we going to do about it? Them folks don't live +around here." + +"We'll have to find them and----Hark!" + +The boy gave an alarmed exclamation and looked behind him. He could +have sworn that a dark shadow passed the window as they bent above the +dully-gleaming stones. But although he darted to the door like a flash, +nothing was to be seen outside. + +"What's the matter?" asked Cal, curiously. + +"Nothing," was the quiet rejoinder, "I thought I saw another timber +rat, but I guess I was mistaken." + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +FACING THEIR FOES. + + +"Nat, wake up!" + +"_Nat!_" + +"NAT!" + +Joe's third exclamation awoke the slumbering boy and he raised himself +on the rough couch on one arm. + +"What is it, Joe?" he asked, gazing in a startled way at his chum. Joe +was sitting bolt upright on the rough, wooden-framed bed, and gazing +through a dilapidated window outside upon the moon-flooded canyon. + +"Hark!" whispered Joe, "don't you hear something?" + +"Nothing but the water running down that old flume behind the hut." + +"That's queer, I don't hear it any more either," said Joe; "guess it +was a false alarm." + +"Guess so," assented Nat, settling down once more in the blankets. From +various parts of the rough hut came the steady, regular breathing of +Ding-dong Bell, Cal and Herr Muller. The latter must have been having a +nightmare for he kept muttering:---- + +"Lookd oudt py der sapphires. Lookd oudt!" + +"No need for him to worry, they are safe enough in the hiding place +where Cal used to keep his dust when he had any," grunted Joe, still +sitting erect and on the alert, however. Somehow he could not get it +out of his head that outside the hut he had heard stealthy footsteps a +few moments before. + +The Motor Rangers and their friends had arrived at Cal's hut in the +canyon that afternoon. Their first care had been to dispose safely of +the box of precious stones in the hiding place mentioned by Joe. The +evening before their last act at the camp by the ruined hut had been to +consign the remains of the dead miner to a grave under the great pines. +Nat with his pocketknife had carved a memorial upon a slab of timber. + +"Sacred to the memory of Elias Goodale. Died----." + + * * * * * + +And so, with a last look backward at the scene of the lonely tragedy of +the hills, they had proceeded. Nat had not mentioned to his companions +that he was sure that he had seen some one at the window, as they bent +over the sapphires. After all it might have been an hallucination. The +boy's first and natural assumption had been that whoever had peeped +through the window was a member of Col. Morello's band, sent forward +to track them. But then he recollected the burned forest that lay +behind. It seemed hardly credible that any member of the band could +have passed that barrier and arrived at the hut at almost the same time +as the Motor Rangers. Had Nat known what accurate and minute knowledge +the colonel possessed of the secret trails and short cuts of that part +of the Sierras he might not, however, have been so incredulous of his +first theory. + +The same afternoon they had reached a summit from which Cal, pointing +downward, had shown them a scanty collection of huts amid a dark sea +of pines. + +"That's the place," he said. + +Half an hour's ride had brought them to the canyon which they found had +been deserted even by the patient Chinamen, since Cal's last visit. +His hut, however, was undisturbed and had not been raided by timber +rats, thanks to an arrangement of tin pans set upside down which +Cal had contrived on the corner posts. The afternoon had been spent +in concealing the sapphire chest in a recess behind some rocks some +distance from the hut. A short tour of exploration followed. As Cal +had said on a previous occasion, the camp had once been the scene of +great mining activity. Traces of it were everywhere. The hillside was +honeycombed with deserted workings and mildewed embankments of slag. +Scrub and brush had sprung up everywhere, and weeds flourished among +rotting, rusty mining machinery. It was a melancholy spot, and the boys +had been anxious to leave it and push on to Big Oak Flat, ten miles +beyond. But by the time they reached this decision it was almost dark +and the road before them was too rough to traverse by night. It had +been decided therefore to camp in Cal's hut that night. + +"Pity we can't float like a lot of logs," said Joe, as he stood looking +at the water roaring through the flume which was a short distance +behind the hut. + +"Yep," rejoined Cal, "if we could, we'd reach Big Oak Flat in jig time. +This here flume comes out thereabouts." + +"Who built it?" inquired Nat, gazing at the moss-grown contrivance +through which the water was rushing at a rapid rate. There had been a +cloudburst on a distant mountain and the stream was yellow and turbid. +At other times, so Cal informed them, the flume was almost dry. + +"Why," said Cal, in reply to Nat's question, "it was put up by some +fellows who thought they saw money in lumbering here. That was after +the mines petered out. But it was too far to a market and after working +it a while they left. We've always let the flume stand, as it is +useful to carry off the overflow from the river above." + +Somehow sleep wouldn't come to Joe. Try as he would he could not doze +off. He counted sheep jumping over a fence, kept tab of bees issuing +from a hive and tried a dozen other infallible recipes for inducing +slumber. But they wouldn't work. Nat, after his awakening, had, +however, dozed off as peacefully as before. + +Suddenly, Joe sat up once more. He had been electrified by the sound of +a low voice outside the hut. This time there was no mistake. Some human +being was prowling about that lonely place. Who could it be? He was not +kept long in doubt. It was the voice of Dayton. Low as it was there was +no mistaking it. Joe's heart almost stopped beating as he listened:-- + +"They're off as sound as so many tops, colonel. All we've got to do is +to go in and land the sapphires, and the kid, too." + +"You are sure they have them?" + +"Of course. Didn't I see them in old Goodale's hut? You always said +the old fellow was crazy. I guess you know better now. These cubs +blundered into the biggest sapphire find I ever heard of." + +Joe was up now, and cautiously creeping about the room. One after +another he awoke his sleeping companions. Before arousing Herr Muller, +however, he clapped a hand over the German's mouth to check any outcry +that the emotional Teuton might feel called upon to utter. + +Presently the voices died out and cautiously approaching the window Nat +could see in the moonlight half a dozen dark forms further down the +canyon. Suddenly a moonbeam glinted brightly on a rifle barrel. + +"They mean business this time and no mistake," thought Nat. + +Tiptoeing back he told the others what he had seen. + +"Maybe we can ketch them napping," said Cal, "oh, if only we had a +telephone, the sheriff could nab the whole pack." + +"Yes, but we haven't," said the practical Nat. + +Cal tiptoed to the door and opened it a crack. If there had been any +doubt that they were closely watched it was dispelled then. + +Zip! + +_Phut!_ + +Two bullets sang by Cal's ears as he jumped hastily back, and buried +themselves in the door jamb. + +"Purty close shooting for moonlight," he remarked coolly. + +"What are we going to do?" demanded Joe. + +"Well, thanks to our foresight in bringing in all the rifles and +ammunition, we can make things interesting for them coyotes fer a long +time," rejoined Cal. + +"But in this lonely place they could besiege us for a month if need +be," said Nat. + +Cal looked grave. + +"That's so, lad," he agreed, "we'd be starved and thirsted out before +long. If only we could communicate with Big Oak Flat." + +Nat dropped off into one of his deep studies. The boy's active mind +was revolving the situation. It resolved itself into a very simple +proposition. The colonel's band was well armed. They had ample +opportunities for getting food and water. Situated as the Motor Rangers +were, the others could keep them bottled up as long as they could +stand it. Then nothing would be left but surrender. Nat knew now from +what Joe had told him, that it was no fancy he had had at the hut. +Dayton had been on their track and had unluckily arrived in time for +his cupidity to be tempted by the sight of the sapphires. His injury +when the man-trap fell must have been only a slight one. Nat knew the +character of the outlaws too well to imagine that they would leave the +canyon till they had the sapphire box and could wreak their revenge on +the Motor Rangers. + +True, as long as their ammunition held out the occupants of the hut +could have stood off an army. But as has been said, without food or +water they were hopeless captives. Unless--unless---- + +Nat leaped up from the bedstead with a low, suppressed:-- + +"_Whoop!_" + +"You've found a way out of it?" exclaimed Joe, throwing an arm around +his chum's shoulder. + +"I think so, old fellow--listen." + +They gathered around while in low tones Nat rehearsed his plan. + +"I ain't er goin' ter let you do it," protested Cal. + +"But you must, Cal, it's our only chance. You are needed here to help +stand off those rascals. It is evident that they are in no hurry to +attack us. They know that they can starve us out if they just squat +down and wait." + +"Thet's so," assented Cal, scratching his head, "I guess there ain't no +other way out of it but--Nat, I think a whole lot of you, and don't you +take no chances you don't have to." + +"Not likely to," was the rejoinder, "and now the sooner I start the +better, so good-bye, boys." + +Nat choked as he uttered the words, and the others crowded about him. + +"Donner blitzen," blurted out Herr Muller, "I dink you are der pravest +poy I effer heardt of, und----" + +Nat cut him short. There was a brief hand pressure between himself and +Joe, the same with Ding-dong and the others, and then the lad, with +a quick, athletic movement, caught hold of a roof beam and hoisted +himself upward toward a hole in the roof through which a stone chimney +had once projected. Almost noiselessly he drew himself through it and +the next moment vanished from their view. + +"Now then to cover his retreat," said Joe, seizing his rifle. + +The others, arming themselves in the same way rushed toward the window. +Through its broken panes a volley was discharged down the canyon. A +chorus of derisive yells greeted it from Morello's band. + +"Yell away," snarled Cal, "maybe you'll sing a different tune before +daybreak." + +In the meantime Nat had emerged on the roof of the cabin. It was a +difficult task he had set himself and this was but the first step. But +as the volley rang out he knew that the attention of the outlaws had +been distracted momentarily and he wriggled his way down toward the +eaves at the rear of the hut. Luckily, the roof sloped backward in that +direction, so that he was screened from the view of any one in front. + +Reaching the eaves he hung on for a second, and then dropped the ten +feet or so to the ground. Then crouching like an Indian he darted +through the brush till he reached the side of the old flume. + +He noted with satisfaction that the water was still running in a good +stream down the mouldering trench. With a quick, backward look, Nat +cast off his coat and boots, and flinging them aside picked up a board +about six feet long that lay near by. + +The water at the head of the flume traversed a little level of ground, +and here it ran more slowly than it did when it reached the grade +below. Extending himself full length on the board, just as a boy does +on a sleigh on a snowy hill, Nat held on for a moment. + +He gave one look about him at the moonlit hills, the dark pines and +the rocky cliffs. Then, with a murmured prayer, he let go. + +The next instant he was shooting down through the flume at a rate that +took his breath away. All about him roared the voices of the water +while the crosspieces over his head whizzed by in one long blur. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +THROUGH THE FLUME. + + +Faster than he had ever travelled before in his life Nat was hurtled +along down the flume. Water dashed upward into his face, half choking +him and occasionally his board would hit the wooden side with a bump +that almost threw him off. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding and +his head dizzy from the motion. It was the wildest ride that the lad, +or any other lad for that matter, had ever undertaken. + +Suddenly, ahead of him--above the noise of the rushing water--came +another sound, a deep-throated, sullen thunder. As he shot along +with the speed of a projectile, Nat realized what the strange sound +betokened. The end of the flume. Cal had told them that the raised +water-course discharged its contents into a big pool at that point. +With a sudden sinking of the heart Nat realized that he had forgotten +to inquire how high the drop was. If it was very high--or if there was +but little water in the pool below the flume--he would be dashed to +pieces, or injured so that he could not swim, and thus drown. + +But even as the alarming thought was in his mind, Nat felt himself shot +outward into space. Instinctively his hands came together and he dived +downward, entering the water about twenty feet below him, with a clean +dive. + +For a space the waters closed above the lad's head and he was lost to +view in the moonlit pool. When he came to the surface, out of breath +and bruised, but otherwise uninjured, he saw that he was in what had +formerly been used as a "collection-pool" for the logs from the forest +above. He struck out for the shore at once and presently emerged upon +the bank. But as he clambered out, the figure of a Chinaman who had +been seated fishing on the brink galvanized into sudden life. The +Mongolian was poaching in private waters under cover of the darkness +and was naturally startled out of a year's growth at the sudden +apparition. + +With an ear-splitting screech the Mongolian leaped about three feet +into the air as if propelled by a spring, and then, with his stumpy +legs going under him like twin piston rods, he made tracks for the town. + +"Bad spill-it! Bad spill-it! He come catchee me!" he howled at the top +of his voice, tearing along. + +As he dashed into the town a tall man dressed in Western style, and +with a determined, clean-cut face under his broad-brimmed sombrero, +stepped out of the lighted interior of the post-office, where the mail +for the early stage was being sorted. + +"Here, Sing Lee," he demanded, catching the astonished Chinaman by the +shoulder and swinging him around, "what's the matter with you?" + +"Wasee malla me, Missa Sheliff? Me tellee you number one chop quickee +timee. Me fish down by old lumbel yard and me see spill-it come flum +watel!" + +"What?" roared Jack Tebbetts, the sheriff, "a ghost? More likely one +of Morello's band; I heard they were around here somewhere. But hullo, +what's this?" + +He broke off as a strange figure came flying down the street, almost as +fast as the fear-crazed Chinaman. + +"Wow!" yelled the sheriff, drawing an enormous gun as this weird +figure came in view, "Halt whar you be, stranger? You're a suspicious +character." + +Nat, out of breath, wet through, bruised, bleeding and with his +clothing almost ripped off him, could not but admit the truth of this +remark. But as he opened his mouth to speak a sudden dizziness seemed +to overcome him. His knees developed strange hinges and he felt that in +another moment he would topple over. + +The sheriff stepped quickly forward and caught him. + +"Here, hold up, lad," he said crisply, "what's ther trouble?" + + * * * * * + +"One o'clock. We ought to be hearing from Nat soon." + +Cal put his old silver watch back in his pocket and resumed his anxious +pacing of the floor. The others, in various attitudes of alertness, +were scattered about the place. Since Nat's departure they had been, as +you may imagine, at a pretty tight tension. Somehow, waiting there for +an attack or for rescue, was much more trying than action would have +been. + +"Do you guess he got through all right?" asked Joe. + +"I hope so," rejoined Cal, "but it was about as risky a bit of business +as a lad could undertake. I blame myself for ever letting him do it." + +"If Nat had his mind made up you couldn't have stopped him," put in Joe +earnestly. + +"H-h-h-hark!" exclaimed Ding-dong. + +Far down the canyon they could hear a sound. It grew closer. For an +instant a wild hope that it was the rescue party flashed through their +minds. But the next instant a voice hailed them. Evidently Col. +Morello had made up his mind that a siege was too lengthy a proceeding. + +"I will give you fellows in the hut one chance," he said in a loud +voice, "give up that boy Nat Trevor and the sapphires and I will +withdraw my men." + +Cal's answer was to take careful aim, and if Joe had not hastily pulled +his arm down that moment would have been Morello's last. But as Cal's +white face was framed in the dark window a bullet sang by viciously and +showered them with splinters. + +"That's for a lesson," snarled Morello, "there are lots more where that +came from." + +But as he spoke there came a sudden yell of alarm from his rear. + +"We're attacked!" came a voice. + +At the same instant the sound of a distant volley resounded. + +"Hooray! Nat made good!" yelled Cal, leaping about and cracking his +fingers. + +The next instant a rapid thunder of hoofs, as the outlaws wheeled and +made off, was heard. As their dark forms raced by, the posse headed +by Sheriff Tebbetts and Nat, fired volley after volley at them, but +only two fell, slightly wounded. The rest got clear away. A subsequent +visit to their fortress showed that on escaping from the posse they had +revisited it and cleaned all the loot out of it that they could. The +express box stolen from Cal's stage was, however, recovered. + +As the posse galloped up, cheering till the distant canyons echoed +and re-echoed, the besieged party rushed out. They made for Nat and +pulled him from his horse. Then, with the young Motor Ranger on their +shoulders, they paraded around the hut with him, yelling like maniacs, +"'For he's a jolly good fellow'!" + +"And that don't begin to express it," said the sheriff to himself. + +"He's the grit kid," put in one of the hastily-gathered posse +admiringly. + +And the "Grit Kid" Nat was to them henceforth. + +The remainder of the night was spent in the hut, Nat telling and +retelling his wild experience in the flume. The next morning the posse +set out at once at top speed for the fortress of Morello, the sapphire +chest being carried in the auto which accompanied the authorities. Of +course they found no trace of the outlaws; but the place was destroyed +and can never again be used by any nefarious band. + +Nat and his friends were anxious for the sheriff to take charge of the +sapphire find, but this he refused to do. It remained, therefore, for +the Motor Rangers themselves to unravel the mystery surrounding it. + +How they accomplished this, and the devious paths and adventures into +which the quest led them, will be told in the next volume of this +series. Here also will be found a further account of Col. Morello and +his band who, driven from their haunts by the Motor Rangers, sought +revenge on the lads. + +Having remained in the vicinity of Big Oak Flat till every point +connected with Morello and his band had been cleared up, the boys +decided to go on to the famous Yosemite Valley. There they spent some +happy weeks amid its awe-inspiring natural wonders. With them was Herr +Muller and Cal. Bismark, as Cal had foretold, returned to the hotel at +Lariat and Herr Muller got his money. + +But all the time the duty which devolved upon the Motor Rangers of +finding Elias Goodale's heirs and bestowing their rich inheritance +on them was not forgotten. Nat and his companions considered it in +the nature of a sacred trust--this mission which a strange chance +had placed in their hands. How they carried out their task, and what +difficulties and dangers they faced in doing it, will be related in +"THE MOTOR RANGERS ON BLUE WATER; OR, THE SECRET OF THE DERELICT." + + + THE END. + + + + +Reasons why you should obtain a Catalogue of our Publications + +_A postal to us will place it in your hands_ + +1. You will possess a comprehensive and classified list of all the best +standard books published, at prices less than offered by others. + +2. You will find listed in our catalogue books on every topic: Poetry, +Fiction, Romance, Travel, Adventure, Humor, Science, History, Religion, +Biography, Drama, etc., besides Dictionaries and Manuals, Bibles, +Recitation and Hand Books, Sets, Octavos, Presentation Books and +Juvenile and Nursery Literature in immense variety. + +3. You will be able to purchase books at prices within your reach; as +low as 10 cents for paper covered books, to $5.00 for books bound in +cloth or leather, adaptable for gift and presentation purposes, to suit +the tastes of the most critical. + +4. You will save considerable money by taking advantage of our SPECIAL +DISCOUNTS, which we offer to those whose purchases are large enough to +warrant us in making a reduction. + + HURST & CO., _Publishers_, + 395, 397, 399 Broadway, New York. + + + + +Motor Rangers Series + +By MARVIN WEST + +OUTDOOR LIFE STORIES FOR MODERN BOYS + + Cloth Bound Price 50¢ per volume. + + +The Motor Rangers' Lost Mine. + +A new series dealing with an idea altogether original in juvenile +fiction,--the adventures of a party of bright, enterprising youngsters +in a splendid motor car. Their first trip takes them to the dim and +mysterious land of Lower California. + +Naturally, as one would judge from the title, the lost mine, which +proves to be Nat Trevor's rightful inheritance,--occupies much of the +interest of the book. But the mine was in the possession of enemies so +powerful and wealthy that it taxed the boys' resources to the uttermost +to overcome them. How they did so makes absorbing reading. + +In this book also, the young motor rangers solve the mystery of the +haunted Mexican cabin, and exterminate for all time a strange terror of +the mountains which has almost devastated a part of the peninsula. + +The Motor Rangers too, have an exciting encounter with Mexican cowboys, +which beginning comically, comes very near having a serious termination +for all hands. Emphatically "third speed" books. + + + Sold by Booksellers Everywhere. + Hurst & Co., Publishers New York + + + + +BORDER BOY SERIES + +BY + +FREMONT B. DEERING + +Frontier Stories for Modern Boys + + Cloth Bound Price, 50¢ per volume. + + +The Border Boys on the Trail. + +There is little left of the romantic western life of which our +forefathers delighted to read and in which they not infrequently took a +part. The author of this series has, however, taken to himself modern +conditions in this interesting section of the country in a vital way. + +The pages of this book throb with the strenuous outdoor life and +pastimes of the ranch and range. The volume is as vivid as a western +sunset and as lively as a bucking broncho. What boy will not want to +read of the adventures of the ranchers and the boys in Grizzly Pass and +the strange strategy of Black Ramon--the Border cattle-rustler which +came nearly costing them all their lives? + +But the adventures do not terminate at the annihilation of the bridge +by the rustler's gang. They elude pursuit for a time by this means but +only for a time. The beginning of the end of their depredations comes +when Jack and his cowpuncher chum escape from the bell-tower of the +old mission. From then on to the conclusion of the book events come as +fast as the discharge of an automatic rifle, or the rattling execution +of the long roll on a snare-drum. No boy should fail to read how the +Mexicans almost succeeded in releasing the pent-up waters of the +irrigation dam and ruining a vast track of country. Thoroughly healthy +in tone and appealing to manly standards the Border Boys are ideal +chums for the wholesome lads of to-day. + + + Sold by Booksellers Everywhere. + HURST & CO., Publishers NEW YORK. + + + + +BOY SCOUT SERIES + +BY + +LIEUT. HOWARD PAYSON + +MODERN BOY SCOUT STORIES FOR BOYS + + Cloth Bound Price, 50¢ per volume. + + +The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol. + +A fascinating narrative of the doings of some bright boys who become +part of the great Boy Scout movement. The first of a series dealing +with this organization, which has caught on like wild fire among +healthy boys of all ages and in all parts of the country. + +While in no sense text-book, the volume deals, amid its exciting +adventures, with the practical side of Scouting. To Rob Blake and his +companions in the Eagle Patrol, surprising, and sometimes perilous +things happen constantly. But the lads, who are, after all, typical of +most young Americans of their type, are resourceful enough to overcome +every one of their dangers and difficulties. + +How they discover the whereabouts of little Joe, the "kid" of the +patrol, by means of smoke telegraphy and track his abductors to their +disgrace; how they assist the passengers of a stranded steamer and foil +a plot to harm and perhaps kill an aged sea-captain, one must read the +book to learn. A swift-moving narrative of convincing interest and +breathless incident. + + + Sold by Booksellers Everywhere. + Hurst & Co. Publishers New York + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Varied hyphenation was retained. + +Page 54, "attampt" changed to "attempt" (and an attempt made) + +Page 160, "penertate" changed to "penetrate" (could not penetrate into) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Motor Rangers Through the Sierras, by +Marvin West + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43917 *** |