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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76660 ***
+
+
+[Illustration: AND TEDDY DID “RIDE ’IM.”
+
+_The X Bar X Boys at the Round-Up_      _Frontispiece_ (_Page 210_)]
+
+
+
+
+                            THE X BAR X BOYS
+                             AT THE ROUND-UP
+
+                                   BY
+                            JAMES CODY FERRIS
+
+               AUTHOR OF “THE X BAR X BOYS ON THE RANCH,”
+               “THE X BAR X BOYS ON BIG BISON TRAIL,” ETC.
+
+
+                            _ILLUSTRATED BY_
+                            WALTER S. ROGERS
+
+
+                                NEW YORK
+                            GROSSET & DUNLAP
+                               PUBLISHERS
+
+                  Made in the United States of America
+
+
+
+
+                        WESTERN STORIES FOR BOYS
+
+                          By JAMES CODY FERRIS
+
+                             THE X BAR X BOYS BOOKS
+
+          THE X BAR X BOYS ON THE RANCH
+          THE X BAR X BOYS IN THUNDER CANYON
+          THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER
+          THE X BAR X BOYS ON BIG BISON TRAIL
+          THE X BAR X BOYS AT THE ROUND-UP
+
+                     (OTHER VOLUMES IN PREPARATION)
+
+                 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
+
+                           Copyright, 1927, by
+                            GROSSET & DUNLAP
+
+                          _All Rights Reserved_
+
+                   =The X Bar X Boys at the Round-Up=
+
+
+
+
+                                CONTENTS
+
+
+             CHAPTER                              PAGE
+
+                   I THE PACK                        1
+
+                  II RESCUE                         11
+
+                 III ROY’S KNIFE                    21
+
+                  IV OVERHEARD                      31
+
+                   V HORTENSE RUNS WILD             41
+
+                  VI MR. PETERSON’S FORFEIT         51
+
+                 VII POP WAXES WROTH                59
+
+                VIII SOMETHING QUEER                67
+
+                  IX THE WILD HORSE                 76
+
+                   X ROY’S ROPE                     84
+
+                  XI THE FLYING HAT                 91
+
+                 XII VOICES IN THE NIGHT           101
+
+                XIII A DOWN-GRADE PROBLEM          110
+
+                 XIV THE CRYSTAL GAZER             123
+
+                  XV MYSTERIOUS DANGER             131
+
+                 XVI THE START OF THE ROUND-UP     138
+
+                XVII DRIVING IN                    146
+
+               XVIII TEDDY GETS HIS ORDERS         154
+
+                 XIX INTO THE CORRAL               161
+
+                  XX THE STRANGE FIRE              167
+
+                 XXI THE RUSTLERS’ CAMP            174
+
+                XXII CAPTIVES                      180
+
+               XXIII TOO LATE                      186
+
+                XXIV THE TRAIN OF EMPTIES          193
+
+                 XXV THE RODEO                     201
+
+
+
+
+                            THE X BAR X BOYS
+                             AT THE ROUND-UP
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAPTER I
+
+                                THE PACK
+
+Pulling his pony to a sudden stop, the rider gazed intently at a cloud
+of dust sweeping over the horizon. His companion, a slightly younger
+lad, with facial characteristics so similar that anyone would have
+instantly labeled these two as brothers, reined in his own mount and
+likewise stared at the dust cloud.
+
+“Coming?” he asked, more to himself than to his brother.
+
+“Going,” the other answered decidedly. “And he’s not waiting to count
+his money, either. I’d like to get a look at that hombre, Teddy.”
+
+“For reasons of your own, I guess,” Teddy Manley responded. Then he
+laughed. “And to what may we attribute this sudden curiosity, Roy?”
+
+“You know as well as I do,” Roy Manley answered shortly. “Just about
+this time each year I get a craving to know every man who rides as
+close to our cattle as that--and you should, too. With round-up so
+near, this is no time for fooling.”
+
+“As the African said when the lion sneezed in his face.” Teddy watched
+the dust disappear as the distant rider sank down behind a hill. Then
+he turned his head slowly, his gaze sweeping over the panorama of
+the brown, sun-drenched mountains, walling in the uneven plains like
+a gigantic picture frame. “Maybe he’s just viewing the beauties of
+nature,” the boy said, and urged his horse forward again.
+
+“Or on his way to Sunday-school on Monday,” Roy responded disdainfully.
+“If he’s interested in scenery, what does he ride like that for? He was
+sure burning up the ground.”
+
+“Oh, well, I give up,” Teddy declared impatiently. “Give that active
+mind of yours a rest, will you? Let’s get on the job again. Golly,
+there’s another break! Have the animals around here taken to eating
+wire?”
+
+Sliding off his horse and trailing the reins over the animal’s head,
+Teddy Manley drew a pair of pliers from his pocket and walked toward
+the fence. His brother, grumbling to himself, followed. Riding fence
+was not easy work, this late in the year. Somehow, there seemed more
+labor to be done in the fall than at any other time. They had repaired
+six breaks in the last mile.
+
+“Bring some of that extra wire,” Teddy called, fingering the top strand
+of the fence, which dangled loosely. “This will never reach.” He looked
+at the break thoughtfully, as though wondering how it had occurred. But
+what he said was: “See if my gloves are hanging on my saddle, will you?
+My hands are cut now from this stuff.”
+
+“Here’s the wire,” Roy declared, holding out a coil. “And your gloves
+are in your back pocket. I’ll anchor this end while you splice. Say,
+this looks as though it had been cut!” He seized the wire excitedly and
+stared at it. “Look how clean this break is, Teddy!”
+
+“Yea, and look how rusty the other end is, too,” Teddy said
+sarcastically. “I just wiped this piece off with my hand. Here--pull
+hard now, and we’ll get this together.”
+
+Grunting and straining, Teddy succeeded in forcing the two loose
+strands together and fastening them securely. When the task was
+finished he mopped the sweat from his face and the two boys remounted.
+
+“Your turn to take the next break,” Teddy asserted, as they rode on.
+“Hope it’s a good one.”
+
+“There won’t be any next,” Roy answered. “We’ll have to ride in now and
+let someone else start from here to-morrow. We’re supposed to be at the
+ranch this evening to talk to those two birds from Iowa--the Lefton
+brothers. Me, I don’t like ’em! But dad seems to think that they’ll
+take at least twelve hundred head, so we’ll have to dicker with ’em, I
+guess. Hope we get a good price.”
+
+“Why don’t you like ’em?” Teddy asked curiously. Roy glanced over at
+his brother in surprise.
+
+“Teddy, that’s the first remark of mine to-day that you’ve taken
+seriously! So you, too, think there’s something funny about them, do
+you?”
+
+“I didn’t say so,” Teddy responded.
+
+“You don’t have to say so. Well, spill it! What do you know about ’em?”
+
+“Nothing much,” Teddy answered evasively. “Only they sure asked Nick a
+lot of queer questions.”
+
+“Did they?” Roy looked eagerly at his brother. “What sort of questions?
+About cattle?”
+
+“Yes, about cattle--our cattle. Nick said that both of them cornered
+him down by the bunkhouse, offered him cigarettes, and tried to pump
+him. Nick told ’em that we had fifty head of shorthorns that were being
+shipped to the King of Siam, in trade for a herd of elephants. He said
+that we were going to start an elephant farm out here and grow ivory
+for our own pool balls.”
+
+“He did? What did they say then?”
+
+“Nothing. Guess they looked at him as if they wondered whether he was
+crazy, and wandered off. I heard next they got Gus Tripp, and asked him
+a lot of questions, too.”
+
+“Mighty inquisitive pair of boys,” Roy commented dryly. “Must want to
+know all about the cattle they buy. Well, you can’t exactly blame them
+for that, I suppose.”
+
+“They weren’t asking about the kind of cattle they were, but where we
+grazed ’em. How many head here, how many there, and so forth.”
+
+“You don’t say! Nick tell you that?”
+
+“Gus did. But he didn’t give them any satisfaction. Gus is too wise for
+that.”
+
+Roy, his tall body straight in the saddle, his head held rigid,
+remained silent. After a moment Teddy glanced at him and grinned.
+
+“Six times six is thirty-six and six is forty-two! Come out of it!”
+
+“I was just thinking,” Roy said deliberately, “of the Lefton brothers.”
+
+“You don’t tell me! Why, I thought you were trying to do mental
+arithmetic. So you were thinking of the Lefton boys! Well, well! Now
+what could have been the cause of that, do you suppose?”
+
+“I was wondering if they really intend to buy cattle,” Roy went on,
+refusing to reply to Teddy’s sarcasm. “They’ve been hanging around two
+days now, and never once made an offer. To me, that seems mighty funny.
+Of course, you, with your superior brain, may think of it differently.”
+
+“Yes, it does look a little like rain, if that’s what you said. Well,
+to tell the truth, my lad, I had an idea all along that they were a
+couple of four-flushers. That younger one--Jerry, his name is--talks
+too loud and too freely. Besides being loquacious, he says too much.
+And the other--Bill--has a wart on his nose. I don’t like people with a
+wart on their nose--noses, I mean, maybe warts.”
+
+“We can’t afford to let a customer go because he has a wart on his
+nose. If they meet our price, we’ll give ’em the dogies, irrespective
+of what they look like. Tell that cayuse his supper’s waiting for him,
+will you? We want to get home before dark, you know.”
+
+Checking the reply that rose to his lips, Teddy Manley clucked to
+Flash, and the bronco lengthened his stride. The brothers were riding
+on the edge of a shallow gully that dipped down just the other side of
+the fence. Far to their left the cattle were grazing, content to keep
+to their own territory and not investigate these two riders. A quarter
+of a mile farther on, the boys came to a gate in the fence, and went
+through into the gully. For some distance they followed the ravine,
+then cut sharp left, and headed home. By riding through the gully they
+had avoided a steep hill which lay just within the fence.
+
+The day was drawing to a close. The few clouds in the deep blue sky had
+gathered on the horizon, like white sheep flocking to the fold. The
+orange and yellow colors of early sunset were already streaking the
+heavens. A bird, flying low, left a streamer of purling song behind him.
+
+The landscape was dotted with water-holes, some of them dried up from
+the long summer sun, others containing only moisture enough to cover
+the bottom. As the boys rode on, Bitter Cliff lookout came into view,
+and then it was only a half hour to the X Bar X Ranch.
+
+“Well, whoever does get our stock will get one fine bunch,” Roy said
+suddenly, breaking the silence. “We’ve never had a finer lot. Healthy,
+every one of ’em.”
+
+“Be a tough break to lose any of ’em now, wouldn’t it?” Teddy remarked
+absently. “All the summer’s work gone for nothing.”
+
+“Why should we lose ’em?” Roy demanded sharply. “Think our men can’t
+handle a round-up? Bet we don’t miss a single cow!”
+
+“Of course, there may be others interested in our cattle,” Teddy said
+mysteriously. “Like those two Lefton brothers. There _are_ ways of
+acquiring cows other than buying them, you know. In case--snakes! Did
+you see that prairie dog?”
+
+He pointed to a brown streak that was heading for a clump of bushes.
+The next moment it was out of sight.
+
+“Prairie dog!” exclaimed Roy. “If that was a prairie dog I’m a
+grasshopper! Haven’t you ever seen a wolf before?”
+
+“Wolf? You mean a wolverine?”
+
+“I mean a wolf! A full grown one, too! I got a good look at him just
+before he entered that mesquite. Let’s go get him--he’ll kill a cow,
+sure, if he gets away!”
+
+Teddy nodded, and touched his heels to the pony’s sides. As they raced
+over the prairie both boys drew their revolvers and held them in
+readiness.
+
+“You take the left, I’ll circle around!” Roy panted. “Make sure you
+don’t miss him. Once he gets very deep into the brush, he’s gone for
+good!”
+
+Swiftly the riders dashed toward the brush wherein the animal had
+disappeared. Wolves were most uncommon on the ranges of this country.
+This one had probably been driven down by hunger from the mountains.
+
+“The one who shoots him gets the pelt!” Teddy yelled. “Let’s go!”
+
+The two brothers swung apart. About three hundred yards from the
+mesquite stood a group of quakermasts, and they wanted to cut the
+animal off from this protection. Even as they neared the brush,
+however, they saw the wolf dart toward the trees.
+
+Crack! Teddy’s gun spoke, and a spurt of dust arose behind the running
+animal.
+
+Roy fired. The beast faltered, and dropped to his haunches. From his
+throat came a peculiar wailing cry.
+
+“You got him!” Teddy shouted. “He’s--” The sentence was never
+completed. As if in answer to a call, another wolf leaped from the
+grove of quakermasts. Then another, and another--almost tumbling over
+each other in their efforts to reach their fallen comrade, a full pack
+of snarling, yelping, savage wolves!
+
+The horses, squealing in terror, planted their forefeet in the turf
+and came to a back-jerking stop. Wildly they swung about, their riders
+unable to control them in the face of this charging death.
+
+“Don’t shoot--no time--get away!” Teddy yelled. “There’s hundreds of
+’em--”
+
+Glancing swiftly around, Roy saw that this was scarcely an
+exaggeration. The pack seemed to increase every second. As they reached
+the wounded beast, a few stopped, but the rest came on. Foam was
+dripping from their jaws in huge flakes.
+
+“They’re mad--crazy with hunger!” Roy gasped. “They’re starved! If
+they catch us--”
+
+He bent low over Star’s back. There was but one thing to do--ride, and
+put their faith in their broncos. In the steel-like muscles of Star and
+Flash lay the boys’ only hope of safety.
+
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER II
+
+                                 RESCUE
+
+
+With necks outstretched, flesh quivering, and eyes white from fear, the
+ponies flashed across the prairie. Direction was forgotten in the mad
+rush to escape those dripping fangs now so close.
+
+The ground was uneven, treacherous, and each rider knew that a single
+misstep would send his horse crashing to earth, the only hope, then,
+being that the fall, and not the teeth of the ravenous animals, would
+bring death.
+
+Desperately the boys sought to guide their mounts so as to avoid the
+frequent badger holes. In a single moment, it seemed, they had left the
+group of quakermasts behind, and were mounting the side of a small hill.
+
+The broncos were racing side by side, not ten feet apart. After the
+first hot wave of panic, that minute they had come face to face with
+what had seemed certain destruction, Teddy and Roy quickly regained
+control of themselves. The paralyzing shock of fear passed, and left a
+cool, clear mind, which seemed to register impressions more vividly
+than ever before. Each rider knew just what he was to do if he hoped to
+escape alive. It was as though a huge screen were before them, with the
+words: “Over this hill--swing left--turn--and shoot.” Neither boy said
+a word to the other, yet almost as one rider they mounted the incline
+and bore to the left. Then Teddy yelled:
+
+“Now! We’ve gained a little, Roy. You take that big gray hunky. I’ll
+get the next one--”
+
+Reverberating from the closeness of the hills, the guns roared their
+challenge. The gray wolf, that appeared to be the leader, whirled about
+in a circle, snapped at his side, fell, and lay still.
+
+“There’s one down!” Roy shouted, gripping with his knees the sides of
+the bobbing pony and raising his revolver for another shot. “That may
+stop ’em!”
+
+The pack, seeing their leader down, hesitated for a moment. Then with
+the vicious savageness of their breed, they fell upon him.
+
+“Wolf--eat--wolf!” Teddy panted hoarsely. “We’ve got a chance, Roy! A
+chance!”
+
+Useless it was to dig frantic heels into the ponies’ ribs. They were
+expending every ounce of energy they possessed, seeking to lose those
+horrible yappings. Farther and farther away from that surging mass
+of bodies they coursed, the wind carrying snarls that drove the
+frightened horses ever onward. For a moment Roy had a vision of a
+mangled shape in the midst of digging, prying claws and eager teeth,
+and the boy grew sick with the thought, feeling that perhaps Teddy or
+himself might be lying there not motionless, but turning and twisting
+in obedience to a tug here, a pull there!
+
+“Steady, Flash, steady,” Teddy was breathing, the reins tight as iron
+bands in his hand. “We’re all right now, old boy.”
+
+“We can’t keep this pace up!” Roy called tensely. “We’ll kill the
+broncs! Pull him up, Teddy!”
+
+Leaning forward, Roy grasped Star’s neck muscles, just below the mane.
+He talked in a low tone, as evenly as he could, keeping the trembling
+gasps out of his voice. Behind them the fierce yelps were growing
+fainter. Gradually the horses took on a calmer, more controlled gallop.
+Flash snorted noisily.
+
+“All right--I guess,” Roy said doubtfully. He exhaled his breath in a
+peculiar whistle. Star shook his head and whinnied.
+
+“Easy, easy,” Roy soothed. “Save it, bronc. Teddy, keep your gun out.
+That pack won’t stay put very long. They’ll come again. We’ve got to
+head for home as quickly as we can. No time to waste.”
+
+Teddy nodded silently. He, too, realized that the danger was not yet
+over. But the horses were rapidly recovering their strength, and the
+boys knew they would be able to respond with another dash when the time
+came. These riders understood their mounts thoroughly--understood, and
+loved them.
+
+When a man and a horse are together through long hours of loneliness on
+the wide plains of the West, when they ride into and out of perils of
+all sorts, there springs up between them a strange bond, which seems to
+have something in it other than mere friendship.
+
+So it was with Teddy and Flash, and Roy and Star. Ever since that day
+they had lost them, when the horses had been stolen from the hitching
+rail at Eagles, and the boys had risked their lives more than once
+to recover them, the broncos had come to mean more than mere saddle
+horses. The story of how they finally caught the horse thieves who had
+stolen the ponies, and in doing so rid the range of a desperate gang of
+rustlers, is told in the first book of this series, called “The X Bar X
+Boys on the Ranch.”
+
+These exciting adventures were followed by many others, when Teddy and
+Roy searched the mysterious Thunder Canyon for Belle Ada, their sister,
+and her two friends, who had been kidnapped. Then came a hazardous
+journey down Whirlpool River, to recover some cattle that had been
+rustled by Denver Smith and his gang. In the book, just before the
+present volume, “The X Bar X Boys on Big Bison Trail,” the tale is
+related of a moving picture company on location and of the part Teddy
+and Roy played in its affairs. How they aided their cowboy friend, Nick
+Looker, to recover a legacy left by his uncle, is also told.
+
+Throughout all these experiences the two Manley boys had, as their
+constant companions, Flash and Star. Many times the horses had been the
+means of saving the lives of their masters. Thus Teddy and Roy came to
+know them as few masters know their horses--to know their weaknesses,
+their strength. And both boys realized that, at this moment, should
+they be compelled to drive them forward before the wolves, they would
+again answer as they had before.
+
+Teddy saw that Roy, who was leading, had swerved to the right and was
+listening intently, his hand cupping his ear.
+
+“They’re still making plenty of noise back there,” Teddy called, but
+Roy shook his head.
+
+“It’s a different sort of noise. We’ve got to swing pretty wide.
+They’re on the run again. Listen! Notice that new note?”
+
+Truly there did seem to be a change in the yapping sounds the wolves
+were making. The boys were on the other side of the hill now, out of
+sight of the animals, but every moment they expected to see the pack
+appear over the crest. Teddy rapidly replaced with cartridges the
+shells that had been exploded, and seized his weapon more firmly.
+
+“It would be worse than useless to face that pack,” he said with a
+slight shudder. “Where in thunder could they have come from? There
+hasn’t been a wolf in these parts for years.”
+
+“We’ll talk that over later,” Roy answered shortly. “The thing to do
+now is to get out of their way. Let’s make time.”
+
+Their shadows had lengthened into long, dark blots as the two boys
+threw their mounts into a gallop. They rode diagonally away from the
+pack, gradually edging toward the X Bar X. Night must not overtake them
+here on the range, while the frenzied beasts were still close upon
+them. Their best chance lay not in out-distancing them, but in throwing
+them off their track.
+
+“Stick to this trail,” Roy said. “We’re getting nearer home each
+minute. Golly, I think we’ve beaten them! Listen! Aren’t they farther
+away?”
+
+Shrewdly realizing that often one hears that which he hopes to hear,
+Teddy would not admit that the danger was past. The cries of the wolf
+pack could still be plainly heard, and there was no means of telling
+whether they were coming toward the boys or running at right angles to
+them. It was not necessary for the animals to see the riders to follow
+them. Both Roy and Teddy knew that a wolf can track a man by the scent,
+as a dog does, and unless something occurred to shift the attention of
+the pack they might chase the boys to the very yard of the ranch.
+
+“Provided we can last that long,” Teddy said grimly, finishing his
+thought aloud. “We may not have a chance to slow ’em up again. Snakes,
+they sound like a convention!”
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick they do! Well, we can keep going only so far,
+and then--” Roy dropped his hand to the butt of his gun, which he had
+replaced in its holster. “We’ll have it out with ’em, I guess. We can
+never hope to keep this pace up till we reach home.”
+
+The two horses were running freely now, but not with the easy lope
+natural to them. It was more of a forced canter, as though the steeds
+could feel their riders’ anxiety, the tense, dogged helplessness of
+the hunted. Teddy prayed that they at least might keep the beasts
+out of sight. To hear them is bad enough, but to see them coming on
+remorselessly was infinitely worse.
+
+Teddy and Roy were riding silently. Their attention was concentrated
+on keeping their broncos running smoothly and avoiding all ruts and
+holes which might interrupt the stride. In these moments their skill
+was invaluable--they sat on their horses as though they were part of
+them, directing them by slight changes in the position of the reins, by
+the pressure of their knees.
+
+Before them a small ravine opened. They nosed their horses down,
+carefully, and headed for the other side. Teddy turned his head as they
+struck the upgrade.
+
+“Roy! Roy! Flash is limping! I’ll never make it! Here they come!” The
+boy’s voice was hoarse, cracked. Roy swerved suddenly.
+
+He saw that his brother had spoken the truth. Flash was limping badly,
+and over the top of the gully poured a tossing flood of brown wolves.
+
+“I reckon, Roy, I’ll stay here,” Teddy panted. His horse faltered,
+missed a step, and slid backward. Teddy turned him, and halted. “You go
+on,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’ll take my chances. I can hold
+’em back for a while. Take it, you mangy dogs!” He raised his gun, and
+pulled the trigger viciously.
+
+“Teddy, save it! We’ll stand right here, and if they want us, they’ll
+have to plough through hot lead to get us! Steady, bucko! Wait till
+they--”
+
+Yelping triumphantly, the pack reached the bottom of the gully. Roy
+could see blood on their jaws, still wet from their recent feast made
+from their dead comrade. Soon, perhaps, they might obtain another food
+supply. Roy’s eyes narrowed, and drawing his gun he took careful aim.
+
+“We’ll fire together,” he said in a low voice. “And keep on shooting.
+But they’ll never stop now to feed. We either win this fight or we
+don’t. Good luck, ole hoss!”
+
+“Good luck, Brother,” Teddy whispered. It was the first time he had
+ever used the term.
+
+The wolves came on. They reached a spot fifty yards from the waiting
+horsemen, who sat quietly, holding their mounts with one hand and their
+guns with the other. The broncos were trembling violently, but still
+they stood, not panic stricken now, but placing implicit faith in their
+masters.
+
+“Let ’em have it!”
+
+Crack! Crack!
+
+The roaring thunder of the guns filled the ravine, drowning the savage
+cries of the wolves. One of the animals was down, another snapping
+fitfully at his shoulder. But the pack did not halt, nor even hesitate.
+Before them was prey far sweeter than their own kind.
+
+“Reckon it’s curtains!” Teddy yelled. “Stick to it, kid! Blast ’em!”
+
+Suddenly, directly behind Roy, a wild shout arose. Guns--many of
+them--split the air with their reports. There were more yells. A
+torrent of lead struck into the advancing horde, halted them, turned
+them, and sent them scampering away, leaving five dead upon the ground.
+The fight was won, but the bullets that had stemmed the tide had not
+come from the guns of Teddy and Roy Manley.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER III
+
+                               ROY’S KNIFE
+
+
+As an encore to the heavy cracks of the guns came a voice--low, amused,
+and dryly sarcastic:
+
+“Reckon you’ll hang the ‘Welcome’ sign on your door for us, hey?”
+
+Teddy and Roy swung quickly around. Facing them, guns out and still
+smoking, were three men. One of them had a wart on his nose. The second
+was shorter, and looked a great deal like his disfigured companion. The
+other horseman, who had made the remark, was a lean grizzled vaquero,
+whose mouth drooped at the corners, and whose eyes were mere slits in
+his leathern skin.
+
+“Why, you’re the Lefton brothers!” Teddy exclaimed. “How did you--”
+
+“The same, at your service,” the taller one answered. “And this is Mob
+Jamisson. You’ll have to figure out for yourself why they call him Mob.”
+
+“Howdy,” Mob said curtly. “Seems like you boys were ready to furnish
+them animals with a meal, hey?”
+
+“We were,” Roy answered, speaking for the first time. A puzzled
+frown creased his forehead. Somehow, these rescuers were sneeringly
+contemptuous of the thing they had done, as though the two lives they
+had saved scarcely mattered. But at all events they had prevented a
+dangerous, if not fatal, issue, and Roy’s face cleared as he held out
+his hand.
+
+“We owe you plenty,” he said heartily. “My brother’s pony would never
+have been able to make the top of this hill--he went lame. I’m afraid
+to imagine what would have been the outcome of a scrap with those crazy
+animals.”
+
+Teddy, who was staring hard at the Lefton brothers, shoved his gun back
+in the holster and likewise held out his hand, which was grasped by
+each in turn, as Roy’s had been.
+
+“We were ahead of them, with a fair chance of escape, when my bronc
+stumbled in a hole,” the boy explained. “Not enough to throw me, but I
+knew if I forced him he’d cave in. So we turned and decided to fight it
+out.”
+
+“Pretty sights you’d be if we hadn’t come along,” Mob Jamisson
+declared. He glanced down at Teddy’s horse. “Left front, ain’t it?
+Better get off an’ see if it’ll last you till you get to the--till you
+get home.”
+
+“We’re from the X Bar X,” Teddy said, watching the man closely.
+“You’ve heard of it?”
+
+“Slightly,” Mob drawled. He rolled and lit a cigarette. “Well, the
+excitement seems to be about over. Where’d you pick up them wolves,
+anyhow? Didn’t know they ever traveled much in this country.”
+
+“Neither did we,” Roy answered. “We saw one, and decided to get him,
+and before we knew what was happening the whole pack was on top of us.
+They ran us ragged.”
+
+Jerry Lefton, the shorter of the two brothers, spoke for the first time.
+
+“If you want to,” he said, “you can come over to our camp and rest your
+bronc.”
+
+“That’s nice of you,” Teddy answered. “But it’s getting pretty late.
+Say, by the way, I thought we had a date with you fellows this evening
+to talk over a cattle deal? We were hurrying home, trying to make it on
+time--”
+
+“Teddy, I think we’d better rest Flash a bit,” Roy interrupted hastily.
+“Which way is your camp? If it isn’t too much trouble--”
+
+“None at all,” Mob declared. “Guess you can pay for what you eat.”
+
+Teddy and Roy stared at him in surprise, and Jerry Lefton made haste to
+put in:
+
+“He was just fooling. We’ll be glad to have you. Over this way ’bout a
+mile. Guess your bronc can make that all right.”
+
+“Sure,” Teddy answered. “He’s not hurt badly.” A question was trembling
+on his lips, but, noticing Roy’s face, he refrained from asking it.
+“Those wolves will wander away soon,” the boy substituted. “I don’t
+reckon they’ll hang around here.”
+
+“Not long,” Bill Lefton, he with the wart on his nose, added. “They
+travel where there’s the most chance for food. Say, your range is near
+here, isn’t it? Hope your cattle stay bunched. I pity the cow that
+walks alone with that pack around.”
+
+“They’ll bunch,” Teddy declared shortly. “We don’t aim to have any of
+’em injured, or taken.”
+
+Bill Lefton looked at him quickly, but Teddy’s head was turned away. He
+seemed to be intent on some object down the gully.
+
+The five riders swung about, and, led by Mob Jamisson, made their way
+slowly along the steep side of the ravine. After a short journey they
+turned sharp right, and ascended.
+
+During the ride Teddy had an opportunity to study his companions.
+The Lefton boys he had met several times before, and a more intimate
+acquaintance had not increased his liking for them. He realized, of
+course, that they had earned the gratitude of himself and Roy. But he
+could not free his mind from a vague distrust of them.
+
+This Mob Jamisson, now--Teddy had never seen before, but he had heard
+of him. Among the cattle ranches his reputation was none too savory.
+There were certain incidents of strange marking of cows, of selling
+diseased stock, in which his name had figured. Nothing definite, but
+in the West a rumor of that sort usually has some basis in fact. Teddy
+wondered how the Lefton brothers had met him. Then he recalled that
+they were new to this section, and, like as not, had run across him
+accidently. It seemed well to give them the benefit of the doubt.
+
+Whatever had been Roy’s motive in accepting the invitation to visit
+the Lefton camp was not brought out as they rode along. The talk was
+purely general--of weather conditions, of the possibility of the wolves
+returning. All agreed that it would be a good thing to chase the beasts
+out of that region as soon as possible. They were a constant menace to
+man and cattle.
+
+The conversation that followed continued until the camp was reached,
+and as they sighted the three pup tents, darkness was fast approaching.
+
+“We’ve been making this our headquarters for a while,” Jerry Lefton
+explained, as he saw the look of surprise on the faces of Teddy and
+Roy. “You see, Bill and I may locate here permanently, and we wanted
+to get a look at the country.”
+
+Even this, thought Roy, was scarcely a reason for staying out on
+the prairie when much more comfortable accommodations could be had
+at Eagles. But he kept his thoughts to himself and accepted the
+explanation at its face value.
+
+“Better let me look at yore bronc’s laig,” Mob Jamisson suggested. He
+dismounted, as did the others, and raised Flash’s front foot. The horse
+shied slightly, but when Teddy put a hand on his neck he stood quietly.
+“She’s sprained, but not bad,” Mob pronounced. “Won’t hurt to ride him.
+Fact is, it’ll keep it from gettin’ stiff.”
+
+“That’s how I figured,” Teddy answered. “So I reckon we’d better be
+getting along home. I guess we won’t have any more trouble with the
+wolves.”
+
+“Stay and have some grub with us,” Jerry said loudly. “You’ll miss your
+supper anyhow, and there’s no sense ridin’ on an empty stomach. What
+say?”
+
+“I guess we’d better--” Teddy began, when Roy interrupted.
+
+“Sure we’ll stay! I’m hungry, I don’t mind saying. If you like, we’ll
+pay you for whatever we eat.”
+
+“Certainly not!” Bill Lefton said angrily. “Mob was joking when he
+said that. Weren’t you, Mob?”
+
+“Um--suppose so,” Mob answered ungraciously. “Great little joker, me.
+Sit down boys, an’ fill up.”
+
+While Jerry started a fire, Mob and Bill “rustled” the food. When
+twilight made its farewell bow, the bacon and beans were sizzling over
+the flames. The boys had no fear that they were causing worry at home
+by staying on the range longer than they had expected to. Early that
+afternoon they had started riding fence, and they knew Mr. Manley would
+realize that something had occurred to delay them. He was confident of
+their ability to take care of themselves under all circumstances; they
+had proved that, many times. And whatever fears Mrs. Manley had for
+them she kept to herself. Never would she let them see that she worried
+when they were unaccountably absent. Long ago she had determined
+that the best way to bring up her sons was to make them independent,
+self-reliant. She knew that continual expressions of worry would only
+hinder their growth into what she wanted them to be--true men, sons of
+the West. They never realized that she had spent many sleepless nights
+wondering, praying for their safety when they were from home on a
+mission of danger. She wished them to be brave, and she, herself, held
+forth the shining example. What she was, her sons would be.
+
+The meal at the Lefton camp was soon concluded. No mention was made
+of buying or selling cattle, although Teddy several times suggested
+that the round-up was soon to take place and that his father expected
+several buyers from the East. Each time either Jerry or Bill Lefton
+changed the subject rather hurriedly, and when Teddy and Roy arose to
+start their journey home both realized that it was practically useless
+to count on these brothers to take any of their cattle.
+
+They remounted, and turned their broncos, homeward.
+
+“Yore horse all right now?” Mob inquired, motioning with his head
+toward Flash’s leg.
+
+“Sure! O.K.,” Teddy replied. “He’ll step lively on the way to the
+ranch. Thanks, again, for all you’ve done for us. If ever we get the
+chance, we’ll repay you.”
+
+“Don’t reckon you’ll get the chance,” Jerry answered, a bit gruffly.
+“We’d do that for anybody. So long!”
+
+“So long! Much obliged!”
+
+The boys rode out of the circle of the firelight.
+
+The three men were standing, watching them depart. Soon they were
+swallowed up in the moonless night.
+
+Silently the lads rode, for fully five minutes, and then Teddy said:
+
+“Get what you went after, Roy?”
+
+“Huh? What I--oh! Yep, I did. I found out one thing--they’re not cattle
+buyers. It may have seemed foolish to hang around when we should have
+started home, but I figured we might as well learn all we could about
+the Lefton brothers. And I learned enough.”
+
+“Yea?”
+
+“I learned, for one thing, that they did not intend to go to the X Bar
+X to-night to keep their appointment with dad. They’d rather drop in
+unexpectedly, it seems.”
+
+Another period of silence. Then:
+
+“It was lucky they showed up when they did. We’ve got that to thank
+them for,” said Teddy.
+
+Roy nodded.
+
+“Check! Well, if we get the chance, we’ll wipe the slate clean. I don’t
+like to be in their debt. Something tells me we may have to put them on
+the other side of the books soon.”
+
+Teddy was about to question this enigmatical statement when Roy
+suddenly uttered an exclamation.
+
+“Hang the luck, my knife’s gone! I must have dropped it out of my
+pocket when we were sitting around the fire. Snakes! I hate to lose
+that. It was the one dad gave me for my birthday last year--silver
+mounted, you know. Say, I’m going back for it. You wait here. Soon as
+I get it I’ll shoot back. No use both going--and Flash has a sore leg.
+You stick right by this bush. I won’t be a minute.”
+
+“Wait! I might as well go along! Flash is all right. He’s--”
+
+But Roy had started. Teddy shook his head and prepared to wait as he
+had been told to do.
+
+“Funny brother I got,” he murmured. “He can’t tell me he didn’t drop
+that knife on purpose. He should have been a detective.” Then he
+chuckled. “Wonder what sort of story he’ll have when he gets back?”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER IV
+
+                                OVERHEARD
+
+When Roy Manley left Teddy alone by the bush and went through the night
+toward the camp he had just left, two thoughts were paramount in his
+mind. One was that he hated to trick his brother with the knife story.
+The other was that Mob Jamisson had not met the Lefton boys accidentally.
+
+As to the first, he had no need to give himself concern. Teddy had not
+been fooled. He knew, he was sure, that the tale of the lost knife had
+been only a ruse to allow Roy to return without being laughed at if his
+efforts at spying bore no fruit. And as to the second thought, it was
+based on sound reasoning.
+
+A man who has just become acquainted with another does not pitch camp
+with him on the prairie unless they agree to be partners in some sort
+of enterprise. Hence the three pup tents indicated one thing--that the
+two Lefton boys and Mob Jamisson had joined forces. For what purpose
+Roy could not even speculate, but he was satisfied that it had nothing
+to do with Sunday-school--not with Jamisson having a hand in it.
+
+By this time Roy could see the red haze of the campfire, and he
+dismounted and led Star forward. He felt uneasy at repaying the
+hospitality of his hosts with such a questionable procedure, but,
+telling himself that the end justified the means, he went on.
+
+Star, he knew, would be as silent as himself, and he had no fear of
+discovery until he chose to show himself. If, by chance, they did find
+him out, he could always claim that he had returned after the lost
+knife.
+
+As to the exact reason of this night sally, Roy was not even certain
+himself. It was on impulse that he decided that this was the one time
+to learn as much as possible about the Lefton brothers.
+
+Why had they asked all those questions of the X Bar X hands when they
+did not intend to buy cattle? And surely it was plain now that all
+thought of purchasing cows had departed from their minds, if, indeed,
+they had ever held such thoughts.
+
+When they had first come to the X Bar X, they purposely gave the
+impression that they were cattle buyers. Why? It seemed now to Roy that
+they had never had any real intention of entering into negotiations.
+If they had meant actually to buy cattle, why had they dropped the
+project, even before terms were mentioned?
+
+Thus it seemed to Roy that his conduct now was perfectly logical.
+He knew that Teddy would scoff at the idea of spying on the Leftons
+and attempt to dissuade him from his purpose. But Roy, romantically
+inclined, saw things in a different light. He determined to play the
+part of investigator.
+
+The low tones of the three men reached him as he drew nearer the camp.
+As yet he could not distinguish words, but placing his hand over Star’s
+nose to avoid any possibility of discovery he walked quietly closer.
+
+He saw that Mob Jamisson sat with his back toward him and that the
+other two faced Mob. Jerry was talking in excited tones.
+
+“--easily six hundred head,” he was saying. “Fine, splendid cattle!
+Healthy! I tell you that you people out here don’t realize what it
+means to have cattle like that.”
+
+“But how?” Bill questioned. “The cars--”
+
+“Getting cars would be a cinch! Nothing to it! Why, it’s only an eight
+mile run, you know.”
+
+“That’s a fact!” Mob broke in. “Eight miles isn’t far. The old Jarmey
+place--”
+
+“Wait!” Bill raised his hand. “I heard something. If it’s--You! What
+the mischief--”
+
+“I dropped my knife,” Roy answered steadily, moving closer to the fire.
+His hands hung at his sides, limp, innocent of weapon. “Just rode up
+this second. See it around here, any of you? Silver, with my initials
+on it.”
+
+“You just rode up, you said?” Mob demanded springing up and striding
+forward. “How comes we didn’t hear you, hey? First thing we know you’re
+on top of us. You’ve been listening--”
+
+“What difference does it make?” Roy asked calmly.
+
+“What? Say, you--”
+
+“I said, what difference does it make how I came up? I tell you I lost
+my knife and came back for it. Why all the argument? What’s wrong about
+losing a knife? The way you talk you’d think I’d overheard something I
+should not have. What do you think I am, anyhow?”
+
+“He’s right, Mob,” Jerry said quickly. “You must be pretty nervous
+to-night. I can’t figure out why you’re making such a fuss myself. Go
+ahead, look for the knife, Manley. We’ll help.”
+
+Mob Jamisson, realizing that he was beaten, subsided. He looked at Roy
+intently. Just how much of their conversation had the boy heard? He
+could not ask without indicating that there was something he wished to
+keep secret.
+
+As Roy bent over the ground, Mob’s hand fell to his gun--then came
+slowly away. He had seen the firelight glitter on metal at Roy’s
+side--and guns in holsters do not reflect light. Chin in hand, he stood
+contemplating the youth.
+
+“Got it!” Roy exclaimed suddenly, and straightened. He held an object
+in his hand. “Found it hidden under a stick. Lucky, hey?”
+
+“It is lucky,” Bill said quietly. “It would have been too bad for you
+to come all the way back and then not find the knife.”
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick it would!” Roy answered easily. If the Lefton
+brothers had expected him to show embarrassment at the pointed
+statement he was disappointed. “Well, I’ll be getting along. Thanks for
+helping me.”
+
+“Sure you got everything now?” Mob asked truculently. “Yore hat? Belt?
+Ain’t lost yore pants, have you?”
+
+“Don’t think so,” Roy answered seriously. “Nope, I’m sure I haven’t.
+But thanks for asking. Hold still now, bronc, while I climb up. Right.
+So long!”
+
+There was no reply. Chuckling, Roy rode off into the night.
+
+He found Teddy easily, and together the two boys started homeward.
+After some moments Teddy inquired:
+
+“Find it, Roy?”
+
+“Uh-huh.”
+
+Silence, except for the hoof-beats of their mounts. Then, Teddy:
+
+“Nice night, isn’t it?”
+
+“Wonderful!”
+
+“See here, you secretive bronco-buster, if you think I’m going to ask
+all sorts of silly questions--”
+
+“All right, laddy!” Roy burst out laughing. “All I needed was coaxing.
+Now you tend to your knitting and I’ll tell you the story of my journey
+to Walla-Walla land. I arrived all safe and sound, and stood on the
+door-step a moment before ringing the bell. Voices came to me from an
+open window.” Suddenly he became serious. “Teddy, what has the Jarmey
+place got to do with autos? Are there any cars kept there?”
+
+“Cars? Not that I know of. Unless you mean freight cars. There’s a
+siding near there, you know.”
+
+“Freight cars! Golly, I never thought of that! Cars! Well, yes, they
+might be freight cars. Anyway, that’s what the voices were talking
+about. Cars and the Jarmey place and something about an eight mile run.
+And--oh, yes, cattle. Six hundred head.”
+
+“Who said that?”
+
+“Jerry Lefton. Can you figure out what he may have meant?”
+
+“Not me. We’ll see what dad has to say about it. Got your badge on?”
+
+“What badge?”
+
+“Detective.”
+
+Roy chuckled and urged his pony on.
+
+As they rode into the ranch yard, past the bunkhouse, Nick Looker
+called to them:
+
+“You fellers must have been puttin’ up a new fence.” He came closer,
+and they waited for him. “What happened to Flash? Fall?”
+
+“Not quite,” Teddy answered. “He stuck his leg in a hole at a very
+embarrassing moment. We almost had supper with a pack of wolves.”
+
+“Wha-a-a-at?”
+
+“Fact! We met a whole gang of ’em. You and Gus had better do a little
+hunting in the morning.” And the story was told.
+
+Nick expressed his surprise that the animals should be in this region,
+and promised to see that they were driven out. When he heard about the
+Leftons’ part in the affair he nodded sagely.
+
+“Thought they might be around here somewhere. With Mob Jamisson, hey?
+Better tell the boss. He’ll be interested.”
+
+Of all the cowboys on the X Bar X Ranch Teddy and Roy liked Nick Looker
+as well as anyone. Nick was generous to the core, as had been evinced
+when he had inherited quite a sum from an uncle and had promptly helped
+one cowboy out of a financial hole, squared up with another for losing
+his six hundred dollars, and then aided some distant relatives who
+suddenly came to light and proved to be poor. And on top of all this
+he had distributed some of the cash between his bunkhouse friends not
+by giving it to them direct but by pretending to lose to them at cards.
+
+Mr. Manley was not quite so interested as Teddy and Roy thought he
+would be, even after hearing of the remarks about “six hundred head”
+and “Jarmey’s place,” and “cars.”
+
+“Just talk, I reckon,” he declared. He pulled the ends of his long
+black mustache and looked at his sons quizzically. “No need to tell
+mother about the wolves. She’s got enough to think about.”
+
+“But, Dad,” Teddy persisted, “what do you make of the Lefton brothers?”
+
+“Don’t make anything. I’m certain that they don’t want to buy our
+cattle, for all their questions, an’ that’s all that interests me.
+Let’s go in.” They had been standing on the porch of the ranch house.
+“See Nick when you came by?”
+
+“Yes, he’s over at the bunkhouse. Come on, Teddy, we’ll say hello to
+mother. Guess my detective work went for nothing; hey, Dad?”
+
+Mr. Manley laughed and placed a hand on his son’s shoulders. He was
+tall, this ranch owner, with a pair of eyes that were as keen as the
+day he rode the ranges as a puncher. “You stick to it, Roy. Never mind
+what Teddy says. I suppose he laughed at you for sneaking back for
+your knife?”
+
+“I did at first, Dad. But not when Roy told me what he had heard,”
+Teddy answered seriously. “I’ll bet that meant something--about the
+cars and the rest of it. But I reckon you know best.”
+
+“We won’t say anything to mother about the wolves. We’re glad enough to
+forget ’em,” added Roy.
+
+“So it was that close, eh?” Mr. Manley looked at his sons keenly. They
+had not told him exactly how near they had been to death, not wanting
+to seem important. Their father guessed, however, what they left out.
+
+“Pretty close, Dad,” Roy answered in a low voice. “We have the Lefton
+brothers and Mob Jamisson to thank that we’re here.”
+
+Mr. Manley drew a corncob pipe from his pocket and filled it. He lit it
+and exhaled a cloud of smoke before he spoke.
+
+“I’d rather see wolves on four feet than on two,” he said slowly. Then,
+raising his voice: “Belle Ada wants to visit at the 8 X 8 to-morrow.
+You two go along with her. See you later.” He strode down the steps and
+walked toward the bunkhouse. Teddy, watching him go, grinned.
+
+“Dad is getting your habit, Roy. I’d like to know just how much he
+does think of that conversation you heard. Two-legged wolves! Well,
+the more we learn the less we know. Come in, my child, your bed-time
+approaches. Oh-h-h, snakes, but I’m sleepy!”
+
+Stretching high, he kicked open the door and entered the house.
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAPTER V
+
+                           HORTENSE RUNS WILD
+
+
+When the Manley boys came down to breakfast the next morning they found
+their mother waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. Her soft blue
+eyes, her blond hair, with never a streak of gray in it, her pretty,
+unlined face, would make one doubt that she could have two such large
+boys as Teddy and Roy for sons.
+
+“Good morning, night-hawks,” she gaily greeted and kissed them. “I
+suppose I’m not to know what kept you out until all hours? Last evening
+you said hello and good-night to me. No, never mind. We have corn bread
+and bacon for breakfast. Mrs. Moore made it especially for you. Did
+your father tell you where you were going to-day?”
+
+“You mean to the 8 X 8 with Belle?” Teddy asked.
+
+“That’s right. I hope Curly and Nell are there.”
+
+“Why? Have they gone back to the city?” Roy opened his eyes wide.
+
+“No, Roy, they haven’t,” Mrs. Manley laughed. “You rose to the bait
+splendidly, however. I’m sure you’ll see them.”
+
+“Don’t worry about that, Mom,” a girl’s voice called from the next
+room. “Think they’d visit the 8 X 8 without seeing Nell and Ethel?”
+
+“Come out here, Miss Manley, and say that,” Teddy laughed, blushing.
+“It’s a good thing a wall is between us.”
+
+“Oh, is it?” Belle Ada, her face wreathed in a grin, came to the door.
+“Mother, protect me! Now how about it, Mr. Smarty?”
+
+“Get to the left of her, Teddy,” Roy said in a loud whisper. “I’ll take
+the other side. Now!”
+
+“Let go my hair! Moth-er! They’re spoiling my--my coiffure!”
+
+“Your what?” Teddy demanded, halted in his tracks. “Say that again!”
+
+“Coiffure!”
+
+“Where’s that book?” Roy shouted, making a dive into the room Belle had
+just left. He reappeared in a moment, holding a volume in his hands.
+“Look at this, Teddy! ‘Lady Gwendemere’s Secret!’ Oh, boy! So that’s
+where you get your big words from, sister mine? Let’s see--” He opened
+the book. “There was a moment of silence as Lord Morleigh raised his
+glass. Then, in a voice fraught with passion, he cried: ‘To the fairest
+woman in the world! A jewel incomparable! May she--’”
+
+“Give me that book, Roy Manley!” Belle, her face aflame, snatched it
+from him. “Don’t you go snooping into my affairs! I guess I can read
+what books I want to.”
+
+“Within limits, my dear,” Mrs. Manley corrected, and smiled. “It
+wouldn’t do for you to feed on too much silly fiction, you know.
+Upstairs I have a volume containing essays by famous writers.” Mrs.
+Manley had been a school teacher before her marriage. “Suppose you get
+that and read it for a while?”
+
+“Yes, Mother,” Belle said dutifully, and started for the stairs. Then,
+with an expressive grimace, she shook her fist at Roy. “I’ll fix you
+for that, Roy Manley!” she threatened in a vibrant whisper. “You’ll see!”
+
+“Better get some of that corn bread, quick,” Teddy laughed, as he
+started toward the breakfast room. “You’ll need it, when Belle has
+decided what form her revenge will take!”
+
+The meal was soon concluded, and the boys made ready for their trip.
+They were to go in one of the ranch cars, although Belle wanted to ride
+her pony. But due to the fact that she would have to take a bag with
+her, Mr. Manley said the auto would be more convenient. Perhaps he
+did not care to have his daughter take the long ride to the 8 X 8 with
+wolves in the vicinity.
+
+“You can borrow a pony from Mr. Ball,” he told her. “The weather looks
+a bit uncertain, an’ I don’t want you to get caught in a storm. Yes, I
+think you’d better take the car.”
+
+By nine o’clock the young folks were on the road. Life on a ranch
+begins at seven in the morning, and to a cowboy anything between nine
+and twelve is the “forenoon.”
+
+To all outward appearances, Belle had forgotten the debt she owed
+Roy. But Teddy noticed her staring frequently at his brother with a
+speculative look in her eye.
+
+“She’ll make him pay somehow,” he chuckled to himself. “I hope she
+doesn’t include me in her plan of vengeance.”
+
+They reached the 8 X 8 a little after twelve. They were compelled to
+drive slowly on account of the condition of the roads, and arrived at
+the Peter Ball ranch later than they had expected. Nell Willis and
+Ethel, or “Curly,” Carew, who had been informed of their coming, were
+sitting on the porch as they drove up. These two girls were nieces of
+Peter Ball. Their home was in New York, and they had been staying with
+their uncle while their parents were traveling in Europe.
+
+“Greetings, voyagers!” Ethel called out, and ran to meet them. “How’s
+the sacred chariot running?”
+
+“Great!” Teddy answered. “Hitting on all thirteen. Hello, Nell--here’s
+Roy.”
+
+“I see him,” Nell laughed. “Belle, these brothers of yours haven’t
+changed much, have they?”
+
+“Well--” Belle considered. “Teddy is about the same. But Roy, you see,
+he’s--Oh, excuse me, Roy, I almost forgot. It nearly slipped out.”
+
+“What’s all this?” Ethel answered curiously. “Nell, here’s something we
+must look into!”
+
+“It’s nothing. She’s only kidding,” Roy declared, his face red. “She’s
+getting back at me for finding her book at home this morning.”
+
+“Finding my book at home--that’s right,” Belle said demurely. “Come,
+boys, take your little sister’s bag into the house. What are you
+blushing about, Roy?”
+
+“I’m not blushing,” Roy retorted furiously, and quite inaccurately.
+“Don’t pay any attention to her, Nell.”
+
+“But, Roy, there’s really no need of your getting flustered,” Belle
+said seriously, looking up into his face. “I didn’t tell--what I wasn’t
+supposed to--did I?” she finished in a thrilling whisper.
+
+“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Roy said, turning his head
+away. “Hand me that bag, will you, Teddy?”
+
+“Sure,” Teddy answered, grinning. “Methinks your sins are finding you
+out, young man!”
+
+“But what _is_ all this about?” Ethel demanded. “Roy, have you been up
+to tricks?”
+
+“No, I haven’t! I told you Belle is only getting even! All right, go
+ahead, have your fun. Some day you’ll--” he was walking rapidly up the
+steps with the bag and the rest of the sentence was lost.
+
+“I guess we’re square now,” said Belle, chuckling gleefully. “Poor Roy!
+He gets excited so easily! Teddy, you go and console him. He’ll set
+fire to the house with that face of his.”
+
+A hail from across the path caused Teddy to abandon his intention of
+following Roy into the house. Bug Eye, grinning from ear to ear, stood
+waving at him.
+
+Bug Eye had always been a character and was getting more and more so
+every day. Ordinarily he was a cow puncher; but he drove Mr. Ball’s
+auto and spent all of his odd hours in inventing things or in improving
+his mind--so he said.
+
+“Go see what he wants,” Nell suggested. “He’s been pestering us for two
+days wanting to know just when you were coming over. I think he has
+something he wants to show you.”
+
+Teddy answered the call, and walked over to the young puncher just as
+Roy came down the steps.
+
+“Howdy, Bug Eye!” Roy shouted, as he saw his friend. “What’s the news?”
+
+“Nothing much,” Bug Eye answered, and, stepping forward, he grasped a
+hand of each of the boys. “Long time since you visited us, ain’t it?”
+
+“Been kind of busy. Near round-up time, you know,” Teddy replied. “But
+what happened to you? Every day I expected to see that old flivver of
+yours come rolling in. Where have you been?”
+
+“Workin’,” Bug Eye said mysteriously. “On a new invention.”
+
+Teddy looked significantly at Roy.
+
+“What sort of an invention, Bug Eye--perpetual motion?”
+
+“Nope--tain’t that. Though some day I’m gonna work on that. This here
+is a machine for cuttin’ grass all by itself!”
+
+“Cutting grass!” Roy exploded. “But where under the sun is any grass
+you can cut around here? Not counting on--”
+
+“It ain’t fer use here,” Bug Eye interrupted pompously. “This is for
+importation. You wait here. I’ll show you.”
+
+While Teddy and Roy stood in mute expectation, Bug Eye disappeared
+within the bunkhouse, to reappear in a moment dragging something heavy
+behind him.
+
+“Give us a hand,” he panted. “I had it hid behind the door. Golly,
+she’s some heavy! Pull, now! Here she comes! Look out!”
+
+In obedience to a strong tug, a strange and fearsome contraption rolled
+out of the doorway, rumbling as it came. Four wheels were mounted on
+what had once been the square top of a table. Set in the center of
+the table top was a gasoline motor from a flivver. This motor had two
+flywheels, each with a belt, one to drive the machine along the ground
+by turning the rear wheels, and one to cause a series of long knives
+beneath the table top to revolve.
+
+“There she is!” Bug Eye said proudly. “The wonder of the age! What do
+you think of her?”
+
+“Well,” Roy began, looking at “her” dubiously, “I can’t tell just yet.
+Will it grind coffee?”
+
+“Can’t say--never tried her out for that,” Bug Eye replied seriously.
+Then his face brightened. “But I’ll bet she would, at that! Now I’ll
+show you how she works. Let’s see--we’ll run her across the yard an’
+back for a starter.”
+
+“Where do you sit to drive it?” Teddy inquired curiously.
+
+“Who, me? I don’t sit no place! That’s the beauty of it--she drives
+herself! Goes along, cuttin’ the grass, then when she gets to the end
+of the yard she turns an’ comes back. Wish we had some grass to cut,
+but you’ll get the general idea. First I gotta prime ’er.”
+
+Holding an oil can in his hand, he bent over the motor.
+
+“What’s that you have there?” Teddy asked.
+
+“Gas. She runs on kerosene the rest of the time. Economical, hey?”
+
+He squirted gasoline liberally over the motor, and enough of it
+evidently reached the petcocks, for in a moment he laid the can aside
+and busied himself with the numerous levers set in the side of the
+machine.
+
+“Now she’s ready!” he proclaimed, straightening. “Just stand aside, for
+we don’t want no accidents to happen. When Hortense gets goin’ she just
+naturally mows down everything within reach.”
+
+“That’s our cue to move,” Roy muttered. “All right, Bug Eye, let ’er
+rip!”
+
+The puncher seized the larger flywheel and swung it over. The motor
+coughed twice, then was silent. Once more he turned the wheel.
+
+The machine awoke with a sullen roar. Bug Eye had not thought to put a
+muffler on it, and the sounds of its resurrection could be heard for at
+least a mile. Then, slowly, ponderously, it started to move.
+
+“Yip-ee! Watch her go! Step on it, Hortense! Show ’em what yo’re made
+of!”
+
+The machine seemed to take Bug Eye at his word. There was a sudden
+shriek of metal upon metal, and some part of the contraption went
+sailing into the air. As though Hortense had gotten rid of something
+that had been bothering her for years, she took a new lease on life
+with this eruption. Her wheels--all of them--spun rapidly around. The
+knives underneath whirred and flashed. Like a being with a single,
+definite purpose in view, she leaped across the yard.
+
+“Her reverse is busted!” Bug Eye yelled. “She won’t turn now! Snakes, I
+can’t stop her! Watch out!”
+
+With a metallic bellow, Hortense continued on her wild career.
+Suddenly, midway on her journey, her front wheels turned and she swung
+to the left. As she plunged along Teddy gave a cry.
+
+Hortense was headed directly for Mrs. Ball’s favorite bed of lilies!
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER VI
+
+                         MR. PETERSON’S FORFEIT
+
+
+“Good-bye, flowers!” shouted Teddy Manley, and ran closer to the scene
+of impending disaster with a vague notion of doing something to stop
+the onrushing monster. But as he took another look at the murderous
+knives, he slowed up and halted. It was hopeless even to think of
+causing Hortense to hesitate.
+
+Mrs. Ball, attracted by the noise, rushed out to the porch, followed
+by the three girls. When she saw the machine bearing down upon her
+precious lilies, she let out a shriek of dismay.
+
+“Stop it, somebody! Stop it! My flowers!”
+
+“Might as well try to stop a herd of wild elephants!” Roy yelled. “Bug
+Eye, can’t you--” he turned toward the puncher. To his surprise Bug Eye
+had vanished.
+
+“Where in thunder is that bucker?” he called. “Bug Eye! Come out here!”
+
+By this time Hortense had approached to within ten feet of the flower
+bed. Mrs. Ball leaned over the railing, calling frantically for someone
+to do something.
+
+“My lilies! My lovely lilies,” she groaned. “Can’t you stop that thing?
+Bug Eye! Where--”
+
+“Comin’, ma’am!”
+
+Teddy and Roy swung around toward the bunkhouse. They saw a figure
+burst through the door, arms waving. It was the missing puncher.
+
+“I’ll stop her or bust!” he exclaimed. “Get ready, boys. You gotta’
+help me pull!”
+
+Then they saw the reason of his haste. In his hand he held a lariat,
+and as he ran he began whirling it about his head.
+
+“Yip-ee! Go get him!” Teddy shouted, and sprang after Bug Eye. “Rope
+’er, cowboy!”
+
+Faster and faster spun the rope. Now it was making a perfect circle
+over the running punchers.
+
+“Toss it! Be too late in a second!” Roy exclaimed.
+
+But Bug Eye knew his business. Just at the moment when Hortense was
+about to fall upon the flowers and grind them under her flashing
+knives, the bucker threw. Like a striking rattlesnake the rope snapped
+forward, and the loop settled hungrily full about the raised motor.
+
+“Yay! He made it! Grab hold, Roy! Yank!”
+
+Yank they did. Three pair of well-muscled arms seized the rope and
+pulled.
+
+The lariat jerked taut. Hortense, on the very edge of the flower bed,
+was halted. She seemed to pause uncertainly, as though an unwelcome
+stranger had tapped her on the shoulder. Then, with a protesting roar,
+she reared on her hind wheels and fell over backwards.
+
+“Yow! Hog tie her, Bug Eye! Three seconds flat! That’s first prize,
+sure!”
+
+Like some giant bug, Hortense lay on her back with her wheels
+spinning madly. Her roar gradually sank lower and lower. She coughed
+once--twice, trembled in the throes of a death struggle, and yielded up
+the ghost. The flowers were saved.
+
+Bug Eye, his face drawn into lines of despair, contemplated the wrecked
+machine. Then he sighed.
+
+“She’s done for,” he said sadly. “Poor Hortense! Just temperament,
+that’s all ailed her!”
+
+“Just--just--” Roy stuttered, and choked. “She was only eccentric, Bug
+Eye! That’s all! Poor--”
+
+“Bug Eye Wilson, come here!”
+
+Mrs. Ball, her head thrust forward, stood on the steps. “Come here to
+me!”
+
+“Yes, ma’am,” and Bug Eye, sighing profoundly, walked meekly forward.
+As he passed the still form of his beloved Hortense, with the rope,
+like a long, thin tail, still hanging from her, he shook his head and
+muttered:
+
+“You weren’t long for this world, old girl! Motor busted clean off the
+chassis. Well--”
+
+“Bug Eye, what do you mean by sending that engine of destruction on to
+my flower bed?”
+
+“I didn’t go for to send it on to the flower bed, ma’am,” Bug Eye
+answered gently. “That was her own doin’s. I aimed her across the yard,
+an’ the rest she did herself. Reckon she got tired of the straight an’
+narrow.”
+
+Speechless, Mrs. Ball stared at him. Then with a
+what-can-you-do-with-a-man-like-that gesture of her hands, she turned
+and entered the house.
+
+The girls, who had stood watching the scene, let out peals of laughter.
+The woebegone expression on Bug Eye’s face changed not a bit as he
+rested a hand on one of Hortense’s wheels. To think that he, himself,
+had been the cause of his beloved’s untimely decease was an added
+reason for sadness.
+
+“Cheer up, Bug Eye. You may be able to fix her,” Teddy called,
+struggling hard against laughter.
+
+“Nope--she’ll never be the same,” the puncher sighed. “Her life is
+finished. But I sure saved the lilies, didn’t I?” he added in a
+brighter tone.
+
+“You certainly did,” Roy agreed. “I never saw a neater exhibition of
+roping in my life. Think he ought to get a prize, girls?” he called to
+Belle and her friends.
+
+“He should--and I’ll see that he does!” Nell promised. “If I have to
+bake it myself. Which do you like, Bug Eye--apple or lemon?”
+
+“Huh? Oh, that’s all right. I’m used to tough breaks. Don’t worry about
+me. Maybe it’s better off this way, anyhow.”
+
+“He’s still thinking about Hortense,” Ethel whispered to Nell. “He was
+so anxious to show Teddy and Roy how it worked, and the first time he
+took it out it smashed. Let’s go in and leave him to his dead darling!”
+
+Bug Eye, with the help of Teddy and Roy, at last carted the remains
+away. And before they had decently disposed of her behind the bunkhouse
+Bug Eye was aflame with a new idea--a way to utilize the parts for
+which Hortense had no more use.
+
+“Off with the old love--on with the new!” Teddy laughed. “What’s this
+one to be, Bug Eye?”
+
+“I’m not sure yet,” the puncher answered musingly. “Maybe a fire
+extinguisher. Maybe--well, anything. But I know one thing! It won’t
+have no way to move about!”
+
+Teddy and Roy, with faces that were prone to grin suddenly when some
+incident of the runaway Hortense was recalled, wandered about the yard,
+leaving Bug Eye to his thoughts. They had decided to start back in an
+hour or so, in order to be at the X Bar X for supper. Anxious as they
+were to prolong their visit, so that they might talk to Nell and Ethel,
+they knew there was plenty to be done at home. Round-up season is a
+busy time for all.
+
+Soon after dinner they said good-bye to the girls and started. The ride
+home was uneventful, and they reached the ranch at four-thirty. As they
+drove the flivver into the yard they saw that their father was talking
+to a stranger down by the corral. When they had put the car away he
+called them over.
+
+“Boys, this is Mr. Peterson,” he said. “These are my two sons, Mr.
+Peterson--Teddy and Roy.”
+
+“Howdy!” the stranger greeted them. He offered his hand. The boys
+thought they had never shaken hands with a man who seemed so lacking in
+muscle. The hand was soft and flabby and limp.
+
+Mr. Peterson was short, but not plump. Somehow, he appeared
+unsubstantial, as though even a fair punch could knock him over.
+Neither Teddy nor Roy realized that they were thinking of punching in
+connection with Mr. Peterson.
+
+“He wants some of our dogies,” Mr. Manley continued. “Six hundred head,
+I think you said?”
+
+Roy started, as if the figure brought some thought to his memory.
+
+“Six hundred--that’s right,” Peterson replied. His voice was like his
+manner, querulous, overbearing. “Of the best you got.”
+
+“Don’t worry about that. What you pay for, you get,” Mr. Manley
+declared shortly. Teddy got the impression that he shared their dislike
+of the man. But business knows no likes or fancies.
+
+“There’s one condition, but don’t suppose it makes much difference to
+you,” Peterson said. “The firm I work for is in the habit of requiring
+the seller to post a forfeit, so we’ll sure get the cattle we bargain
+for. Just a matter of form--but the firm demands it. That’s all right
+with you, isn’t it?”
+
+“A forfeit?” Mr. Manley turned toward the boys. “Ever hear of that
+bein’ done before, Roy?”
+
+“Once in a while,” Roy answered. He looked at his father queerly. Why
+had he asked him a question the answer of which he must have known
+himself?
+
+“Once in a while, hey? Well, Mr. Peterson, I guess we can accommodate
+you. How much do you need?”
+
+“Five hundred,” Peterson declared. “You can put it in the bank at
+Eagles. Now that that’s settled, I’ll pay my deposit, just to make
+matters shipshape. Here’s five hundred on our part. That enough?”
+
+“Plenty. In fact, it isn’t necessary,” Mr. Manley said. “We do a great
+deal of business on trust out here. But you’re the doctor.” He thrust
+the roll of bills into his pocket. “Now where and when do you want
+these cattle shipped?”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER VII
+
+                             POP WAXES WROTH
+
+
+Peterson passed his hand over his chin as though he were thinking up
+the answer to this last question. But his hesitation was too obvious to
+be real. Roy knew he had made his choice long ago.
+
+“Know where Red Rock is?” he asked finally.
+
+“Sure,” replied Mr. Manley. “Jump-off place. Tracks run upgrade there.
+Pretty high, where the station is. Why?”
+
+“Thinkin’ I’d like the cattle delivered there. Railroad gave me an
+option on some box cars that are restin’ on a siding at Red Rock. Might
+as well use them--save money in the end. Well?”
+
+“You mean you’d rather have the cattle driven there instead of to
+Eagles?” Teddy interrupted.
+
+“That’s it. If they went to Eagles they’d have to go by the regular
+route. You get the idea?”
+
+“Partly--partly.” Mr. Manley hitched his belt up and glanced about
+him. “Reckon your price entitles you to have ’em driven where you want
+’em, within reason. Teddy, just get my account book, will you? It’s in
+the top drawer of my desk. I want to put this all down.”
+
+“That’s the way I like to do business,” Peterson declared a trifle
+importantly. “Have everything in black an’ white. I been in this game
+now for eleven years, an’ I never lost nothin’ yet by puttin’ it on
+paper.”
+
+Then, as Teddy returned with the notebook, he began to tell the items
+off on his fingers:
+
+“First, I gave you five hundred dollars deposit. Second, you agreed
+to post a five hundred dollar forfeit, to become mine in case of
+non-delivery. Third, six hundred head of your best cattle. Fourth,
+they’re to be delivered at Red Rock. I’ll let you know the exact time
+later.”
+
+“An’ fifth, it looks a mite like rain,” Mr. Manley drawled, closing his
+book. “All right, Mr. Peter Peterson. I’ll see that your orders are
+obeyed to the letter.”
+
+“I didn’t mean to sound like a sergeant,” Peterson said uneasily. “Just
+wanted to make certain you had it all straight.”
+
+“Sure! I know. Well, I reckon I have. Course, I’m a new man at this
+game, you might say, an’ I appreciate any advice from a man who knows
+more than I do.”
+
+“So?” A light appeared in Peterson’s eyes, then died down, like a door
+suddenly closed to conceal the entrance of the house from passers-by.
+“I kind of thought you hadn’t been at this so long. You ain’t got the
+look of a veteran rancher. Well, I hope we succeed in puttin’ this deal
+through.”
+
+“Hope so,” Mr. Manley repeated, smiling innocently. “Well, so long, Mr.
+Peterson. Thanks!”
+
+“You’re welcome,” Peterson replied pompously. “Always like to help
+anyone. Cattle dealing is a risky business. There’s always some crook
+in it trying to get the best of an honest man.”
+
+“That’s right,” Mr. Manley agreed solemnly. “You can’t be too careful.”
+
+Mr. Peterson nodded, and mounted his pony which had been standing
+quietly near by. Then, waving his hand genially, he rode off.
+
+“He cuts quite a figure, according to himself,” Teddy laughed. “So
+you’re a new hand at this game, Dad?”
+
+“I couldn’t help that,” Mr. Manley said, grinning. “He was too allfired
+sure and certain of everything. And a man with a hand-shake like his
+always did set me on my ear.”
+
+“Felt like a piece of mutton,” Roy commented. “He wanted to tie you up
+tight with his forfeit, didn’t he, Dad?”
+
+“Oh, well, we don’t have to worry about that. We’ll make delivery all
+right. The thing that strikes me funny is wantin’ the cattle driven to
+Red Rock instead of Eagles. His story of the cars he’s rentin’ sounds
+fishy. It’s much cheaper to send them over the regular route. But
+that’s his business. Belle Ada get to the 8 X 8 all right?”
+
+Teddy replied that she did, and told his father about Bug Eye’s
+latest venture and its result. Mr. Manley laughed heartily over the
+description of the puncher’s skill in roping Hortense, and then Teddy
+and Roy went in to wash for supper. At the table the talk veered
+naturally around to the rodeo to be held on the thirtieth of September
+at Silver City, a large town seventy miles from Eagles.
+
+“Round-up will be finished by the twelfth anyway,” Mr. Manley declared.
+“Pass the bread, Teddy. Suppose you boys are countin’ on entering?”
+
+Teddy and Roy looked at their mother. She smiled, and nodded.
+
+“Of course they are!” she declared. “They’re certainly not going to
+stay out on my account.”
+
+“That’s the stuff!” Roy exclaimed, his eyes alight. He reached over
+and seized his mother’s hand. “You’re a game sport, Mom! But we’ll be
+careful--no bulldogging, or stuff like that. I’m going to try for the
+fancy riding prize.”
+
+“Trick ridin’, we used to call it,” Mr. Manley said. “You’ll need lots
+of practice for that, Roy. Better begin soon.”
+
+“I am. To-morrow, if I get a chance. How about you, Teddy?”
+
+“Bronc riding,” Teddy declared laconically. “And there’s one more I’d
+like to try--wild cow milking.”
+
+“Wild cow milking!” Mrs. Manley repeated. “Is that really a contest,
+Teddy?”
+
+“I’ll say it is!” her husband broke in. “In my younger days that was
+one of the big things.” He chuckled reminiscently. “I remember one
+year when they held the events at San Antonio. Me, I thought I was the
+champion wild cow milker. Pop can tell you about this, ’cause he went
+in it too. Well, I gets my pail in action right away. Goin’ fine, for
+the first five seconds. Then things started to happen. Anyway, I didn’t
+win. But neither did Pop.”
+
+“Bardwell, I can’t imagine you trying to milk a cow,” Mrs. Manley
+laughed. “What other contests do they have, boys?”
+
+“Anything you can think of,” Roy answered. “Calf roping, steer
+bulldogging--eight hundred pound steers, too. Races, bell calf
+roping--”
+
+“How is that done?”
+
+“Usually they have five riders, and six calves to be roped. The one who
+ropes his calf first then gets his lariat over the calf with the bell
+on it--they have only one of them--wins.”
+
+“They rope those poor little calves!” Mrs. Manley exclaimed. “I should
+think it would hurt them!”
+
+“Only their dignity,” Teddy laughed. “Say, Roy, how about trying for
+the Pony Express? You could use Star and Flash and that other pony I
+broke this spring. You’d have a good chance of coming through in that.
+Don’t you think so, Dad?”
+
+“Sure,” Mr. Manley answered forcibly. “I want to see one of you boys
+get a prize. Reckon we’ll go down an’ watch ’em, hey, Mother?”
+
+“Yes, I’d like to very much,” said Mrs. Manley, in a small voice. Then
+she looked at her husband anxiously. “I suppose no one gets hurt in
+those--those things?”
+
+“Not often,” Mr. Manley assured her. “Seein’ as how this is the first
+one the boys have ever been in, I reckon they’ll be plenty careful.
+You’ve never even seen one, have you, Mother? We’ll have to go, sure.
+When that there band gets playin’ an’ a ridin’ fool is on top of a
+pony that’s headin’ for the sky, an’ all the people are yellin’ an’
+shoutin’--by jinks, it makes you tingle all over! I been waitin’ for
+the day my boys would be big enough to get in the rodeo. An’ I want to
+see one prize, even if it’s only a booby prize.”
+
+“We’ll steer clear of that one,” Roy declared. “I’m going to get Nick
+and Pop to give me some pointers. Come on, Teddy, we’ll go over now and
+talk to them!”
+
+“You’re excused,” Mr. Manley chuckled. “Golly, Barbara, how it does
+bring back the days I used to ride in those events! The first one I
+went in kept me awake the whole night before, thinkin’ of it! Now I got
+two grown sons to keep up the good work. Guess we haven’t had such a
+bad time of it after all, hey, girlie?”
+
+“You talk like a grandfather!” his wife laughed. “Run along, boys--your
+father is getting sentimental! But do be careful of those--those wild
+cows, won’t you?”
+
+The boys found Nick Looker, Pop Burns and Gus Tripp playing
+mumblety-peg on the ground in front of the bunkhouse. They stood for a
+moment watching the game, until Nick gave up in disgust when he took a
+small slice out of his hand. Declaring that the light was too uncertain
+for a master to show his stuff, he arose.
+
+“I see yore dad talkin’ to another cattle dealer,” he proclaimed.
+“Anything stirrin’?”
+
+On the X Bar X the hands were treated almost as partners in the
+business, so Nick’s question was perfectly proper.
+
+“Made a deal,” Roy answered. “Six hundred head. Dad had to post a
+forfeit.”
+
+“Don’t like this forfeit business,” Pop Burns declared. Pop, as the
+oldest man on the ranch--and the baldest--took upon himself the
+privileges of seniority. Needless to say his place in the sun was hotly
+contested by the other punchers.
+
+“Too easy to lose money that way,” he continued. “I remember one time--”
+
+“Carry me back to old Virginy!” Gus caroled. “Where the--”
+
+“Funny, ain’t you?” Pop sniffed. “But let me tell you one thing! I was
+bustin’ broncos when you was bustin’ baby crackers. An’ that’s no song,
+either!”
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER VIII
+
+                             SOMETHING QUEER
+
+
+“Take it easy, boys,” Teddy chuckled. “Pop, go on with your story. You
+were saying--”
+
+“Talk to these bow-legged skillet-curlers? Not me! I wouldn’t waste
+breath on ’em. Maybe when round-up time comes they won’t be quite so
+chipper. I’ve known buckets to welch before this.”
+
+“Here’s one that won’t,” Nick declared. “Go ahead, rave on, old
+man! Now, Teddy, I think we were talkin’ business when so rudely
+interrupted. About those cattle--”
+
+“What we came over here for was to get some dope on the rodeo,” Roy
+broke in. “While we’ve seen ’em, of course, we’ve never been in any.
+Teddy and I are going to have a try for some of the prizes.”
+
+“Rodeo? Listen, brother!” Pop exclaimed. “I’ll give you the low down
+on them events. There’s one thing you want to be careful of--steer
+bulldoggin’. There’s nothin’ in it, an’ it’s too dangerous. It ain’t
+worth the trouble. Now wild cow milkin’--there’s somethin’ for your
+money! I used to be a great little milker myself. One time, down San
+Antonio way, I milked a--”
+
+“Dad told us about it,” Teddy laughed. “He said you--”
+
+“If he told you, there’s no use repeatin’ it,” Pop said hurriedly. He
+appeared somewhat taken aback. Roy wondered what his interpretation of
+the occasion would have been. “But anyway,” he continued, “that’s great
+sport.”
+
+“We were thinking of entering that,” Roy explained. “That, and trick
+riding and bronco busting. Maybe pony express. Dad says he’s coming to
+watch us.”
+
+“Try an’ keep the boss away,” Gus chuckled. “Especially with his sons
+ridin’. When you boys gonna practice?”
+
+“Every day, from now on,” Teddy declared. “Any suggestions will be
+appreciated. Pop, we’re counting on you to help us out.”
+
+“Any time, boys, any time. ’Bout three years since I went to a cowboy
+reunion, but I guess I ain’t forgotten.”
+
+“How many years?” Nick inquired, with a grin.
+
+“Three, I said! Well, maybe a little longer. But, anyway, I’d like to
+see a prize or two come to the X Bar X. Ain’t had any since yore dad
+was in the ring. He was the one who could nab ’em! Don’t suppose he
+said much about how many he won. Most likely told about the ones he
+missed up on. Right?”
+
+“That’s right,” Teddy laughed. “No wonder he was anxious to have Roy
+and me cash in for a prize. Well, we’ll do the best we can. Now there’s
+something else I--that is, Roy and I--want to talk about. Nick, what do
+you know about the Lefton brothers?”
+
+“Nothin’ more than I told you, Teddy, except that I didn’t take to ’em
+much. When you told me they was pallin’ with Mob Jamisson I wasn’t much
+surprised.”
+
+“Uh-huh.” Teddy nodded understandingly. “Roy, here, heard some funny
+remarks they made when they didn’t think he was listening. Did he tell
+you?”
+
+“Told him most of it,” Roy said. “You know--about the cars and the
+eight mile grade, and the rest of it. You couldn’t make much out of it,
+could you, Nick?”
+
+“Nothin’ at all. But--”
+
+“Eight miles from where?” Pop interrupted.
+
+“Maybe from the Jarmey place. That mean anything?”
+
+“Well, not exactly,” Pop said slowly. “That Jarmey place is an old
+station that used to be a shipping point. Only thing it’s good for now
+is to keep rats in. An’ there’s plenty of them. Say, who was this
+geezer what wants the six hundred head, Teddy?”
+
+“Peterson, his name is. Peter Peterson, I think. Ever hear of him?”
+
+“Never did. He must be new on the job. Like as not he’s an agent for a
+Chi. firm. They have men in this section nearly all the time now. Hope
+the boss makes a good deal with him.”
+
+“Dad says he offered two dollars a head more than any of the other
+buyers,” Roy declared. “Didn’t even try to get a lower rate. But
+that may be his way of doing business--knows what he wants and goes
+after it. We won’t kick about that. Still, that forfeit idea is a new
+wrinkle--at least, for our ranch. Gus, and the rest of you, see if you
+can get any dope on him, will you? Ask Jules and Nat Raymond. If you
+hear anything, let us know.”
+
+Teddy and Roy had thought to inquire more about the Lefton brothers and
+to ask Nick’s opinion of them. But with the introduction of an added
+topic--concerning Peterson--the new interest overtopped the old one, so
+far as cattle buying went. It was now important that Peterson be given
+consideration.
+
+Gus, who was to go to town to-morrow, promised to make inquiries about
+Peterson.
+
+“Chances are I won’t hear anything, though. He must be representing an
+Eastern firm. Two dollars more a head than the others, hey? Must be
+made of money.”
+
+“But we ought to find out _something_ of his qualifications,” Roy
+objected. “Certainly, they’ll know about him at the freight office.
+He said he’s been in this business a number of years. Tried to give
+dad advice.” Roy smiled. “Dad took him for a little ride, but Peterson
+didn’t know it.”
+
+Teddy and Roy were to make a trip to Red Rock the next day, to look
+over the territory where the six hundred head were to be driven. So
+after a little more talk with Nick and the other hands they sought
+their beds.
+
+They started for Red Rock early. Flash had entirely recovered from the
+slight sprain he had received in the flight from the wolves, and he
+whinnied with the joy of living when Teddy headed him toward the open
+range.
+
+“Running well, isn’t he?” Roy remarked, as, riding close to his
+brother, he watched Flash’s feet tap the ground.
+
+“Sure is! I’m depending on him to help us cop a prize at the rodeo.
+And, believe me, Star is no slouch either!” He motioned with his elbow
+toward Roy’s pony. “With these two, we ought to get something.”
+
+Roy grinned, and the two rode on. The chill of the fall morning had
+given way to the warmth of Indian summer. Ahead of them a jack-rabbit
+scurried across the path. The mountains gleamed green and white
+beneath the early sun. In the distance a river threaded its way between
+banks of quakermasts and evergreens.
+
+Roy breathed deep of the tonic air.
+
+“It’s good,” he said simply, “just to be here.”
+
+Teddy did not laugh. He, too, was beginning to realize more of life.
+There had been a time, not long ago, when this remark would have
+brought a smile to his face. But now he thought seriously that it _was_
+good to be here. Thus, quickly, youth comes into its heritage. But
+humor is not diminished. Rather, it is increased.
+
+The two brothers had been long together. They had been through many
+trials and dangers. Between two such a bond, firm, unbreakable, is
+established. There was no selfishness in either one. If occasion came,
+one would cheerfully, willing, offer his life for the other.
+
+Both seemed to feel something of this sentiment as they rode the range
+toward Red Rock. They had, of course, been vividly reminded of it that
+day they had been menaced by the wolves. Perhaps they were thinking
+of this, for it was some moments before either spoke. But youth is
+buoyant, not introspective. The mood passed. And when Teddy, apropos of
+nothing, declared that Bug Eye would see many a day go by before Mrs.
+Ball let him try his inventions near her flower bed again, Roy laughed.
+
+“Poor Bug Eye! He always manages to get in wrong. Remember his
+Fishmobile? Wonder what happened to that? And the time he got
+interested in hypnotism, and Pop let him think he had him hypnotized.
+I’ll never forget that.”
+
+“Me, either. Bug Eye thought sure he had him under his spell. Then Pop
+showed him up. Say, how far is it to Red Rock?”
+
+“Plenty far. Lucky there are no steep hills on the way. Reckon we might
+as well choose this route to drive those cattle over. Peterson wants
+to give us all the trouble he can, I reckon. Be much simpler to take
+’em to Eagles, as we’ve always done. We’ll earn that two bucks a head
+extra, I’m thinking. He must have had this journey in mind when he made
+the offer.”
+
+“Uh-huh. Maybe, and maybe not. He was a fish, that man. I hate to talk
+about another behind his back, and especially when I’ve only seen him
+once, but--well, I just don’t like him!”
+
+“You and me both. But, as dad said, you can’t afford to let your liking
+interfere with business.”
+
+“Dad didn’t say that. I did. It’s true. So we’ll forget Peterson till
+we learn something about him. Perhaps Gus will have found out from the
+boys in town what kind of a man he is.”
+
+“I doubt it. But we’ll let the matter rest, anyhow. What we want to
+do is to select the best way to take the cattle to Red Rock, and this
+looks like it. Let’s get a wiggle on.”
+
+They urged their horses forward, and finally came into sight of Red
+Rock. The town itself was much like Eagles, but smaller. The railroad
+station was the center, and as they rode in the boys saw that a large
+corral opened out at the rear of the depot. They looked over this well,
+and decided that, after all, they might not have much more trouble in
+bringing the cattle here than they would in bringing them to Eagles.
+
+“Not as many people to bother us, at any rate,” Teddy declared, and he
+halted his pony in the center of the dusty main street. “Three stores
+and a row of houses back there. Looks like a deserted village.”
+
+“Not quite deserted,” Roy said in a low voice. “Look there.”
+
+Teddy swung around. Three men had just stepped from behind the corner
+of the station. They were talking earnestly, and did not see either
+Teddy or Roy.
+
+As they came closer Teddy uttered an exclamation.
+
+“The Lefton brothers--and look who’s with them!”
+
+It was Peter Peterson, the man with whom their father had, only
+yesterday, closed a contract.
+
+“Let ’em see us,” Roy suggested quietly. “There’s something queer about
+this.”
+
+Snatches of the talk drifted toward the waiting boys.
+
+“--plenty of cars”--“easy to get”--“only an eight mile run--”
+
+“What the mischief--” Teddy began, when he was interrupted by the roar
+of a train pulling in at the station. As the three men heard it they
+turned hurriedly and ran for the platform. Another moment, and they had
+entered one of the cars, leaving Teddy and Roy staring after them. With
+a shrill whistle the train puffed away from the station.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER IX
+
+                             THE WILD HORSE
+
+
+“That,” said Roy deliberately, “is pret-ty blamed funny.”
+
+“All of what you just said. Hear what they were talking about?”
+
+“Couldn’t help it. Seems to be a habit with those Lefton boys--that
+eight mile stuff and about the cars. We’ve got a nice little jig-saw
+puzzle to fit together, Teddy, my lad. How come Peterson knows the
+Leftons? Can you tell me that?”
+
+“Ask me something easy,” Teddy returned musingly. “What I’m interested
+in is the meaning of this line of talk. We couldn’t very well yell at
+’em and tell ’em we were here, and not to talk so loud. Oh, I forgot,
+you’re a detective. That’s right. We’re privileged to listen.”
+
+“That was a nasty crack, Teddy,” Roy said, and grinned. “I suppose
+you’re referring to my losing my knife that night and going back for
+it. Well, it’s lucky I did. Forewarned is forearmed, you know.”
+
+“You really think there’s something to this, do you?”
+
+“I’m sure of it! Hold up there, Star--stop that prancing! Now listen,
+Teddy. First thing that happens is that the Leftons come to the X
+Bar X and make motions like cattle dealers. But are they? Not so you
+could notice it! Then they ask Nick and some of the others all sorts
+of questions about where our ranges are located and how many head we
+have in certain places. If they don’t want to do business with us,
+what’s the big idea of that? Then I hear ’em talking about cars being
+easy to get, and six hundred head, and the Jarmey place. That wouldn’t
+be so bad, but, by jinks, here comes Peterson, who _is_ going to buy
+our dogies--or so he says--and they mention the same things again! And
+don’t forget we saw the Leftons with Mob Jamisson! By golly, Teddy,
+that chase by the wolves was one of the luckiest days in our lives,
+even if we did come near passing out of the picture! We know where we
+are, now!”
+
+“Oh, do we?” Teddy chuckled. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,
+suppose you tell me just where we are, brother mine!”
+
+Roy looked down at his pony, and coughed.
+
+“Don’t take me so literally. I mean we know what to watch out for.
+This Peterson’s with the Lefton boys. The Lefton boys are in with Mob
+Jamisson. _Ergo, et cetera_, or what have you?”
+
+“A bag of nothing, I guess,” Teddy answered. “You seem to be able to
+build up the finest suspicions I ever saw, Roy. Trouble is, we’ve
+started looking at this thing from one angle, and we can’t see it from
+any other. All these things may mean absolutely nothing. We told dad
+of what you heard when you went back for your knife, but he didn’t
+think much of it. You see, we’re biased. We can’t figure clearly. Every
+time the Lefton boys come into the picture we’re looking at it through
+fogged glasses. What we want is a disinterested viewpoint.”
+
+“Yes, but there’s this side of it too, you must remember.” Roy was
+leaning over his saddle, forgetful that he was standing in the center
+of the main street of Red Rock. One or two men who had wandered out of
+a store regarded the two boys curiously, but they were oblivious of
+their audience. Roy was absolutely, intensely serious, as was Teddy.
+
+“You’ve got to look at it this way, Teddy,” Roy continued. “We’ve
+actually seen and heard all this. Anyone we’d tell it to would be
+getting secondhand information. He couldn’t judge how it impressed us.
+The most everyday matters may mean a whole lot more if you can see
+them happening instead if hearing about them. The tone of a person’s
+voice, his actions as he’s speaking, all figure in. A first impression
+is usually correct, I’ve heard, and I believe it. And my impression is
+that this Peterson and the Lefton boys are up to some mischief that has
+something to do with us!”
+
+Teddy thought for a moment, his chin resting on his hand. So still was
+he that Flash turned his head inquiringly, as though to be sure his
+master was still with him. At last the boy spoke, saying slowly:
+
+“All right, Roy. You’ve about convinced me. But what of it? What can
+we do? Nothing except to tell dad to be careful in his dealings with
+Peterson. And he’d do that anyway. Dad is no fool--he knows the kind of
+people he bargains with. And he knows Peterson is questionable, too.
+How can I tell that? By the way he looked at him. So the best thing we
+can do is to keep our suspicions to ourselves until something turns up.
+When we get home we’ll ask Gus what he found out about Peterson. And,
+if dad questions us, we’ll tell him what we think. That’s as far as we
+can go. We don’t want to make mountains out of molehills, you know.”
+
+Roy nodded.
+
+“You’ve got the answer, Teddy. We’ll play our own little game. And if
+anything crops up we’ll be ready. We won’t say anything about seeing
+Peterson here. Now let’s get back. I want to put in a little practice
+riding for the rodeo. Won’t hurt you to do some, too, if you want any
+of the prizes.”
+
+“Check! We’ll go.” They turned the horses and rode down the street and
+out of the town. The two men who were standing on the side watched them
+go. One of them faced the other.
+
+“Say, Jack,” he drawled, “where’d the crowd come from? Circus here?”
+
+That was Red Rock.
+
+The boys reached home, told Mr. Manley that the trail to the shipping
+point was in fair shape, and went again into the yard to start their
+practice. Nick was waiting for them.
+
+“Which one of you goin’ in for bronco ridin’?”
+
+“I am, Nick,” Teddy answered. “Why?”
+
+Nick motioned him over.
+
+“Got something here you might be interested in,” he chuckled. “Came
+while you were gone. I asked Nat Raymond to bring it in for me from
+Sanborn’s Point. Yore dad wanted a new horse. Here it is.”
+
+He led the way to the corral. “It” proved to be a small mustang, whose
+fiery eyes and nervous movements proclaimed that this was his first
+experience with civilization.
+
+“Pete Lazerus caught him last week, an’ he’s been keepin’ him near his
+camp over at the Point, where he’s located. The bronc ain’t never been
+rode.”
+
+Teddy walked close to the bars and observed the animal intently. He
+noticed the full chest, the legs with hard bunches of muscle behind
+them, the long head with the ears lying flat against the skull.
+
+“No need to tell me that,” he said grimly. “Anyone ever try?”
+
+“Pete--for about three seconds,” Nick chuckled. “He sold him cheap.
+Said when he wanted dynamite he’d buy it in boxes, not wrapped in hoss
+flesh.”
+
+“Pop around?”
+
+“Yep. He’s been waitin’ for you, too. Yo, Pop!”
+
+“Comin’!”
+
+The veteran rancher ambled toward them.
+
+“Goin’ to teach him manners, Teddy?”
+
+“Going to register him for a course, anyway,” Teddy laughed. “May take
+a day or so. Nick, will you ride in and cinch him for me--you and Pop?”
+
+“Sure. Git yore bronc, Pop. Need two of us to do this job. What leather
+you want, Teddy?”
+
+“My own. I’ll drag it off Flash.”
+
+He did this, and returned with the saddle. By this time Pop and Nick
+had mounted and were within the bars of the corral. Roy was sitting on
+the top rail, with a rope held ready in his hand.
+
+“Just in case,” he explained.
+
+The wild pony strongly resented any interference with his liberty. When
+Nick rode up to him with a large handkerchief in his hand, to blindfold
+him before putting the saddle on, he shied and refused to stand. Nick
+unwound his lariat.
+
+“Have to coax him, I reckon.”
+
+The rope flew through the air, and settled full over the mustang. An
+instant of struggle, with Nick’s mount standing as firm as a rock, and
+suddenly Pop cast. With two ponies holding the bronco, between them
+they managed to put on the saddle and cinch it.
+
+“Buck strap, Teddy?”
+
+“Not any! Leave him open. All right, put the handkerchief on.”
+
+Quickly Nick secured the cloth in place over the bronco’s eyes. The
+horse stood perfectly still, but was trembling violently.
+
+“He’s plumb full of action,” Pop declared. “Careful, Teddy. Hold him
+now, Nick. Climb aboard, Ted! All set?”
+
+Teddy, his face moulded in stern lines, settled himself in the saddle.
+He grasped the reins, and straightened up.
+
+“All set, Pop. Raise the curtain.”
+
+The two lariats were thrown to the ground. Nick, leaning over
+cautiously, put his hand on the eye cloth.
+
+“Here she goes!”
+
+He pulled the handkerchief off with a snap. The bronco was free.
+
+“Stand clear!”
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAPTER X
+
+                               ROY’S ROPE
+
+
+Like a carved statue the bronco stood, silent, immobile. As an arrow
+pauses for a moment at its zenith before descending. As a gunner,
+intent on destruction, takes deadly aim before he pulls the trigger.
+Thus the bronco stood.
+
+Suddenly his back arched. His feet bunched together. Seemingly without
+effort he arose straight into the air.
+
+“Stick to him! Stick--”
+
+He came down stiff-legged. The shock jerked Teddy’s head forward. The
+boy grunted, and those watching saw his hand come down on the horse’s
+flank in a tremendous slap.
+
+“On your way, baby! Take me off!”
+
+The bronco leaped to one side and turned like a reed in a whirlwind.
+Then he sprang upward again.
+
+“Don’t let him roll, Teddy!” Nick, prancing about on his own horse, was
+yelling with excitement. “Hang on, boy!”
+
+Teddy hung on. Not with his hands, but with his knees alone did he
+remain upright. He had not “gone to leather.”
+
+The horse, frustrated for the moment, remained quiet. But he had only
+begun to open his bag of tricks. Of a sudden he reared high, came down,
+and rolled sideways. He hit the ground with a thud.
+
+But Teddy was ready for this--was waiting for it. As the horse neared
+the ground he slipped from the saddle and stood straddling the pony as
+he lay on the earth, and when the bronco leaped up again Teddy was in
+the saddle.
+
+Pop shouted his approval.
+
+“That’s the stuff, Teddy! Fooled him then! Yea, bo! Look at him ride!”
+
+Maddened to find that weight still on his back, when he had expected to
+dislodge it easily, the pony began a series of bucks that caused the
+watchers to gasp with fear for Teddy’s safety. The boy pulled his hat
+from his head and slapped the pony with it.
+
+“He’s fannin’ him! Go to it, puncher! Make him hang out the white flag!
+Snakes, did you see--”
+
+Discarding for a moment his frantic jumping, the bronco headed for the
+bars of the corral. Reaching them, he swerved, and sought to scrape
+Teddy off. The boy’s leathern chaps prevented real injury, but Roy saw
+his brother’s face go white with the pain of the shock.
+
+“Nick!” he called. “Get between him! Want me to take him, Teddy?” He
+stood upon the second rail from the top, bracing himself, and loosened
+his lariat.
+
+“No! No! Don’t throw! I’m all right! This bronc is mine!”
+
+“Full of nerve, that kid,” Pop said in a low voice. “Get close to him,
+Nick.”
+
+The cowboy had already started. As the wild horse skirted the bars,
+Nick put himself between the rails and Teddy. Every time the bronco
+made for the corral fence he found Nick’s horse blocking his way.
+
+He gave this up with a suddenness that was characteristic. He pranced
+like a dancer toward the center of the enclosure.
+
+“You’ve got him, Teddy!” Roy shouted gleefully. “He’s shown about all
+his stuff!”
+
+It seemed as though Roy was right. Gradually the horse became calmer.
+The whites of his eyes went under, and more of the pupil showed. The
+stiffness went out of his legs.
+
+“All right, pony,” Teddy said soothingly. “Let’s run around a bit, hey?
+Now--into a gallop!”
+
+He let the reins hang slack. The horse looked around inquiringly,
+puzzled for a moment. What happened next is still unexplained by
+those watching, and Teddy has only a hazy idea of it. It was all too
+quick--too unexpected.
+
+The strap binding the saddle to the horse--the cinch strap--parted.
+Terrified at this sudden sensation, the pony started bucking again.
+There were three other girths about the belly, but these broke like
+paper ribbons. The hind feet went up in the air, and Teddy and the
+saddle shot over the bronco’s head.
+
+Teddy lit with arms out-stretched, taking the shock evenly. The moment
+he hit the ground he rolled, and avoided the pony’s hoofs by a fraction
+of an inch. Dazed, he staggered to his feet.
+
+“Stay there, Teddy! Don’t move! I’ll get him!”
+
+It was Roy, standing upright on his perilous perch, lariat whirling in
+a wide circle.
+
+The pony, seeing a defenseless man before him, and realizing that here
+was the author of his misfortunes, started forward, snorting viciously.
+His lips were drawn back and the teeth showed white and savage. All his
+former rage again took possession of him.
+
+Nick and Pop leaped their horses toward the maddened bronco. Even then
+they could see that their efforts were useless, that the wild horse was
+too close to Teddy for them to reach him on time.
+
+“He’s done! Roy, he’s--”
+
+At that moment the loop left Roy’s hand. Strangely, he thought of Bug
+Eye and his automatic lawnmower as he watched the loop snake out. In
+time of great stress one’s mind plays queer tricks.
+
+Teddy was too weak from his fall to move. He stood there, arms before
+him to ward off the brute, and waited for the end.
+
+But the pony never reached him. Roy’s lariat settled over the bronco’s
+neck. Like a flash the boy twisted the end he held about a post.
+
+With a jerk that drew from him a scream of pain, the pony’s dash was
+halted. He twisted, and bit at the rope that held him. In that second
+Nick and Pop bent low in their saddles, seized Teddy, and carried him
+to safety.
+
+The pony was still struggling with the lariat as Roy ran toward his
+brother. There was no more danger now--the rope was firmly on, and each
+movement of the horse drew it tighter. At present he had no time for
+living enemies with that coil of fire about his neck.
+
+“Teddy! Are you--”
+
+Teddy laughed weakly.
+
+“Nope, not quite, Roy. Just a little numb. I didn’t expect that fall.
+Maybe--” he staggered, and Roy seized his arm.
+
+“You come over to the house now. That was one bad spill. Look
+here--don’t cave in yet!”
+
+“No danger.” Teddy smiled at his brother. “Just bent over to see if my
+legs were still there. They feel kind of--missing.”
+
+Pop chuckled.
+
+“Don’t wonder, son. If that’d been me I’d have felt all missin’. But
+Roy’s right--in the house for yours. What under the sun made that cinch
+strap break?”
+
+Teddy shook his head. “It’s beyond me. Everything happened so quickly
+I didn’t have time to take an observation. Roy, that was a wonderful
+throw of yours. Standing on the rails! If you hadn’t, I--”
+
+“Just what Bug Eye did to stop his lawnmower,” Roy declared, and
+grinned. “Funny, as the rope left my hand I was thinking of him. I
+figured he could do it, so--”
+
+Teddy reached out and rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
+
+“I’ll let you get away with it, Roy, old boy,” he said quietly. “We
+won’t talk about what would have happened if you’d missed. Let’s get
+out of here.”
+
+The three walked toward the gate. Pop and Nick had dismounted, and had
+turned their ponies loose. They watched Teddy carefully, to see that he
+was able to walk without assistance.
+
+“Don’t bother about me,” the boy laughed as he saw them staring at him.
+“And for the love of Pete, don’t anybody mention it to mother. I don’t
+want her to worry.”
+
+“If she worried, Teddy, you’d never know it,” Pop said in a low voice.
+“She knows a man on a ranch can’t be safe all the time. She’d take it
+standing up, and never a whimper out of her.”
+
+They came to the gate, and went through. Teddy turned and looked at Pop.
+
+“You’re right, Pop. In all my life I’ve not heard her say she was
+afraid. Roy, let’s go in. Want to put some liniment on my leg.”
+
+Nick and Pop stood at the foot of the steps as the two brothers entered
+the door of the ranch house. They gazed in open admiration at the
+departing figures.
+
+“The best thing I can say about ’em--” said Nick musingly, “the thing
+that takes in all the rest of it--is that they’re the sons of their
+mother and father. Come on, Pop, let’s eat.”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XI
+
+                             THE FLYING HAT
+
+
+Stiff and sore in every muscle, Teddy arose from his bed the morning
+following his disastrous ride and bent over experimentally. Roy, who
+had a bed on the other side of the room, grinned widely.
+
+“Are you a little stiff from bowling?”
+
+“I’m a big stiff from bowling. Where is Bowling, anyhow, that so many
+stiffs come from there? Golly, if someone took a swing at me now I’d
+break right in two. Say--” he sat on the side of the bed and observed
+his brother--“suppose the cinch straps break in the rodeo. Does it
+count as a throw?”
+
+“Hum! Have to ask Pop about that. Don’t see why it should. Now take
+that pony yesterday, for instance--you had him beaten. It wasn’t your
+fault that the girths broke. He was trotting for you when it happened.
+You went over his head like a skyrocket, I’ll tell a maverick!”
+
+“Don’t I know it! There’ll be no more of that, though. When I ride him
+again, which will be to-day or to-morrow, I’ll make certain sure that
+the straps are O.K. Baby, when I saw that bronc coming for me with his
+teeth sticking out, I thought I’d never see a cinch strap again! Well,
+it’s over now--and luckily, thanks to you. Oh-h-h-h, but I’m stiff!
+Wow! See if you can take the kinks out of my back, will you?”
+
+Teddy removed his pajama shirt, and Roy doused him liberally with
+liniment. Then he kneeded the back muscles vigorously as Teddy lay face
+downward on the bed.
+
+“Uh--uh--have--a--heart! Ouch! What--you--using, anyway? Iron balls?
+Oof!”
+
+“Only my hands, Teddy; only my hands,” Roy said, grinning. “You’ve
+got to get used to this. Wait, there’s a spot right between the
+shoulderblades that I haven’t touched. There she is.”
+
+“Yow! I’ll say she is! Go--easy! Finished? Thank goodness!” Teddy sat
+up, blinking. “That was fun for you, wasn’t it? You should have been
+living in the days of the Inquisition. Bet you could have gotten a job.
+Let’s see now.” He stretched, cautiously. “By golly, it is better at
+that! The ache’s mostly gone. Yep, Roy, you’re some doctor!”
+
+“Certainly! Had to hurt a little--all good doctors do. Or else the
+patient doesn’t get his money’s worth. Now you hop into your clothes
+and we’ll see how much bacon and eggs we can put away. They’ll make
+you forget your troubles. Come on, I’ll beat you getting dressed.”
+
+Teddy, however, refused to race. He said he was in no condition to
+try for athletic laurels. He took his time, and when he reached the
+breakfast table Roy had already started on his second course.
+
+Mr. Manley smiled as he saw how carefully his son eased himself into
+the chair.
+
+“’Fraid of breakin’ it, Teddy?”
+
+“Uh-huh. Can’t bear to see a chair busted. Never forgive myself.”
+
+“Broken, Teddy, not busted,” Mrs. Manley corrected gently. “I’m
+thinking it’s more than the worry over that chair that is bothering
+you. Would you like to try that trick of standing on your hands for me,
+Teddy?”
+
+Teddy swallowed, and coughed.
+
+“Well, Mom, maybe later. I’m hungry now. Norine--” this to the
+waitress, who was bringing in some more bacon--“will you please ask
+your mother if she has any corn bread?” Mrs. Moore, the mother of
+Norine, had been housekeeper and cook at the X Bar X for a number of
+years.
+
+Norine, a young, pretty Irish girl, dimpled and declared that the
+kitchen was never empty of anything “for the likes of yourself and
+Mister Roy.” The corn bread, very hot, was brought in.
+
+“Had something of a jolt last night, I hear, Teddy,” remarked Mrs.
+Manley, after Teddy had helped himself to the corn bread.
+
+“Huh? Oh--Who told you anything about it, Mom?”
+
+“Do you really think much goes on concerning my children that I do not
+know about?” and Mrs. Manley laughed.
+
+Belle Ada looked up from her corn bread and syrup.
+
+“Then there’s me, Teddy. Don’t you suppose that I know all that goes on
+on this ranch?”
+
+“Oh, it was you, Miss Pry! That explains everything.”
+
+“Yes; and it’s a good thing that you have a sister to keep an eye on
+you.”
+
+After the meal was concluded the boys walked to the corral and viewed
+the bronco that had thrown Teddy. He looked docile enough as he stood
+eyeing them, and Teddy determined to ride him without delay. Roy was for
+waiting until afternoon, but Teddy vetoed this, and together the two
+boys managed to saddle the horse. He remained perfectly quiet, even
+when Teddy put a hand on the saddle horn.
+
+“Never mind the blind,” he said. “Something tells me this bronc is
+cured. You watch.”
+
+Before Roy could utter a word Teddy had vaulted into the saddle. But
+nothing happened. The animal moved calmly about the corral as correctly
+as any school horse, and after a few minutes Teddy dismounted.
+
+“Anyone could ride him now,” he declared. “Glad I decided to climb
+aboard before he forgot me. Hope the broncs in the rodeo will be as
+easy to stay with.”
+
+“Let’s forget that rodeo for a while,” Roy suggested. “There are a few
+things more important just at present--Peterson and his offer for our
+cattle, for instance. See Gus yet?”
+
+“How could I? I’ve been with you all the time. Let’s wander over and
+see if he’s around.”
+
+The boys found Gus Tripp near the hitching-rail preparing to ride
+through the country near Mica Mountain and investigate the condition
+of the ground. He had his bronco saddled, and was mounting as the boys
+came up.
+
+“Got time to wait a second, Gus?” Teddy called.
+
+“Sure! Reckon you want to know what I found out about Peterson. Well,
+the answer’s easy--nothin’. Yore dad asked me, too; an’ when I told him
+no one in town had ever heard of him, he looked sort of worried. Tell
+you how it is--a man likes to know somethin’ about a man he’s dealin’
+with, especially when it’s a large order like this. Course Peterson
+did put up a deposit; but there’s plenty of things can happen between
+now an’ the time he puts the purchase price in yore dad’s hands and
+takes delivery. I don’t blame the boss for askin’ questions.”
+
+“So no one knew him!” Roy mused for a moment. “I suppose, actually,
+that that fact alone doesn’t mean much. But, you see, Gus, this
+Peterson is acquainted with the Lefton boys.” Roy glanced at his
+brother, for they had decided not to tell anyone of their discovery.
+But in the face of Gus’s statement, it seemed best that the whole thing
+be laid on the table. Teddy nodded his approbation. “And you know how
+those Lefton brothers’ deal fell through, after practically demanding
+we tell ’em all about our business. Of course that’s exaggerated, but
+you get what I mean.”
+
+“Yep, I get ya’. Well, I guess we can’t do nothin’ about it. I better
+be gettin’ along now. See you later.” Gus waved and rode off.
+
+Teddy and Roy stood there for a moment, watching him go. Then they
+walked slowly toward the house.
+
+“I’m thinking,” Roy mused, “that the molehill we were talking about
+a while ago has increased in size. Maybe it’ll grow to a fair-sized
+mountain after all.”
+
+“Um! In other words, things are stirring. Let’s take a ride over to
+the south range. Remember where we found so many breaks in the fence?
+We can do a little repair work on the side. I don’t think dad wants us
+for anything special. I’ll ask him before we go, to make sure.”
+
+Teddy found his father talking to Nat Raymond, both standing by the
+side of one of the ranch wagons. Nat waved to Teddy, and called:
+
+“Hey, take a look at what we got here. Maybe you’ll recognize some of
+’em.”
+
+“What? Recognize--”
+
+He reached the wagon and peered in. Then he gave a low whistle of
+amazement.
+
+Within were the bodies of some ten of fifteen wolves.
+
+“He cleaned that gang up for you, Teddy,” Mr. Manley said. “Remember
+when I sent the boys out to chase these critters off the range? They
+didn’t have so much luck then, but Nat, Jules an’--who else was with
+you, Nat--Joe, wasn’t he?--they went out yisterday an’ did a little
+fancy shootin’. I feel more easy, now--didn’t like Belle Ada to ride
+around with these things roamin’ the hills. Some nice pelts there.”
+
+Teddy reached out and touched one of the dead wolves.
+
+“This big one, Dad, was probably the leader. The rest--those that are
+left, I mean--will scatter now. Good work, Nat! Wish I could have been
+there when you brought these down. Where’d you run across them?”
+
+“Near Sanborn’s Point. We just stood still an’ picked ’em off. They
+tried to rush us, but we soon discouraged ’em. I’ll take ’em out back,
+boss, an’ get someone to help skin ’em. These pelts are worth money.”
+He clucked to the small roan that was standing quietly between the
+shafts, and the wagon creaked out of the yard. Teddy turned to his
+father.
+
+“Dad, Roy and I want to do a little fence riding. There were a few
+places we missed the last time, and we’ll fix ’em now. We may be gone
+all day. Anything special to do around here?”
+
+“Reckon not, Teddy. Say--” Mr. Manley paused for a moment. “Did you
+speak to Gus after he got in from town?”
+
+“Yep! About Peterson, you mean? Said no one seemed to know him. But I
+can tell you one thing--Peterson knows the Lefton brothers.”
+
+“The Lefton brothers!” Mr. Manley started. “I thought they’d left the
+country. A bunch of four-flushers, that’s what they are! I didn’t take
+to ’em when I first met ’em. They’re not cattle dealers. So Peterson is
+acquainted with them, hey?” He took his corncob pipe from his pocket
+and stuck it, unfilled, between his teeth. His eyes narrowed in thought.
+
+“Saw the three of ’em together in Red Rock. They hopped a train just as
+Roy and I were going to yell at ’em. Still, I suppose there’s no harm
+in that,” suggested Teddy.
+
+“No harm, no.” Mr. Manley tugged at the ends of his mustache. “Well,
+go along, Teddy. Stay as long as you want to. Nothing important around
+here. So he knows the Lefton boys, hey?”
+
+Turning, Mr. Manley walked slowly toward the house. Teddy saw him mount
+the steps of a small side porch and enter his office. The door slammed
+shut.
+
+When Teddy rejoined his brother, who was waiting with the two horses,
+Star and Flash, already saddled, he told him of Nat Raymond’s wolf
+hunt. Then he spoke of their father’s behavior on learning of
+Peterson’s friendship with the two Leftons.
+
+“Seemed worried, did he?” Roy asked, and Teddy nodded.
+
+There was no more said for a time, and, mounting, the boys rode out
+of the yard. After an hour they came in sight of a small herd of
+cattle--about a hundred--and they loped over.
+
+“See if there are any strays in this bunch,” Roy said. “There are a few
+breaks in the fence, you know. Of course there’s no range near us--that
+is, no range where cattle are grazing, but we’ll look, anyway. The best
+time to take out strangers is before round-up, not after.”
+
+They came closer, and peered at the brands. On every cow there could be
+plainly seen the X--X.
+
+“Guess these are all right,” Teddy commented. “Might as well--”
+
+A peculiar whistle came from the air just above them, and the two boys
+ducked automatically. At the same instant Teddy’s hat flew from his
+head. He gasped, and put his hand up. Then he looked at the fingers in
+amazement.
+
+They were smeared with blood!
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XII
+
+                           VOICES IN THE NIGHT
+
+
+Teddy’s surprise did not prevent him from going into immediate action.
+He had not been hurt by the bullet, which had been just low enough to
+draw blood and not stun him. He jumped Flash forward and swung to the
+left, leaning far over his saddle.
+
+Roy, when he saw that his brother was not injured, followed. But there
+were no more shots.
+
+On the other side of the herd of cattle they halted. There were a
+hundred cows between them and the hidden gunman, for the shot could
+only have come from the one direction. Thus protected, they pulled rein.
+
+“Better slide off,” Roy said in a low voice. He dismounted, as did
+Teddy. “Let’s see your head.”
+
+Teddy submitted to an inspection.
+
+“Skin’s broken, but that’s all,” Roy pronounced, relief in his voice.
+“By golly! who in thunder did that?” His anger flared up suddenly.
+There is a feeling of helplessness about being shot at from ambush
+which fills one with a hot rage. “That’s the trick of a skunk! Tried to
+get you from the back! By golly--”
+
+“Well, he missed,” Teddy said shortly. His lips were pressed tightly
+together. His eyes flashed. “If we had guns on I’d like nothing better
+than to do a little hunting. I know where that shot came from. Some
+place in that grove of trees.”
+
+“What grove? Oh, there?” Roy pointed to a group of trees the tops of
+which could be seen over the backs of the cattle. Teddy nodded grimly.
+
+“I’d take a bet on it. That’s the only place anyone could hide. Say,
+gun or no gun--”
+
+He rested his hand on the saddle horn and was about to mount when Roy
+seized him by the arm. With Teddy’s just desire for vengeance there had
+arisen in Roy a more calculating mood, taking the place of his former
+anger. He was now the steadier of the two.
+
+“We’ll do nothing as foolish as that, Teddy,” he said quietly. “We
+wouldn’t have the ghost of a chance. If I wanted to remove someone, I’d
+like nothing better than to have him come for me in the open, unarmed,
+while I was hidden and had a gun. That’s the way our friend will
+figure. No, not this time. We’d have to ride across that open space to
+reach the woods, and if there is someone there who wants to see us
+pushing up daisies, he’ll sure get his wish. We’ll have to let him go.”
+
+“But--”
+
+“I know. It’s tough. But you know we can’t do anything. Think it over.”
+
+“You mean to say we’re going to do nothing--not even find out who fired
+that shot? Just go away and pretend nothing happened?”
+
+“But, Teddy, what can we do? Now listen. I know how it feels to be shot
+at. In fact, it may have been me instead of you at whom that bullet was
+directed. We were pretty close together, you know. Well, it’s a nasty
+sensation, I’ll admit. Makes you want to beat up something or other.
+But look at things calmly. That gunman is over in that grove of trees,
+you say, and I think you’re right. Unless, of course, he ran when he
+saw that he’d missed. You and I are here without guns. Problem--to get
+to him without his getting to us. Do you know the answer?”
+
+“Reckon it hasn’t any,” and Teddy grinned ruefully. “He’s got us cold,
+all right. Though I’d be satisfied to find out who fired that and take
+my chances of getting him later. However, I can at least get my hat.”
+He mounted, and started to ride back.
+
+“No, you don’t, Teddy! That hat is right in line with his fire. No
+telling how long he’ll wait there, hoping we’ll go by again. You let
+that hat rest awhile.”
+
+“And go home without it? Not for a million bucks! If I have to stay
+here till night I want that hat. These cows look as though they were
+here for the rest of the day. I’ll just stick here, behind ’em, and
+when it gets dark I’ll go after my Stetson.”
+
+Roy looked at his brother with an amused smile. This was a new side
+to Teddy’s character, one which he had never seen before. The hat was
+a small item, yet Roy knew that Teddy meant exactly what he said. He
+would never leave without that hat.
+
+“Well,” Roy laughed dubiously, “if you think that much of it, I guess
+we’ll hang around. As you say, the dogies seem to be pretty well
+settled, or else they might take a notion to trample that headpiece of
+yours to dust. We’ll wait.”
+
+Teddy nodded, as though Roy had said exactly what he had expected him
+to say. The fact is, it was hard for Roy to understand this mood of his
+brother’s. He thought that by agreeing with him he might discover his
+purpose in staying. Roy could scarcely believe that Teddy would wait
+five or six hours simply to recover a hat.
+
+Yet there was no more reason behind Teddy’s stubbornness than just
+this. It relieved him a great deal to feel that he was not giving
+in entirely to his hidden enemy--that he was contesting with him the
+supremacy of the small plot of ground that lay between the cattle and
+the grove of trees. If Teddy had ridden on without his hat, it would
+have meant that the gunman was the admitted ruler. Thus the Stetson
+stood for one of the vital principles of Teddy’s life--don’t give up in
+the face of danger.
+
+The two boys picketed their ponies near a bush, and sat down about two
+hundred yards from the cattle. Now and then a cow would leave the herd
+and trot toward them, but seeing they made no motion, it would trot
+back again. There was no danger from these Durhams, even to a man on
+foot. The sun was too warm, the air too pleasant, to waste energy on
+the pursuit of human beings.
+
+The cattle moved slowly, when they did move, to find new grazing spots,
+and the boys had no trouble in keeping behind them. An hour in one
+place, then a shift, when the ponies were led to the new resting place,
+and Teddy and Roy again threw themselves on the ground and talked.
+Roy made no mention of the ridiculous course of conduct they were
+following. He was wise enough to let a thing rest when he could not
+understand it.
+
+The hat had fallen quite a distance back, but Teddy had the spot
+marked. The day grew colder as the sun approached the horizon.
+Gradually the mountains took on that blueish tint that heralds the
+twilight. The moon arose, a pale, washed-out circlet in the azure sky.
+As the day darkened, the moon became brighter, and when it finally
+shone, an incandescent orb, Teddy arose. Night had come.
+
+“Now,” he said casually, “I’ll get my hat.” Roy stared at him curiously.
+
+“Going to ride over or walk?”
+
+“Walk. I know just where it is, and I might miss it on horseback. You
+stay here and watch the ponies, will you? Too bad we didn’t get in any
+fence repairing, but we can do that to-morrow.”
+
+He sauntered off, a strange figure in the moonlight. The cattle were
+some distance off now, and this was fortunate, for Durhams do not like
+men on foot near them at night.
+
+Now Teddy was directly in front of the grove of trees, and he halted to
+gaze at them steadily. If anyone were there, waiting, this should draw
+the fire. It was not quite so foolhardy a proceeding as it appeared.
+The light was very poor and the distance too great for accurate
+shooting. For a moment the boy stood there, then moved on. Not a sound
+disturbed the stillness of the night. There was no sign of life in the
+grove of trees.
+
+The hat was lying where it had fallen, near a bush. It looked like a
+mound of white sand as Teddy approached. He picked it up, dusted it
+off, felt with his finger the bullet hole, then clapped it on his head
+and started back. A voice, low, distinct, came to his ears, and he
+dropped to the ground with the limpness and suddenness of a man whose
+legs have turned to water.
+
+The voice came from the group of trees. It was hard, as a whiphandle is
+hard, and was applying itself to the scourging of someone.
+
+“You’re still a fool, I see! A skunk I can stand. A fool isn’t even
+worth killin’--his hide’s no good. Understand?”
+
+“But Jerry, you told me--”
+
+Jerry! That was it! Jerry Lefton! That’s who the speaker was! He and--
+
+“I told you,” the voice went on “not to try anything without me or Bill
+with you! Just because you’re known as Mob Jamisson, bad man, you think
+you can’t miss, hey? Well, here’s one you missed, and it’s going to
+mean plenty of trouble for us, too! Even if you did plug one of ’em,
+what about the other? He’d get away sure, an’ the fat would be in the
+fire. It is, anyhow, I guess. They know we’re after ’em now. Before
+they only suspected it. Mob, I could crease you myself for this!”
+
+“Aw, lay off!” The voice was raised in anger. Mob had evidently come
+to the limit of his endurance. “You’ll crease nobody! Get that? An’ you
+won’t bawl me out no more, either! If there’s any creasin’ to be done,
+I’ll do it! I’m a partner in this scheme, same as you are. If I got an
+idea that I think is a good one, I can try it, I reckon.”
+
+“You’d better let me or Bill look over your ideas for you,” Jerry
+Lefton said dryly. “If you were alone I wouldn’t care what you did. You
+could hang yourself for all of me. But the way things are fixed now,
+if the rope goes around your neck it goes around ours too. Me, I don’t
+like that kind of a necktie. You hear me?”
+
+“I hear you,” Jamisson growled. “I bungled, I admit it. But I thought
+I could get that fool easy. Must have been a bum cartridge. Well, the
+next time you want a thing done you’ll do it yourself. I had--”
+
+The voices grew indistinct as the men moved on. An isolated word would
+come back to Teddy, then the tones ceased altogether. Still the boy lay
+there, thinking.
+
+“Jerry Lefton and Mob Jamisson,” he muttered slowly. “Now we’re out
+in the open. The cards are on the table. He wanted to kill me--and
+Roy--because we suspect what they are up to. Uh-huh.”
+
+He got to his feet and settled the hat more firmly on his head.
+Carefully, quietly, he walked back. Roy was waiting for him.
+
+“Got it, hey? Bet you had a hard time to find it. I should have gone to
+you. Golly, I was afraid you’d got lost!”
+
+“No, I didn’t get lost,” Teddy answered musingly. “And I didn’t have a
+hard time to find the hat,” he added. “I knew just where it was.”
+
+“You did? Then what in thunder--”
+
+“Roy, you haven’t got a spare badge, have you?”
+
+“Huh? What’s that? What kind of a badge?”
+
+“A detective badge.” Teddy chuckled. “I just joined your force.”
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XIII
+
+                          A DOWN-GRADE PROBLEM
+
+
+Late as it was when Teddy and Roy Manley reached home that night, a
+conference was called. Mr. Manley sat in his office, a room set aside
+for his exclusive use, and listened to Teddy’s story, the while he
+puffed thoughtfully on his corncob pipe and, now and again, tugged at
+the ends of his mustache. When the tale was finished he clapped his
+hands together in the manner of a man who has come to a sudden decision.
+
+“Mob Jamisson has attempted to commit murder!” he ejaculated.
+
+Teddy and Roy started. It had not seemed so serious to them. They had
+not the advantage of Mr. Manley’s years in interpreting the occurrence.
+To them it had merely appeared that a man with a grudge against them
+had tried to injure them.
+
+“Murder!” Roy repeated slowly. “Sounds nasty, Dad.”
+
+Mr. Manley nodded. He picked up the ’phone and called a number at the
+Hawley exchange.
+
+“Hello--speak to the Sheriff. What? This is Bardwell Manley, at the X
+Bar X Ranch. Right.”
+
+He waited a moment, evidently while someone was being called to the
+instrument. Then he said:
+
+“This you, Sheriff? This is Bardwell Manley. X Bar X Ranch. What do you
+know about a man who goes by the name of Mob Jamisson? Wanted, is he?
+What for? Yes.... Uh-huh. Listen. Add attempted murder to that charge,
+and see--he tried to kill my boy, Teddy. Shot at him. We have proof
+all right. And there was another man with him, name of Lefton--Jerry
+Lefton. Heard of him too, hey? Well, I’d like you to get out warrants
+for both of them. Soon as possible. That’s it. Let me know if you find
+’em. Sure. Thanks. So long!” Mr. Manley hung up the receiver, and faced
+about.
+
+“That’s the first gun,” he said. “We’ll take no more chances on waddies
+like that. Makay is a good man. He’ll bring ’em in if they’re still
+around. Now--” he tapped the ashes from the bowl of his pipe and
+arose--“the next time you boys go out you wear guns. If Jamisson and
+his gang have the idea they’re bad men of the West, we’ll just show ’em
+that the old West isn’t dead yet. Round-up is next week. I don’t want
+anything to happen, especially with that big order we got. Six hundred
+head is a large-size bit.”
+
+His face clouded, and the boys waited for him to finish his thought.
+
+“Peterson--he called me up to-day. Wanted to be sure I could make
+delivery. Never said a word about money, and the market is goin’ down
+every day, too. Way it stands now, he’s payin’ three a head more than
+Pete Ball, at the 8 X 8, expects to get. I don’t understand it.”
+
+“What did he say when he called up?” Roy asked curiously.
+
+“Nothin’ much--just asked me how things were comin’. Told him fine.
+They are, too. I don’t want to lose that forfeit. Five hundred isn’t
+exactly pin-money.”
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick it isn’t!” Impressed with the seriousness of this
+talk, Roy’s voice unconsciously assumed a deeper tone.
+
+Mr. Manley, under cover of a cough, looked at his sons. They were
+growing to manhood quickly, these boys. Their eyes had a steadier light
+in them, and he noticed how straight they sat, as though they were
+holding their muscles taut. In the past two years they had gone through
+many adventures, and had come out of each with an increased feeling of
+reliance upon themselves. He knew now that it was wise to have allowed
+them to stop school when they wished. The West had been their school,
+as it had been his, and when one graduated from it one was well
+equipped for the battle of life.
+
+Under his prolonged stare, the boys shifted and looked up inquiringly.
+Mr. Manley chuckled and rested a hand on a shoulder of each of his sons.
+
+“I was just thinkin’, boys, that soon you’ll be wantin’ to run this
+ranch yourselves. You can, too. You’ve grown up, both of you. Grown
+up into sons I can be proud of.” Abruptly his manner changed, and he
+pulled them toward him affectionately. “Hit the hay now, buckers!
+You’re not too old for me to spank if you stay up too late!” Laughing,
+he released them. “Up early to-morrow. Plenty to do. Good-night, boys!”
+
+“Good-night, Dad!”
+
+Halfway up the stairs Teddy paused.
+
+“I think,” he said slowly, “that dad is a regular fellow. I’d do
+anything for him.”
+
+Roy replied with a single sentence, but so fervent was it that it
+seemed almost like a prayer:
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick he is!”
+
+And they continued to their room.
+
+Early the next day the telephone in Mr. Manley’s office rang, and Roy
+answered it. His father was not in at the moment, and he asked if he
+could take the message.
+
+“This is Peterson,” the voice at the other end said. “Will you tell
+your father that I’ve heard talk of rustlers in this vicinity, and warn
+him to guard his stock well? I’ll tell you now that I’ll hold him to
+that forfeit if he can’t deliver, for it means a great deal to me.”
+
+“We’ll deliver all right,” Roy declared. “Don’t worry about that. Who
+told you there were rustlers around?”
+
+“Oh, it’s general talk,” Peterson said evasively. “Just remember I
+warned you. Good-bye.”
+
+“Wait a--”
+
+There was a click as the other end disconnected, and Roy hung his
+receiver. He turned to find Teddy watching him.
+
+“More news?”
+
+“You might call it that. Peterson just called up. Told me to tell dad
+that he’s heard there are rustlers around, and to keep track of our
+stock. Said he’d demand the forfeit if we didn’t deliver.”
+
+“Huh! Sort of knocks our theory into a cocked hat--about his being in
+with the Lefton crowd. If he--I mean Peterson--was a rustler, the last
+thing he’d want to do would be to warn us to watch the cows.”
+
+“Yea. Does look like that. Well, I’ll tell dad what he said. Coming?”
+
+The two boys walked out of the office and into the yard. When Mr.
+Manley heard Roy’s story he merely nodded, and gave no thought to
+Teddy’s suggestion that this proved Peterson “was O.K.”
+
+“Maybe, an’ maybe not,” he said, and returned to his work of repairing
+his saddle. The boys waited for a moment, then wandered off.
+
+“Hard to tell what he does think about it,” Roy commented.
+
+“That’s a fact. Dad never did much talking. Wonder if the sheriff in
+Hawley heard anything from Jamisson?”
+
+“Not likely. He’ll lay low for a while, I reckon. The skunk! Every time
+I think of him trying to shoot you in the back--”
+
+“Me, too! You know, I have an idea that your remark of the bullet being
+meant for you wasn’t so far wrong. Here’s how I figure: he knew you’d
+heard them talking that night you went back after your knife. And
+whatever you heard he didn’t want broadcast. Say, that means something
+else, too! It means that what they said was important! By golly, I just
+thought of that! Now let’s see. We’ll work this thing out.”
+
+“Good stuff, Teddy. Let’s walk over this way.” He started for the side
+porch, and Teddy followed. They sat on the lower step.
+
+“Now, what they said was this,” Roy began. “First they said something
+about six hundred head. That’s cattle. Then they mentioned cars, and
+an eight mile run, and the old Jarmey place. We heard ’em talk about
+the Jarmey place when we saw ’em at Red Rock, too.”
+
+“Yep. Say, just where is the Jarmey place?”
+
+“I have a rather hazy idea. It’s near Red Rock, I know. Suppose we ask
+Pop?”
+
+Teddy nodded, and arose.
+
+“Think he’s around?”
+
+“We can try. Might be near the bunkhouse.”
+
+They walked over. Pop was cleaning a rifle, and looked up as the two
+boys approached.
+
+“Mornin’, gents. Got an hour to myself, an’ I decided to get this here
+shootin’ iron into shape. Set!”
+
+In response to the invitation, the boys squatted on the ground near him.
+
+“Pop,” Teddy said, “we want to ask some questions.”
+
+Pop removed his hat and scratched his bald head.
+
+“Ain’t riddles, are they?”
+
+“Nope. Say, just what do you know about the old Jarmey place?”
+
+“Hum--thought I told you about that once before. Well, it’s about four
+miles from Red Rock. Know where that is, don’t you?”
+
+“Sure. We’ve been there.”
+
+“Well, after you leave there you go west, up a steep grade. The Jarmey
+place is right on top of a hill, with the tracks runnin’ down. Used to
+be a railroad depot, but it ain’t used for nothin’ now.”
+
+“Can you get to it from Red Rock by following the tracks?”
+
+“Nope. You got to go around Shock Mountain. That’s between, an’ you
+can’t climb it with a horse. The trail around is about ten or twelve
+miles long.”
+
+“But you said four miles--”
+
+“As the crow flies. Now look. Suppose we start at Eagles.” He laid his
+rifle down carefully, and with his forefinger drew a map in the dust.
+“This here is Eagles. The main line comes in this way--you know that
+part of it. Now, there’s a pair of tracks that run from Eagles to Red
+Rock, on a branch. They ain’t used no more, since the main line came
+in. Eagles is pretty high up, you know--higher’n Red Rock. The branch
+that runs to Red Rock starts a little above Eagles. Well, you follow
+these tracks down to Red Rock. Then they dip pretty sharp an’ curve,
+an’ four miles farther come into the Jarmey station. I think they run
+about eight miles beyond this, then peter out near Hawley. At least,
+that’s my recollection of it.”
+
+“Then, practically speaking, it’s down grade all the way from Eagles to
+where that branch railroad ends?”
+
+“Uh-huh. That’s one of the reasons they had to make a new railroad--the
+engines couldn’t pull cattle cars up the hills.”
+
+“Are there any cars on the siding now?”
+
+“You mean down at the Jarmey place?”
+
+“Well, either there or above Eagles.”
+
+“Can’t say for certain. Might be. More chance of ’em bein’ above Eagles
+than down at the other end. But if there are any, I wouldn’t want to
+ride in ’em.”
+
+“Think the tracks are still there, all the way to Red Rock?”
+
+“Sure, an’ some distance beyond. There ain’t never been nobody with
+enough gumption to root ’em up, so I reckon they’ll stay there till
+they rust to pieces.”
+
+“How far is it from Red Rock to where the tracks end?”
+
+“Eight miles, didn’t you say, Pop?” Teddy broke in.
+
+“About that. Why, thinkin’ of buyin’ the shebang?”
+
+“Not any,” Roy laughed. “Eight miles!” He thought for a moment. “And
+all down grade?”
+
+“Yep. Reckon you could coast a bicycle all the way down, if you was so
+minded. Or sky, for that matter.”
+
+“Sky?”
+
+“Sure! Ever hear of that? You put two barrel staves on your feet and
+use ’em like skates. Course there has to be snow on the ground.”
+
+“Oh, I see,” Teddy said, and turned his head away to hide his smiles.
+“Well, that’s all, I guess. Thanks for the information, Pop.”
+
+“Welcome. Any time at all. Glad to oblige.” He picked up his rifle
+again. “Still practicin’ for the rodeo?”
+
+“Haven’t to-day,” Roy answered. “Suppose we try a little, Teddy? Let’s
+see what we can do with the pony express.”
+
+“All right. I was thinking we might--But never mind. Sure, we’ll
+practice some.”
+
+“Like to watch you, boys, but I got to ride out in a few minutes. Usin’
+Star an’ Flash, I suppose?”
+
+“Sure are! Well, see you later.”
+
+Pop nodded, and they left him to his labors.
+
+“Eight miles, and all down grade,” Roy mused. “Those words seem
+familiar, Teddy?”
+
+“They do, sonny; they do! That was the song Mob Jamisson was singing,
+with the Lefton brothers, tenors, joining in the chorus. Wonder when
+they go into their dance?”
+
+“You think they will, then?”
+
+“Every good team does a song and dance. Unless they get the hook first.
+You and I, Roy, will try to be the so-called hook.”
+
+“Uh-huh. Before they get to the dance. But I’d like to know just what
+kind of a dance they’re best at, and where it’ll be staged. It’ll be
+our job to find out.”
+
+“Right! We’ll keep our eyes peeled, lest we get our knuckles skinned.
+Now let’s try this pony express stuff.”
+
+They had come to the corral, wherein were Star and Flash, and they soon
+had the horses saddled.
+
+“Pony express” is the art of quick dismounting and mounting, as
+practiced by the mail riders in the days of Wild Bill Hickock. A man
+dashes up, throws himself from his bronco, transfers his mailbag to
+another and fresher mount, and dashes away again with the loss of as
+few seconds as possible. It calls into action all the expertness a
+rider possesses. A single slip means ill-afforded delay.
+
+Nick Looker was called upon to help, since he was idle at the moment,
+and he saddled the bronco that Teddy had lately broken. The start was
+at the extreme end of the yard, the first change half way across, and
+another change at the end, when the rider would swing back over his
+route.
+
+“You go first, Teddy,” said Roy.
+
+“All right; it’s all one, I suppose,” was Teddy’s reply.
+
+He mounted Flash, and was in readiness for the signal. At some
+distance Roy waited with Star, and farther on still was Nick with the
+other bronco, which they decided to call, sarcastically, Angelica.
+
+“All set?” Teddy called.
+
+“O.K. here!” was Roy’s answer. “How about you, Nick?”
+
+“Ri-i-i-ight!”
+
+Roy looked at his wrist watch. When the minute hand pointed to zero he
+yelled:
+
+“Go!”
+
+Teddy bent low, and Flash leaped forward. Across the yard the pony
+tore, his feet lost in the haze of dust. Ears laid back, fine head
+thrust forward, he made a wonderfully pretty sight. Teddy sat on him as
+though he were a part of the horse, riding beautifully. Straight for
+Roy and the waiting Star he dashed.
+
+Reaching him, the boy fairly flew from the saddle before Flash had
+fully halted. Springing the short distance separating him from Roy, he
+bounded into the saddle again, and in a second had Star racing toward
+Nick at full speed. The change had been made with scarcely a moment’s
+delay.
+
+But as Star hurtled for Angelica, the new pony shied and pulled away
+from Nick, who had relaxed his hand in his excitement at Teddy’s riding
+ability. Thus, when the boy jumped off, there was no horse there to
+receive him. It took precious seconds to catch the pony, and when
+Teddy pulled up, panting, at the end of the run, Roy looked up from
+gazing at his watch.
+
+“Two-fifty-six. Not so bad. Would have been much better if Nick hadn’t
+let go Angelica. But you have to expect those accidents. We’ll try
+again later. Say, here comes Gus, and he’s got a grin on him a mile
+wide. Wonder what’s up?”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XIV
+
+                            THE CRYSTAL GAZER
+
+
+That Gus Tripp was the bearer of news was easy to be seen. It fairly
+oozed from him, and he had a hard time to keep from shouting it as he
+approached. But he managed to contain himself, and when he came closer
+he asked:
+
+“You fellers busy just now?”
+
+“Well, not so very,” Teddy replied. “You look as though you had
+something to say. Go ahead, spill it!”
+
+“Sure I ain’t interruptin’?”
+
+“No, no! For Pete’s sake, get it out of yore system!” Nick chuckled.
+“You’ll bust in another minute. What’s the joke?”
+
+“There’s a medium down at the bunkhouse!”
+
+“What’s that?”
+
+“Huh? Say it again, an’ say it slow. What’s down at the bunkhouse?”
+
+“A medium!”
+
+“Medium what?”
+
+“Medium nothin’--just a medium! A guy what tells the future!”
+
+Light dawned slowly.
+
+“You mean a fortune-teller!” Roy exclaimed. “That it?”
+
+“Uh-huh. Say, he’s a pip! You ought to see him! Got a funny thing
+around his head. Rode up in a little buckboard. Talks some funny kind
+of language. He’s waitin’ down there now. Wish my wife was here, ’stead
+of in the city. She loves that stuff. She’s mostly Mexican, you know.
+Come on down!”
+
+“Where did you say he was?”
+
+“Waitin’ near the bunkhouse. Golly, I wish Pop was here--an’ Bug Eye!
+We could sure have some fun! Pop just pulled out as this gink came in.”
+
+“Wait till we put these broncs up, and we’ll be with you.”
+
+“All right; but hurry along.”
+
+The horses were tied to the hitching-rail, and the four punchers walked
+toward the bunkhouse, led by Gus. He was greatly delighted with the new
+experience of meeting a medium. Chances for entertainment are few and
+far between on Western ranches, and when it comes the buckers make the
+most of it.
+
+“There he is! See him?” Gus whispered in a thrilled tone, pointing.
+“Snakes, ain’t he a beaut?”
+
+And indeed he was a “beaut.”
+
+Seated on the ground near the door of the bunkhouse, legs curled up out
+of sight under him, was a strange figure. A bright blue fez crowned
+a dark, swarthy countenance. A long, flowing robe of green and yellow
+enveloped him. A vivid red sash was wound several times about his
+waist, giving him the appearance of a bag of potatoes--but a bag of
+such colors as was never seen in that part of the world. Close to him
+was the buckboard, a forlorn donkey standing dejectedly between the
+shafts.
+
+Catching sight of the four men, the medium arose smoothly, like a snake
+unwinding, and, spreading his hands wide, he bowed.
+
+“Come in, come in, gent’men,” he droned in a low monotone. “I wait for
+you.”
+
+“Come in where?” Nick asked blankly.
+
+“What matter? Into my fold. I see before me--” he paused.
+
+“What do you see before you?” Gus inquired curiously.
+
+“That I weesh to know,” and the medium smiled blandly. “You mus’ tell
+me, no?”
+
+“I don’t exactly get--” Nick began, when Teddy interrupted.
+
+“He wants to know who we are. This is Nick Looker, and this is Gus
+Tripp. The gentleman there is my brother, Roy Manley. I’m Teddy Manley.
+This is our ranch, the X Bar X. That do you?”
+
+“Please no get angry,” the man pleaded, and smiled again, sensing a
+slight antagonism in Teddy’s voice. “I mean no harm. I help you.
+I tell you--” He looked up at the sky, and waved his arms. “I tell
+you everything! What has been, what is to be! Nothing is hidden! You
+listen, no?” His voice dropped suddenly, leaving him gazing eagerly
+forward.
+
+“Well, maybe,” Roy answered, not wishing to commit himself. “How much?”
+
+“That--the gold--I care not for. It is for the happiness of you that
+I tell, young man. But--we must live. Shall we say five dollars--each
+one?”
+
+“We shall not,” Teddy said. “That’s too much. Two dollars apiece.”
+
+“Three dollars?”
+
+“Two, I said.”
+
+The man bowed.
+
+“You know best. It is not good that we become greedy for gold. For two
+dollars I will give you a life reading.”
+
+“What’s that?” Gus demanded, watching the man with a fascinated stare.
+
+“It is the telling of your life--what has been, what is to be. I do it
+thus.”
+
+From the folds of his robe the man produced a crystal globe with such
+suddenness that Nick unconsciously dodged. The East Indian, if such he
+was, smiled.
+
+“You think I hurt you, no? You think I have about me a cobra or a
+boomslang, no? That is foolishment. I am no cheat. I do not deal in
+trickery. I am a true fakir.”
+
+“Yo’re a faker, an’ you admit it?” Nick asked, with surprise in his
+voice. “How do you expect--”
+
+“Not faker, _fakir_,” the man corrected gently. “My name is Mohammed
+Ali Ben Suliman, by which you may know that I am of the true faith.”
+
+“Seems like a sincere little cuss,” Roy said in an aside to Teddy.
+“Probably has a hard time of it out here. What say we give him two
+bucks and let him do his stuff?”
+
+“Sure! Suits me. It’ll be fun, anyhow.” He turned to Mohammed. “Where
+do you do this crystal-gazing?”
+
+“Any place where I and my friend can be alone.” The blue eyes twinkled
+for a moment. “If you are afraid, young man,--”
+
+“Afraid of what?” Gus asked wonderingly and truculently.
+
+“Of what I shall tell you.”
+
+“Guess that needn’t worry us,” Nick snickered. “Go ahead, boy; we’ll
+stand for anything!”
+
+“Yes?” the little man smiled again, inscrutably. “I wish for you a good
+fortune. Who will be the first?”
+
+“You, Nick,” Gus whispered. “See what he says. Go on.”
+
+“Naw, you try it first. You found him. Or maybe Roy or Teddy--”
+
+“We’re in no hurry,” Roy declared, grinning. “You can have the freedom
+of the bunkhouse.”
+
+“Bunkhouse? What is that?” Mohammed asked curiously.
+
+Roy pointed. “In there. Where the boys sleep. That all right?”
+
+The mystic bowed. “What you say. We shall go into the bunkhouse.”
+
+“Good name for it,” Teddy chuckled, but not so Mohammed could hear him.
+He had no wish to offend the man, who appeared slightly frightened and
+not at all assertive. He kept eyeing the guns the boys, in obedience to
+the command of their father, had by their sides.
+
+“Well, I’ll go first,” Gus declared at last. “Can’t Nick come in with
+me?”
+
+“I do not like it,” Mohammed said dubiously. “Better alone. But it can
+be done. If the man wishes, anyone can listen.”
+
+“Then we can all go in!” said Gus, and Teddy fancied his voice
+expressed relief. “I don’t care who hears my future. The past--well,
+let ’er come. Reckon I can stand that, too.”
+
+“If you will go first--” and Mohammed made a motion with his slim,
+nervous hand. “I shall follow.”
+
+Gus entered, and Mohammed walked slowly behind him. Teddy asked him if
+it was all right to leave the donkey.
+
+“Stamboul will stand for days,” the little man declared solemnly. “He
+has the true gift of patience. I have taught him.”
+
+Once within the bunkhouse, he looked about him eagerly.
+
+“You sleep here?”
+
+“Sure do,” Nick replied. “All of us. Good, too. Why?”
+
+“Nothing,” and Mohammed sighed. “Under these so blue skys, I myself
+would live. No roof would cover me. Still--”
+
+“Not in the winter you wouldn’t,” Gus chuckled. “Gets thirty below out
+here.”
+
+Mohammed nodded absently. It is doubtful if he understood.
+
+“I use the table, yes?” he asked, after a moment.
+
+“Sure. Go to it,” Roy agreed. “Here’s a chair.” He pulled one up. “Take
+a seat.”
+
+“Take a--ah, yes. Now young man,” he looked at Gus. “If you will be
+across from me--”
+
+Gus, a trifle nervously, seated himself on the other side of the table.
+
+“Not goin’ to hypnotize, are you?” he asked, with an attempt at humor.
+“We had a feller do that once. He didn’t make out so well.”
+
+“I do not do thus,” Mohammed answered seriously. “That is black magic.
+I am afraid for that. Now you will give me your hand, please?”
+
+Gus forced a smile, and stretched out his hand limply. Mohammed grasped
+it.
+
+“Tight, please. That is it. Now for a moment, quiet. You will make a
+wish. When you have made it, say ‘yes’.”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XV
+
+                            MYSTERIOUS DANGER
+
+
+There was a moment’s silence, while Gus essayed a grin which failed to
+live up to his expectations. The brown face across the table was too
+much in earnest, too sincere, to allow for any levity. Then, in a low
+voice, Gus said:
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“Very well. It is not for me to say what your wish is. You know that.
+Later, I shall say if it will occur. Now, please look at me.”
+
+Gus stared across the table like a bird looking into the eyes of a cat.
+Suddenly he flushed, and shifted his eyes. The brown man smiled.
+
+“It is not so hard, is it?”
+
+“Huh? Oh, you got that, hey? I was afraid--”
+
+“You were afraid I was trying to hold your eyes, and you moved them to
+find out. Is that not so?”
+
+“That’s right,” Gus admitted uneasily.
+
+“He’s clever!” Roy whispered to Teddy, in admiration. “Bet he knows a
+lot about psychology.”
+
+If Mohammed heard him, he made no sign.
+
+“There are many things I see for you,” he said slowly, “many, many
+things. Some good, some bad. First I shall tell you of what you have
+been. You were born in a very hot country, no?”
+
+“Uh-huh. On the border,” Gus admitted laconically.
+
+“I know not that place. But I see that you have the nature of the
+south. Slow, gentle, kind. I, myself, have that nature. You do not like
+excitement.”
+
+“Nor work,” Nick added, _sotto voce_.
+
+“What? No, young man, that is not so. This man is not lazy. He goes
+carefully, that is all. He like not to jump into things. And that is
+good. One thing I sorry for. You have not music in your life, as you
+should.”
+
+“Huh? I can’t play nothin’.”
+
+“I not understand what you say, ‘play.’ I tell you that you should have
+music, and you have not. Too bad. You have the soul for it. Now, you
+are married, no?”
+
+“Yep.”
+
+“Your wife, she, I think, is from hot country. That kind of girl go
+with your nature. Some time, I think before you marry, you have trouble
+with this girl--you not be so sure of her. I see you unhappy for a
+time. Is that true?”
+
+“That’s true,” Gus answered. He looked up at Roy. The boy was
+observing Mohammed intently.
+
+“You would like to know something of the future?”
+
+“Go ahead.”
+
+“Eleven months from now you will be most un-happy. I cannot say why,
+but I see it for you. That will pass. You must remember that it will
+pass. You will never be much rich. But you will have that which is
+better than riches--health and love. Your life will be long. Never
+shall you cross great water. The big world shall not know of you, but
+along your path those friends you have will honor you. Should you have
+music into your life, it will help you to happiness. And you will some
+day be a fine, wonderful musician if you allow the music to enter.
+Still your path is not into the cities, but through fields. Your music
+will be for your friends, not for the world. There will be one who will
+know how great a musician you could become. That is your wife.” He
+paused, and put a hand to his head. “That--is all.”
+
+Gus sat quietly, staring down at the table. The thoughts that were
+running through his head showed in his face--wonderment at the brown
+man’s powers of divination, memories of what had happened so long ago
+in Vegas. Suddenly he grinned, and looked up.
+
+“You sure hit ’em right, Mo! Say, can I ask you any questions?”
+
+“As much as you will.”
+
+“Well, have I got anyone who’s lookin’ to do me dirt?”
+
+“What? I cannot see this, what you mean ‘dirt’.”
+
+“He means any enemies,” Teddy explained.
+
+“Enemies! Now listen. In this room I feel that all are friends--good
+friends. Yet there is something that trys to get in--someone who is
+an enemy to all here. Yes, young man, you have an enemy, but not of
+yourself--he is enemy because of what you are, not because who your
+are.”
+
+“Yea. Maybe. But I don’t get what you--”
+
+“You mean that someone is his enemy because he is a friend of ours?”
+Roy asked bluntly.
+
+“That is it, young man,” Mohammed answered, not at all dismayed. “You,
+all of you, have those who wish you not well. They seek to harm you.”
+
+“An’ will they?” Nick demanded, leaning forward.
+
+Mohammed kept silence for a moment, then spoke, slowly:
+
+“That, friend, is in the laps of the gods. I may not tell you of it.
+Please, you will excuse now?” He smiled appealingly.
+
+“Sure! You earned your money,” Teddy said quickly. “If you’ll do a
+trick for us, we’ll give you five bucks--altogether. How about it?”
+
+“Trick? Perhaps.” He gazed long at Teddy, then nodded, as though the
+boy had told him something. Later Teddy explained that he wanted Gus to
+forget what he had been told, and to get his mind on other things Teddy
+had suggested the trick. The brown man realized his purpose without
+knowing the reason, and consented to work “magic” for them.
+
+They leaned forward eagerly as the mystic took from the folds of his
+robe a small flower pot. The thoughtful expression left Gus’s face and
+he grinned happily.
+
+“Gee, I allus wanted to see this!” he exclaimed. “You gonna make a
+plant grow, ain’t you?”
+
+Mohammed nodded and smiled.
+
+“I shall do an attempt,” he said. “Not always succeed. Watch, please.”
+
+Over the pot he waved his hands, intoning, the while, words in a
+strange language, the only expression of which Teddy was sure was
+“_Allah Akbar_.” Then, before the astonished gaze of his audience, a
+stem pushed its way through the earth. Higher and higher it grew, while
+they watched, and then tiny oranges came into being. Leaves sprouted.
+The plant flourished, and a faint, sweet perfume came from it.
+
+“Golly!” Nick breathed. “She’s growin’!”
+
+At a height of about five inches the development stopped. Mohammed
+dropped his hands, and bowed.
+
+“It is finished,” he said simply. “Take and eat this.”
+
+He pulled an orange off and handed it to Roy, who broke it open. The
+fruit inside was fresh and fragrant.
+
+“Can we have the tree?” he asked.
+
+Mohammed shook his head.
+
+“So sorry--that I must keep. See--”
+
+He waved his hands again, and the tree shrank. Smaller and smaller it
+grew, until finally it disappeared altogether. Then he seized the pot
+and concealed it once more beneath his robe.
+
+“Great!” Gus cried enthusiastically. “Good stuff, Mo! Golly, I wish I
+could learn that! Here’s my two bucks. It sure was worth it.”
+
+“Save it, Gus,” Roy said, and handed Mohammed a five dollar bill. The
+brown man pocketed it casually. “Thank you,” he said.
+
+“Where you goin’ from here?” Nick inquired.
+
+The shoulders shrugged. “Who knows? I shall travel with Stamboul. Once
+more, I thank you.” He bowed low, and walked toward the door.
+
+“Mind if my brother and I ride a way with you?” Roy asked suddenly.
+
+Mohammed gazed at him in surprise.
+
+“If you so wish,” he said finally. “We follow no path, Stamboul and I.
+You are welcome.”
+
+Teddy, at a motion from his brother, ran toward the hitching-rail and
+returned with Star and Flash. They mounted while the brown man seated
+himself in his wagon.
+
+“So long, Mo!” Nick called. “Good luck!”
+
+Mohammed smiled his answer and picked up the reins. Stamboul came to
+life wearily, and moved off. Teddy and Roy followed at a short distance
+behind.
+
+“Don’t say anything for a while,” Roy whispered. “Not till we get a way
+out.”
+
+Mohammed Ali Ben Suliman sat upright, his long robe trailing over the
+edge of the wagon. Stamboul walked on, and when the mystic had passed
+over a little hill, out of sight of the ranch, he turned.
+
+“Looks kind of like rain, doesn’t it?” he called, every trace of his
+accent gone.
+
+Teddy started. Roy smiled.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XVI
+
+                        THE START OF THE ROUND-UP
+
+
+“Sure does,” Roy answered Mohammed Ali Ben Suliman’s question casually.
+He saw that Teddy was about to speak, and silenced him with a glance.
+Both boys urged their ponies forward until they were close to the man
+in the buckboard.
+
+“Mind telling us your real name?” Roy asked pleasantly.
+
+“Who, me? Not at all.” The man drew his fez from his head, reached into
+his robes, and filled and lit a pipe before answering. “I can’t take
+these robes off,” he apologized. “It’d scare the donkey if he turned
+around. My name is Benjamin Sullivan. I’m a professor of psychology in
+the university of Middleton. That, in case you don’t know it, which you
+don’t, is what is known as a jerk-water college.”
+
+“A professor of psychology!” Teddy exclaimed. “Then you’re not--”
+
+“Hardly,” and the professor grinned. “This is what I do every vacation.
+It--er--adds to my income--” he coughed--“and also to my knowledge.
+It’s wonderful practice for a psychologist. Say, would you mind telling
+me how you got on to me?” he asked Roy. “I knew you realized I wasn’t
+what I pretended to be when you were watching me at the table.”
+
+“Well, there wasn’t any psychology about that,” Roy chuckled. “When
+you drew your robes back to get the flower pot I saw the pipe sticking
+out of your top pocket. Never heard of an East Indian yet who smoked a
+briar.”
+
+“You saw that, did you? I’ll have to remember to put it in my trousers’
+pocket after this. Get along there, Stamboul. Then you rode out with me
+just to let me know I hadn’t gotten away with anything?”
+
+“Not altogether,” Roy answered seriously. “You mentioned something
+about our enemies. Was that a stab in the dark, or did you really know
+what you were talking about?”
+
+Professor Sullivan puffed silently for a moment.
+
+“Well, I’ll tell you,” he said finally. “Last night I was traveling
+through a small town about ten miles from here. Let’s see--Bed Rock, or
+something like that.”
+
+“Red Rock!” Teddy exclaimed eagerly.
+
+“Red Rock--that’s it. Just outside of the town I came upon a campfire.
+I was hungry, so I stopped. There were four men there. One was tall,
+and had a wart on his nose. Another was much shorter. The other two
+I didn’t get a very good look at. Well, I pretended not to understand
+much English, and offered to tell their fortunes for a meal. They
+accepted. I didn’t like the looks of any of them, and concluded that
+none of them made his living by hard work. So I took a chance, and told
+them that pretty soon they were going to receive some property or goods
+that they would get for nothing.”
+
+“What did they say then?” Roy demanded.
+
+“Nothing. But they looked enough. I followed this lead, and I could
+tell every time I hit it right by the way they acted. Then one of them
+whispered to another. They didn’t think I heard, but I did.”
+
+“What was it they whispered?”
+
+“It was this: ‘Sounds like he knows we got that Manley bunch sewed up
+cold.’”
+
+Teddy whistled, long and low. Roy’s face was alight with interest.
+
+“Anything else? Do you know who we are?”
+
+“The last question first. Yes, I do. You told me. No, that’s all I
+heard.”
+
+“It was plenty!” Teddy said grimly. “Golly, Professor, you sure had
+me fooled! They think they’ve got us sewed up, do they?” His mind,
+youthful, jumped from one topic to another.
+
+“If you don’t mind, Mr. Sullivan, we’ll leave you here,” Roy said
+suddenly. “Thanks very much for your information. And--good luck.”
+
+“Same to you,” Professor Sullivan returned graciously. “If I hear
+anything else I’ll try to let you know. I take it those men I met last
+night aren’t friends of yours?”
+
+“Not so you could notice it,” Teddy replied. “The fact is, we think
+they’re rustlers.”
+
+“Hum! I suspected as much. Well, it takes all sorts to make up a world,
+you know. Good-bye, boys. Giddap, Stamboul!”
+
+“So long!”
+
+Teddy and Roy turned, and started for the ranch. They got one last
+sight of the professor before he disappeared into a valley. He had
+replaced his fez, and the smoke from his pipe drifted about him like a
+mystic haze. The wagon creaked, bounced over a stone, and was out of
+sight.
+
+“Professor of psychology!” Teddy said thoughtfully. “Can you beat that!”
+
+“Funny cuss, isn’t he?” Roy remarked. “Clever as they come. Look how he
+spotted Gus. Say, I wonder who that fourth man at the Lefton camp was?
+I suppose you recognized his description of the Lefton boys?”
+
+“Sure did. Reckon Mob Jamisson was there. As to the fourth--Peterson,
+do you think?”
+
+“I was going to mention that. Doesn’t seem likely, though, after his
+warning us against rustlers. But you can’t always tell. Gee, I’ll be
+glad when round-up is over and we get the cattle safe in Red Rock.”
+
+“Same here. Shall we tell the boys who Mohammed was?”
+
+“No, let’s not. They got a lot of fun out of it, and why spoil it?
+Chances are they wouldn’t believe us, anyhow. He sure did look the
+part. Well, Teddy, my boy, in three days the real work starts. We’ll
+have to let our rodeo practice go for a while, I guess. Dad is going
+to need all our time for the round-up. Need everybody, if the Leftons
+start anything. Well, let ’em come. I’d like to see Mob Jamisson for a
+few minutes, myself.”
+
+The three days that followed were busy ones. There was much outriding
+to be done, to insure the condition of the cattle and to make certain
+that none of them had been rustled. A close guard was kept, and the
+two boys had their share of this dreary work. All cattle that showed
+any signs of disease were thoroughly inspected and cut from the herd.
+There were many ponies to be shod, for when out on the round-up there
+was no time to stop and lead in a bronco that had cast a shoe and was
+splitting its hoof against the hard earth. Flash and Star stood quietly
+while this disturbing operation was accomplished, but some of the other
+ponies, notably Angelica, were not so well mannered.
+
+In the hustle of preparation the Lefton brothers and Mob Jamisson were
+almost forgotten.
+
+Almost, but not quite. Peterson visited the ranch on the evening before
+the round-up, and again remarked that he had heard of rustlers in the
+vicinity.
+
+“Don’t forget that forfeit,” he added meaningly. “Going to be able to
+get the six hundred head to Red Rock on time?”
+
+“Why not?” Mr. Manley countered. “If you and your playmates--”
+
+He did not finish the sentence, not wishing to antagonize the man. But
+when Peterson left, Mr. Manley confessed to Roy that if his price had
+not been met so quickly he would have told Peterson the deal was off.
+
+“Can’t quite afford to let this chance slip,” he said regretfully.
+“Even if, as you say, Peterson knows the Lefton boys an’ maybe is
+a rustler himself. I sure wish his boss would deal direct with me.
+Peterson showed me a letter from Chicago, with the name of a well-known
+firm on top, addressed to him, so I guess he’s reliable enough. But,
+somehow, I don’t take to him--always got an idea that he’s out to cheat
+us if he can. Suppose it’s only my imagination, though.”
+
+As the ranch sought its rest that night, Mr. Manley declared that he
+was satisfied with the preparations. The morrow would see the start of
+the round-up, and the punchers went to their bunks early. A round-up,
+while savoring of the romance of the West, is actually just another bit
+of distasteful work heaped on the already overloaded shoulders of the
+poor cowboy--at least, according to him. But it is necessary, and the
+punchers know it.
+
+The reason for a round-up is not, contrary to fiction, for the purpose
+of allowing the buckers an opportunity of showing off their riding
+ability and giving them a chance to shoot and yell. It is the only
+method there is to herd all the animals of a particular ranch to one
+spot, for the purpose of checking them, removing the cattle which do
+not belong where found to their proper ranges, and sorting out those to
+be sold.
+
+It is tiresome work, replete with danger, and everyone is glad when it
+is over.
+
+The corrals used by the X Bar X for the round-up were far distant from
+the ranch house. They had been repaired in anticipation of the huge
+herds of cattle they must soon accommodate, and at the first streak
+of dawn the chuck wagon under the guidance of Sing Lung, started its
+creaking journey toward the point of deployment. This wagon was a
+traveling kitchen, for during round-up time the boys ate and slept on
+the range.
+
+The extra saddle ponies were driven out, in charge of Pop Burns and
+Gus. They were to be held in reserve until a puncher needed a fresh
+bronco, for the work was of such a laborious nature that frequent
+changes of mounts were necessary. Every horse, except the ones to be
+ridden by the punchers, was sent after the chuck wagon.
+
+With the home corral empty, the ranch took on a deserted appearance.
+And at six o’clock Teddy, Roy, Mr. Manley and the punchers started for
+the range.
+
+The round-up was under way.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XVII
+
+                               DRIVING IN
+
+
+Straight toward the rising sun the herders rode. The corral, within
+which the cattle were to be driven, was about seven miles out, and they
+were to go there and get their instructions from Mr. Manley.
+
+There were eight riders in the group, led by Teddy, Roy and their
+father. The others were trailing along behind. In the extreme rear rode
+Nick Looker and Jules Kolto.
+
+“Peach of a day,” Teddy remarked. “Thought sure we’d have rain--always
+does pour when you don’t want it to.”
+
+“Teddy, you and Roy are going to be round-up bosses,” Mr. Manley
+stated. “I reckon you knew that, anyway. Roy, you’d better put a good
+tally-man on the job. I want to know just how many, if any, we’re shy
+since the spring.”
+
+“Right, Dad. Now about the six hundred we’re bringing to Red Rock! Want
+them herded into the corral first?”
+
+“No, I reckon not. Only waste time that-a-way. There’s a bunch of
+dogies far down on the southwest corner--or they were the last I
+heard--that I’m countin’ on for that herd. Best and fattest of the lot.
+How many men do you want with you?”
+
+“You mean to get that bunch together and drive ’em to Red Rock?”
+
+“Yep.”
+
+“Well, what do you think, Teddy? Suppose we take Nick, Gus and Pop. Or
+do you want them to--”
+
+“Nope--you can have ’em. These boys back there all know their
+business.” He motioned with his head to those following. “But we won’t
+start the drive until to-morrow. I want to get the rest together--as
+many as I can--first.”
+
+They rode on quietly for some little while, each man busy with his own
+thoughts. The day was perfect--bright, with the tang of coming winter
+in the air. Everything seemed to be going perfectly--too perfectly, Roy
+thought, to last. There came vividly to him the memory of Professor
+Sullivan and of what the professor had heard the Leftons say: “--got
+’em sewed up cold.” For all the beauty of the tall, imposing mountains
+surrounding them and the deep blue sky overhead, Roy found it hard to
+shake off a feeling of uneasiness. It appeared to him like the calm
+before a storm.
+
+He did not confide his fears to his father, however, for he realized
+that they were based on mere suspicion.
+
+“Trouble with me is, I think too much,” he said grimly to himself.
+“Chances are the Leftons and Mob Jamisson aren’t within miles of this
+place. Keeping out of sight of the sheriff, most likely. But if they
+wanted to, they sure could cause us plenty of trouble now.”
+
+This was no more than the truth. Anything can happen in round-up time,
+and it does not take much to cause it to happen.
+
+“Have to forget that stuff,” Roy thought, and chuckled. Teddy looked
+over at him.
+
+“Joke?” he asked.
+
+“No--just ideas. Hope Sing Lung has got some grub rustled for us when
+we get there. I’m hungry.”
+
+“What, again? Better save it till dinner. It’s a long time between
+meals out here. Well, a mile more, and we’ll arrive.”
+
+“Um, arrive. That’s a good word, too. Much more elegant than saying
+we’ll be there.”
+
+Teddy bowed mockingly, though it failed to impress Roy because Flash
+stepped into a badger hole at the moment and interrupted the gesture.
+
+“Nell likes big words, you know,” he said loftily, when he had
+straightened out the pony. “You should practice up a bit.”
+
+“Counting on Curley coming to the rodeo?” Roy asked innocently.
+
+“What for--to see me fall off? Hope not.”
+
+“Yes-s-s-s, you hope not! Hear that, Dad? He doesn’t want Curley to see
+him in the rodeo!”
+
+“That so, Son?” Mr. Manley said, grinning. “You’ve got to have someone
+to hand the first prize to. Might as well be Ethel.”
+
+“That doesn’t worry me,” Teddy laughed. “All the first prizes I get
+I’ll carry home in a handkerchief.”
+
+They now came in sight of the corral, or rather the corral they were to
+use as a base. The chuck wagon was already there, with smoke pouring
+out of the stack.
+
+“We eat, boys!” Mr. Manley called to those following. The breakfast at
+the ranch house had been a sketchy affair, and he felt, wisely, that a
+good meal would do more than anything else to urge the punchers on to
+their labors.
+
+As the riders spurred their horses forward, Sing Lung appeared at the
+door of the chuck wagon.
+
+“Come gettee!” he yelled.
+
+“An’ we will, brother--we will!” Nat Raymond shouted.
+
+The men dismounted, and, picketing their horses, crowded around the
+wagon. They realized that this was to be their last meal for a good
+many hours, and they were going to make the most of it.
+
+“What is it, Sing--stew?”
+
+“Bet it’s bean soup!”
+
+“Naw, he’s got strawberry short-cake for us! See the strawberries?”
+
+“They ain’t strawberries--that’s his checkered shirt, stupid!”
+
+When the meal was dished out, it proved to be some concoction of veal
+and bread dressing. At least it was popular, and many of the riders
+clamored for “more!”
+
+This second breakfast was concluded, and the men gathered about Mr.
+Manley for instructions. It was now eight o’clock, with the sun fully
+up. A fresh breeze blew from the east, causing the ponies to sniff
+loudly and joyfully. They, too, were impatient to begin.
+
+The corral they were to use as the base of operations was about an
+eighth of a mile from the chuck wagon. This corral was connected to
+several smaller ones by a system of gates, so that the main herd could
+be driven in and then separated and sorted into their respective
+enclosures.
+
+“Well, boys, here’s the program,” Mr. Manley said. “You can all hear
+me, can’t you?”
+
+“Yep!”
+
+“Go ahead, boss!”
+
+“I’ve got a deal on for six hundred head of cattle. Suppose you all
+know that. It’s important that these cattle be up to expectations, and
+also that they get to Red Rock on time--for certain reasons.”
+
+He paused, and glanced around him. The punchers were listening intently.
+
+“We’ve had a bit of trouble with two or three waddies who haven’t any
+love for this outfit,” he continued slowly. “I’m not mentioning any
+names. You can guess them, I reckon. And if they aim to make trouble,
+we’ll have to give ’em as good as they send. Get me?”
+
+“Sure thing, boss!”
+
+“All right I’m just tellin’ you to watch your step. Now I guess that’s
+settled.” He drew a deep breath. “Teddy and Roy here are the round-up
+bosses. If you want instructions an’ I’m not around, you go to them.
+One man has got to stay near this here wagon, to watch the extra
+horses. That’ll be you, Joe.” He nodded to a small man who was leaning
+against the wheel.
+
+“Right, boss! I get’cha.”
+
+“The rest of us will start on the herd in the northern corner of the
+range. We’ll ride out from here, and circle every cow we see toward
+this corral. The bunch that goes to Red Rock is in the southwest part,
+an’ we won’t hit them to-day. Everything understood?”
+
+“O.K!”
+
+“Then let’s go. Joe, you stick around here. ’Bout two o’clock remind
+Sing Lung that grub will be appreciated. Come on, you buckers!”
+
+There was a rush for horses. Each man vaulted into his saddle and swung
+his steed about. Hats were raised high into the air and brought down
+sharply on the ponies’ flanks. Spurs were brought into play.
+
+“Let’s go-o-o-o-o!”
+
+“Yip-yip-yipe-e-e-e-e!”
+
+Like children on a holiday, they started. The harder a piece of work to
+be done the more ceremonious is the beginning. And a round-up occurs
+only twice a year.
+
+Out across the range they rode, Mr. Manley leading, Teddy and Roy
+following close behind. After the first burst of speed they quieted
+down, for the energies of the ponies had to be conserved.
+
+Mile after mile they traveled. By ten-thirty they reached the spot they
+were to begin circling from--a small knoll at the extreme edge of the
+Manley range. On their way they had passed many herds of cattle, some
+numbering no more than fifty, some containing two hundred head. All
+these had to be gathered together and driven into the base corral.
+
+At a signal from Mr. Manley, the men separated, forming themselves in
+a long skirmish line. This line was converged at each end, to make a
+semicircle. So widely apart were the riders that they stretched over
+nearly two miles of territory.
+
+Teddy was on one end, Roy on the other, and their father was the center
+man. Slowly they started, each man keeping his distance, none getting
+ahead of the others. Everything that ran on four legs was to be driven
+in by the advancing line.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XVIII
+
+                          TEDDY GETS HIS ORDERS
+
+
+As the men rode forward, a small herd, some seventy-five or a hundred
+head, which was grazing quietly in a shallow valley, looked up
+inquisitively. The horsemen did not quicken their pace, but proceeded
+calmly toward the cows.
+
+“Mostly yearlings,” Roy called to Nick, who was next to him in line.
+“Yearling” is the term used by the cowboy to denote an animal two or
+three years old, and intended for food rather than for breeding.
+
+Now the advancing line came to the cows. A few men let out their
+“yip-yip-yip-eee!” and the herd, aroused, quitted their grazing ground
+and trotted forward, in the same direction, of course, as the men were
+headed. These were the first of the round-up, and formed the base of
+what was later to become a huge parade of animals.
+
+These ranges were all fenced in, and hence the round-up was not so
+difficult as it would have been if the cattle had to be driven in from
+open prairie. Yet the fenced territory was so large that for many
+purposes it was still unprotected range. Perhaps there was fifty or
+seventy-five miles of fence surrounding the Manley lands. Necessarily
+there were many breaks in this long stretch, through which animals from
+other ranges might stray, as well as antelopes and deer. These mixed
+with the stock and had to be weeded out, and a round-up was the weeding
+machine.
+
+The riders walked their horses onward, keeping a constant pace, and
+the cattle finally adjusted themselves to this speed and went forward
+resignedly. On the far end of the line, where Teddy rode, another herd
+was picked up. These, seeing their brethren in the distance, went to
+meet them, and the two herds were merged into one, near the center of
+the line.
+
+Now Mr. Manley left his place, motioning to those on each side of him
+to close up and fill the gap. He circled around until he came out in
+front of the walking cattle. From now on the riders were to take their
+pace from him.
+
+Everything was done quietly and in orderly fashion. The men were silent
+for the most part, keeping their ponies to a steady walk and watching
+for a break in the bunch of cows. It came when they encountered the
+third herd.
+
+Teddy, on one end, and Roy, on the other, had moved up until they were
+riding opposite the two sides of the herd. Suddenly Teddy saw a beast
+leave his companions and cut out diagonally across his line of march.
+He waited, rather hoping the steer would depart quietly, and willing to
+let him go rather than create a panic by forcing him back. But another
+beef followed, and another, until twenty-five or thirty were running
+wild.
+
+The time had come for action. Unless they were brought quickly back,
+the whole herd might break, and the round-up would have to be started
+anew. Teddy yelled to Gus.
+
+“Circle ’em in! Come up--come up!”
+
+He dashed forward, Gus behind him. They swept about on the outside of
+the running cattle.
+
+“Get in there, you crazy loons!” Teddy shouted. “Back you go! Take ’em
+back, Flash!”
+
+At the sight of two forms flanking them in whirlwinds of dust, the
+cattle hesitated, stopped, and gave ponderous thought to the situation.
+Why were they breaking out of line? It was much easier to rejoin their
+plodding mates. And then, all thought of flight disappearing, they
+turned, pawed the earth for a moment, and trotted back into the herd.
+Teddy breathed a sigh of relief.
+
+“Had plenty luck then, Gus!”
+
+“I’ll say! Thought we had a job on our hands. Those fool cattle were
+achin’ to start somethin’. We cured ’em, though. Whew! Some hot!”
+
+Wiping his face with his sleeve, he pulled his neckerchief up until it
+covered his mouth and nose, thus to protect him from the heavy dust.
+Teddy also had his face thus covered, as did the other riders. This
+is the true reason for the cowboy’s red bandanna, worn, except on
+occasions like this, loosely about his neck.
+
+Once more the line moved forward. Mr. Manley, from his position in
+front, had seen the work of Teddy and Gus, and nodded approvingly to
+himself.
+
+“Good boy,” he muttered. “Did that like an expert. Saved a lot of
+trouble then.”
+
+The herd had increased with astonishing rapidity. As they went along
+all grazing cattle would be gathered in the net. Three days before Mr.
+Manley had received word that one herd, numbering some six or seven
+hundred head, had wandered so far afield as to be out of reach of the
+line of riders. This was a piece of unexpected good fortune, for it
+meant that these could be left there until ready to be driven to Red
+Rock and delivered to Peterson. All of them, or nearly all, were steers
+in the technical meaning of the term, indicating that they were ready
+to be sold for meat. Nick had reported that they were fat and healthy;
+indeed, the pick of the lot.
+
+Mr. Manley, as he rode along, felt a glow of satisfaction.
+
+“These behind me will be in the corral by night,” he said to himself.
+“Then to-morrow Teddy and Roy can take the six hundred over in the
+southwest part to Red Rock, and we’ll be all set. Reckon I did a lot
+of worrying for nothing. Those Lefton boys probably gave up the ship.
+An’ Mob Jamisson ought to be out of the country by now.” As he rode
+he whistled a tune newly come to the X Bar X via a phonograph record:
+“This is my lucky day.”
+
+“It is, too,” he muttered. “Reckon I’m pretty fortunate in having two
+sons like Teddy an’ Roy. Pretty good ole world, after all!”
+
+Nearer and nearer the corral came the driven cattle. The sun was
+directly overhead, beaming cruelly, causing the sweat to pour down the
+faces of the riders. Beneath their protecting neckerchiefs Teddy and
+Roy felt the perspiration streaking in rivulets down their cheeks. They
+were hot, dusty, and tired. But their job was still before them, and
+they went on without a murmur.
+
+Occasionally an animal would break, causing confusion and necessitating
+quick work. But as the corral came into view, they had held most of the
+herd intact.
+
+Mr. Manley glanced behind him. The cattle were lowing nervously,
+impatient at the slow, steady pace they had been forced to adopt for
+so long a time. Another hour of this and open mutiny would take place
+within their ranks.
+
+Mr. Manley motioned to Pop Burns, who was nearest, to come closer. The
+veteran ranger left his place in line and rode slowly around the herd
+and approached his boss. Wisely he waited until he was within speaking
+distance before asking any questions. At a moment like this any unusual
+sound might cause a stampede.
+
+“Want me, boss?” he inquired quietly.
+
+“Yep. Ride back and tell Teddy he’s to take this bunch in.”
+
+“Take ’em in, hey!” The puncher whistled. “That’s a right dangerous
+job. But I reckon he can do it. All right, boss.”
+
+He rode off. Fifteen minutes later Teddy reached his father, it having
+taken that long to make the circuit of the herd.
+
+“All set, Teddy?”
+
+“Sure thing, Dad.” The boy shifted in his saddle, but smiled gamely.
+“Guess Flash will stand the strain. I never brought ’em in before, but
+there’s nothing like starting. Want me to take the lead now?”
+
+“Uh-huh. I’ll ride the flank you had. Now listen. Keep ’em down for
+half an hour more, if you can. Then go into a trot. Soon as you get ’em
+moving well--let ’em ride. Get me?”
+
+“I get you, Dad. Half an hour ought to bring us pretty near. Well, so
+long. See you later.”
+
+“So long, Teddy.”
+
+Mr. Manley turned and rode away. Never once did he glance back. But as
+he took Teddy’s place in line his heart was thumping madly.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XIX
+
+                             INTO THE CORRAL
+
+
+Teddy, himself, realized the post of danger that he held. Behind him
+came some three thousand cattle--some horned and all hoofed with bone
+as sharp as steel. He, alone, was to guide that thunderous herd into
+the corral, between the wing-like gates. Half an hour more he had--then
+the test would come. The boy leaned low in his saddle and patted his
+pony’s side.
+
+“It’s up to us, Flash,” he said softly. “But I’m glad dad gave me the
+job. It’ll show what I’m good for, at least. If I fail--I sha’n’t be
+here to know it.”
+
+He rode onward, never increasing his pace. All thought of Jamisson, of
+the Lefton brothers, of the fear of rustlers, had left his mind. He
+concentrated on one thing--getting these cattle into the corral.
+
+There were no more herds to be gathered in. Before him lay open
+country. Every animal on the range, except, of course, that one bunch
+of six hundred which had been purposely avoided, was in that crowd of
+plodding beasts behind him. If a break came now it would mean disaster.
+
+He heard a grunt of impatience from the leading cows and turned
+quickly. He saw heads being lowered and raised nervously. His eyes
+swept over a tossing sea of horns. Ten minutes more before the rush
+would come. Would they hold?
+
+Flash seemed to sense the tensity of his rider, and whinnied softly.
+
+“Steady, boy,” Teddy murmured. “Not yet. Save all you’ve got. We’ll
+need it later.”
+
+A mile or so in front of him loomed the corral. Was it time yet? Could
+Flash carry him to safety if he started now?
+
+He glanced back again. The cattle were closer to him, and he had not
+lagged. That meant that they were moving faster. Their grunts and
+lowings became more pronounced. A small section on the left broke into
+a run, goaded into activity by the long, slow march. Those in the
+center, directly behind Teddy, swerved to the right.
+
+“Here it comes!” thought the boy, breathing jerkily. “Steady, Flash!
+Just a little faster--jus-s-s-st a little.”
+
+The pony went into the trot. The cattle saw him pulling away from them,
+and unconsciously increased their speed. The circle of riders in the
+rear moved forward.
+
+Now the corral was but three-quarters of a mile away. Faster and faster
+came the cattle. At the instant, Teddy gave Flash his head.
+
+The horse leaped ahead. There was a sound of thunder, and the earth
+shook as the herd followed madly after the lone rider. A cloud of dust
+arose, blotting out the sun. Through the haze the corral showed faintly.
+
+“All you’ve got, baby!” Teddy panted. “Take ’em in!”
+
+The pony flashed over the ground like a brown streak. Close on his
+heels came the cattle, running with all their power, pressed on by
+those behind. The horse was doing his best, and still he increased the
+distance between him and the onrushing horns not a trifle. A steer on
+the rampage shows tremendous speed.
+
+Straight for the winged fences Teddy directed the pony. For a moment
+they were hidden from view, so thick was the dust, and when they came
+into sight again the boy was almost within them. And still he kept on.
+
+When it seemed as though he must surely be swept into the corral by the
+beasts behind him and cut to ribbons under their hoofs, he whirled the
+bronco. Flash answered the call. He shot to the left, his flank nearly
+grazed by the horns of the leaders, leaped frantically--and was clear.
+Teddy’s part was over.
+
+The rushing herd, unable to stop or to change direction, flowed through
+the gates into the corral. Those in front were smashed solidly against
+the fence at the extreme end. The others rushed forward, their momentum
+carrying them where they had no desire to go. Within four minutes it
+was finished--the cattle were safely within the corral, every last
+one of them. Sing Lung and Joe, who were waiting, rushed forward and
+dropped the bars. Teddy had not failed.
+
+Mr. Manley was the first to reach the boy, and Roy was the second.
+
+“Son, you’re there! Congratulations! Boy, you sure turned that trick!
+Shake!”
+
+Father and son clasped hands in a firm grip.
+
+“Thanks, Dad,” Teddy answered, grinning. “It was as much Flash as it
+was me. He practically did the whole thing.”
+
+“Don’t let him get away with that!” Roy shouted. “Teddy, congrats! That
+was a big job. And you did it, too.”
+
+“You mean ‘I done well’,” Teddy laughed. “Baby, I’m sort of shot! Let’s
+get off these ponies.”
+
+The men, dismounting, crowded about Teddy, shaking his hand, clapping
+him on the back, none too gently. And this praise was well deserved.
+It was the first time the boy had been “general” of a round-up, and
+everything had depended on his skill in starting the rush at precisely
+the right moment and not swinging out of the way a second too soon.
+Besides this, he had to keep the pace down at the most dangerous time,
+half an hour before he “broke” the cattle. In these few minutes the
+success of a round-up is decided. It means untold labor if the leader
+bungles his job--and death for the bungler under the feet of the cattle.
+
+The excitement wore off gradually, and the men sat down to their meal.
+The rest of the days on the round-up were to be spent on unromantic
+work--cutting out undesirable cattle, branding, “tailing” and so forth.
+Then the horses held in reserve would be needed, for this work is very
+wearing on the ponies. A careless puncher can easily ride a horse to
+death.
+
+During the meal talk flowed freely. The men were relieved of a great
+responsibility, and they reacted accordingly.
+
+“Teddy, there’s one thing I’m sorry for,” Roy declared, with a wink at
+his father.
+
+“Yea? Well, go ahead. I suppose it’s some sort of wise crack.”
+
+“Wise crack? Oh, no, nothing like that. I was thinking--”
+
+“Well, spill it! I’m waiting.”
+
+“Golly, Teddy, your face looks as though it had been painted with
+dirt! All in streaks.”
+
+“What of it? What were you going to say?”
+
+“Oh, yes. I was going to tell you something, wasn’t I? Well it was
+this.”
+
+He hesitated, until everyone was listening. Then he arose and bowed.
+
+“Teddy, my boy, if Curly could only see you now!”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XX
+
+                            THE STRANGE FIRE
+
+
+The ground in the shady side of the chuck wagon resembled a small
+section of a battlefield where carnage had been complete. Tired bodies
+were sprawled in every imaginable attitude, some reclining with their
+heads on their hard saddles, imagining themselves comfortable, some
+with feet raised above the rest of their bodies by the simple method
+of bracing them against the wagon wheels, others lying face downward,
+arms outstretched. They had earned their ease, and Mr. Manley declared
+a vacation for the remainder of the day.
+
+The sun touched the horizon before anyone stirred. Then Roy sat up,
+stretched, and poked Teddy with his foot. The boy jumped as though he
+had been shot.
+
+“Only me, sweetheart,” Roy said, grinning.
+
+“Huh? Golly, you scared me! I was dreaming of that bunch of beeves and
+I thought I was down under ’em. What time is it?”
+
+“Don’t know. Feels like time to eat. I--”
+
+“Hey, what’s all the noise about?” Nick, rubbing his eyes sleepily,
+looked about him. “Convention, or something?”
+
+“Nope. Just one of Roy’s cute little jokes. He had an idea he’d slept
+enough, so he kicked me. Needed company, I guess.”
+
+One by one the others came to life, yawning, stretching the kinks out
+of their muscles.
+
+“Hey, Sing, when do we eat?”
+
+“What’s on the men-oo for supper?”
+
+“Get offa my foot, you ape! By golly, you been sleepin’ right on my
+laig! An’ now, by jinks, that’s asleep! If I don’t warm you up for
+that--”
+
+Gus, letting out frequent yelps, hopped about, trying to restore the
+circulation in the benumbed member. Pop, who was the cause of this
+commotion, grinned happily.
+
+“Don’t he dance well? Funny he only uses one leg. Come on, open up,
+Gus. Show yore stuff. One, two, three, four! Let’s go! I wonder if my
+baby does the Charleston--Charleston--”
+
+“Dry up, you old leather-backed coyote! Maybe you’d dance too if yore
+laig was sound asleep. Uh! There she is.” He sat down suddenly, and
+glared about him. “Next time you want a pillow, you use somethin’ else
+besides my laig.”
+
+Mr. Manley was watching the scene with an amused smile. Finally he said:
+
+“Nick, suppose you jump that chuck wagon an’ find out if Sing Lung is
+asleep too. If he is we’ll have to get our own chow, I reckon.”
+
+“I’ll wake him!” Nick declared, and pulled open the wagon door. “Hey,
+you Chink, come to! Time to get up!”
+
+“Gettee out heah! Come in my klitchen, so! Out qlick! I beat you head
+with this!” Sing, a skillet in one hand, peered out ferociously.
+
+“He’s awake!” Jules Kolto shouted. “Now we eat for sure. But I wouldn’t
+like to take Nick’s share. He’ll probably get boiled mice.”
+
+“An’ I’ll eat ’em too,” Nick said forcibly. “I’m hungry enough to go
+anything. Come on, Sing, show some speed.”
+
+The cook grinned and disappeared. Half an hour later the “come an’ get
+it” signal was sounded, and the men sat down to their third meal on the
+range, to which they did full justice.
+
+Evening had settled upon the land when the punchers rested from the
+joyous labor of conveying food from pan to mouth. Satiated, they lit
+cigarettes or pipes and wandered about, talking, or sat and played
+cards in the waning light. Teddy and Roy stood near the corral talking
+to their father and watching the milling beasts within.
+
+“Plenty of work to-morrow,” said Mr. Manley. “I can spot some cows
+in there now that aren’t ours. Look--there’s a deer! See him?” He
+pointed, and the boys saw a brown form flash past. The deer had been
+caught in the rush of animals and had been driven into the corral with
+the steers.
+
+“Probably be more than one,” Roy commented. “Say, Teddy, how tired are
+you?”
+
+“Not very. Why?”
+
+“Like to take a little ride?”
+
+“Sure. Where to?”
+
+“Oh, over toward the southwest part of the range.”
+
+“Uh-huh. All right, Dad?”
+
+“Yep. Go to it. Don’t stay too long, though. You’ve got a long ride
+to-morrow to Red Rock.”
+
+Teddy nodded, and went to saddle Flash. The night was cloudless, and
+when the two brothers started the full moon gave them ample light to
+see by. They rode slowly, enjoying the tang of the fall air and the
+beauty of the scene. Somehow, the prairie seemed soft, more friendly
+than it had under the hot sun.
+
+“Any special reason for this little jaunt, Roy?” Teddy asked, after
+some minutes.
+
+“Well, there might be, and then, again, there mightn’t. I’d like to get
+a look at that herd we’ve got to take Peterson. Maybe it’s shifted.”
+
+“Perhaps. Good idea to find out, anyhow. Wonder if we’ll ever see the
+Lefton boys again?”
+
+“Hope not. I’ve had my fill of them. They’re with Mob Jamisson, some
+place, I suppose. Thought they had us sewed up tight, did they? They’ve
+got another think coming.”
+
+Teddy looked thoughtfully at his brother.
+
+“So you think they’ve given up whatever plans they had?”
+
+“I don’t think anything. I decided long ago that I did too much of
+that. We’ll take things as they come. All we’ve got to do now is to get
+that herd to Red Rock, and we’ll be finished. Maybe what that professor
+heard didn’t apply to our outfit at all.”
+
+“You mean about having us sewed up?”
+
+“Uh-huh. But he didn’t say that. He said he heard our name mentioned,
+and then came the rest of it. At least, as I remember, that’s what
+he told us. It’s easy to think they--I mean the Leftons and Mob
+Jamisson--were talking about us, then changed the subject and that
+stuff about sewing up tight--or cold, or whatever it was--had nothing
+to do with us at all.”
+
+“Sure, you can figure that way if you want to. Just as logical. Say,
+look down that way. Do you see a light?”
+
+Roy pulled rein, and stared.
+
+“Some sort of a blaze. Let’s investigate. May be the beginnings of a
+fire. Golly, that would be hard luck! Come on, let’s get a wiggle on.
+If it is a fire we want to let the rest of ’em know.”
+
+The boys leaped their ponies into a run, and as they rode forward they
+saw that a red glow showed in the distance.
+
+“Kind of small for a prairie fire,” Teddy called. “And it doesn’t seem
+to get any larger.”
+
+“Let’s slow down,” Roy said suddenly. “That’s a fire, all right. But it
+was made to cook stuff over, not to burn weeds.”
+
+“You mean a campfire?”
+
+“Sure do.”
+
+“On our range, too! Now who do you suppose--”
+
+“Soon find out. Take it easy.”
+
+They went quietly forward, and then Teddy saw that his brother had been
+right. It was a campfire. They could see forms moving about, crossing
+between them and the flame.
+
+“Shall we have a look?” Teddy asked in a low voice.
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick we will! Let’s leave the ponies here and walk.
+Guess we’ll have to put our detective badges on again.” But there was
+no humor in Roy’s voice as he said it. A strange campfire on a range
+during round-up time is no joking matter.
+
+They dismounted and picketed Flash and Star to a near-by bush. Then
+they proceeded on foot.
+
+“Got a fine nerve, whoever it is,” Roy remarked. “Probably thought we’d
+all be too tired to do much riding to-night.”
+
+They could hear the sound of voices now, making no attempt at
+concealment, loud in their denunciations of one of their members. As
+yet the boys could distinguish no individuals, but they saw that there
+were quite a crowd of men about the fire.
+
+“Six, anyway,” Teddy said softly. “Yep, just six. I can count ’em.
+Listen!”
+
+One of the men was speaking.
+
+“I blame you, Jamisson, for this whole business. Ever since you’ve been
+with us you’ve caused trouble. Once more--and you’re out.”
+
+“Is that so! Well, Peterson, I’ve heard that story before! An’ it’ll
+take more than you and yore gang to call me out on a deal like this
+after I’ve gone this far!”
+
+“Aw, for the love of Pete, let’s cut this fightin’ out!” murmured
+another voice. “Where’ll that get us? Go ahead with your story,
+Peterson.”
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XXI
+
+                           THE RUSTLERS’ CAMP
+
+
+Teddy and Roy sank back into the shadows. Peterson! And the others were
+Mob Jamisson and the Lefton boys! There were two strangers with them.
+
+“Well, I wanted to express my opinion of this bird,” Peterson growled.
+“I’m getting the raw end of this deal, and I take the most chances,
+too. Suppose that Manley bunch finds out I’m in with you? I’d walk
+right into their hands and it ’ud mean a nice long jail sentence for
+me. The rest of you can keep out of sight, but I’ve got to play close
+to the ground.”
+
+“All right, all right! We know all that. Let’s have the plan now!”
+
+“Pipe down and I’ll tell you. Here’s the dope.” He lowered his voice,
+and the boys crept closer, listening eagerly. Chance had given them
+this opportunity to foil the rustlers, and they were going to make
+the most of it. Roy, seizing his brother’s arm in a firm grip, leaned
+forward.
+
+“This herd we want is about three miles from here, in a little valley,”
+Peterson went on. “It’s the only herd they left out of the round-up,
+for which we’re duly grateful.” And he chuckled meaningly. “We’ve got
+to work fast, because old man Manley will start for that herd first
+thing in the morning. Of course it won’t be where he expects to find
+it, but it won’t take him long to locate it, unless we follow the plan
+I’ve outlined.”
+
+“Well, tell us about it. Mike an’ Ginger haven’t heard it yet.” Jerry
+Lefton nodded toward the two strangers.
+
+“Here it is. From this valley to the Jarmey place is only a short
+distance. I found that out, and I’m not even a Westerner. We shoot
+those cattle through there soon as it gets daylight.”
+
+“That means no sleep to-night,” the man called Ginger growled.
+
+“Well, what of it? You’re not in this business for your health, you
+know. Now listen. We drive the cows to the Jarmey place. And right here
+I want to make sure of one thing. Jerry, how about those cars?”
+
+“They’re O.K. Bill and I sent ’em down yesterday. We found a whole
+train of empties on the siding above Eagles, and simply rode ’em down
+grade to Jarmey’s. Nothin’ to it. Give you credit for thinkin’ of that
+idea, Pete.”
+
+“How many cars?”
+
+“Thirty-three. Enough?”
+
+“Plenty. We can get ’em all in. Well, we load ’em as soon as we get
+there. From then on it’s a cinch. We simply run the cars as far as
+they’ll go--to the end of the line, that’ll be, and then unload ’em,
+eight miles from Jarmey’s.”
+
+“There’s that eight-mile business!” Roy whispered. “Down grade from
+Jarmey’s, too! Snakes, we--”
+
+Teddy cautioned him to silence by nudging him. Peterson was talking
+again.
+
+“We’ll hide ’em there for a while, then drive ’em further on. We can
+alter the brands anytime. That Manley gang won’t have a chance of
+catching us, even when they do find out their cows have left them
+without saying when they’d be back. You see, they’d have to go all
+the way around Shock Mountain. We go straight through, following the
+railroad. Get it?”
+
+“Sure do! That’s a sweet little scheme.” Bill Lefton waxed
+enthusiastic. “Haven’t got much to say against that, hey, Mob?”
+
+“Sounds all right,” Mob answered grudgingly. “Wait till we see what
+happens. I don’t never count my chickens before they’re hatched.”
+
+“You’ll get no hen to set by that plan,” Peterson laughed, pleased at
+Lefton’s compliment. “Well, I guess that’s all. Now we might as well
+try to get an hour’s sleep. No more--we can’t afford to be late. Throw
+a few sticks on that fire, will you, Bill?”
+
+“Sure thing.”
+
+Bill arose suddenly, and plunged into the brush.
+
+“Teddy! Lie low! We’re--”
+
+“Mob! Pete! Come here, quick! Hi, Jerry! Here’s--”
+
+Teddy drew back his fist and caught Bill Lefton full on the jaw. The
+boy turned to follow Roy, tripped over a vine, fought for his balance,
+and fell prone.
+
+The next moment he felt the wind go out of him, and his head hit the
+ground with a thud.
+
+“I’ve got this one! Chase the other! Come into the light, you!”
+
+There was no need to go after Roy. When he saw his brother had fallen,
+he turned and lashed out furiously with his fists. But the darkness
+favored the rustlers, rather than Roy, for the boy could not see the
+faces before him. A blow on the body was of no avail, due to the heavy
+clothing worn by the cattle thieves.
+
+“Sock him! Don’t shoot, you’ll hit one of us!”
+
+Mob Jamisson and Jerry Lefton jumped Roy at the same instant. His
+senses reeled as the butt of a gun struck him a blow on the forehead,
+knocking off his hat. He felt his arms pinned roughly to his sides.
+The brief and uneven fight was over.
+
+“Drag ’em in, an’ we’ll have a look at ’em,” someone said grimly.
+“Spies, hey? Know what we do with spies? We--well, for the love of
+sweet William! It’s the Manley boys!”
+
+“What? Let’s see. By jinks, you’re right!” Bill Lefton tilted Roy’s
+head back by pressing up on his chin. “Roy Manley! And his brother
+Teddy! Well, well, well! Think of that! Lost your knife again, my lad?”
+
+Roy answered nothing. He stared intently into the eyes of the man
+before him.
+
+“Ain’t this luck!” Mob exulted. “Now maybe I can finish what I started
+a few days ago. I won’t miss this time, either.” He raised a gun
+menacingly.
+
+“None of that, you fool! They may not be alone! Put that down!”
+Peterson seized the man’s arm angrily. “Want the whole country to know
+we’re here?”
+
+Jamisson growled something, but lowered the weapon.
+
+“Hand me a rope, Bill,” Peterson commanded. “We’ll truss ’em up for a
+while. We can decide later what to do with ’em.”
+
+“I know what I’d do,” Jamisson said shortly. “An’ I will yet, if I can.”
+
+The boys were bound and then thrown roughly to the ground. They lay
+there, dazed, with Peterson standing over them.
+
+“Roy and Teddy Manley,” he said softly. “And they walked right into our
+hands! Well, boys, we’ll see what sort of entertainment we can furnish.”
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXII
+
+                                CAPTIVES
+
+
+“You know ’em?” Mike asked, pointing with his thumb to the two boys.
+
+“Know ’em? Listen, brother!” Peterson paused impressively. “These are
+the sons of old man Manley who owns the X Bar X. Does it penetrate now?”
+
+“It sure does! Well I’m locoed! It’s their cattle we’re--”
+
+Peterson seized the man by the shoulder and spun him around.
+
+“Quiet, you idiot!” he whispered angrily. “If they don’t know about it,
+what’s the use of telling them?”
+
+“They know, all right,” Mob Jamisson growled. He knelt down, and,
+seizing Teddy’s arm, pulled him to a sitting posture. “Listen, you! How
+long you been hidin’ out there?”
+
+Teddy stared straight at the man.
+
+“It’s none of your business,” he said deliberately.
+
+“Isn’t, hey? Talk up, now, or--” He clutched the boy by the throat and
+shook him savagely. “You’ll answer me, an’ sudden, too!”
+
+Roy, his head spinning from the blow he had received, heard Teddy gasp
+in agony. He struggled to one elbow.
+
+“Let him alone, you coward!” he shouted, tears of rage coming to his
+eyes. “Let him up--”
+
+Bound as he was, he crawled nearer. Oblivious of consequences,
+realizing only that his brother was in pain, he kicked out with both
+feet, as hard as he could. They caught Jamisson in the small of his
+back, bowling him over, and causing him to release his hold on Teddy’s
+throat.
+
+“Thanks, Roy,” the boy gasped. “Guess this is the finish for both of
+us. So long--”
+
+Jamisson, inarticulate in his anger, leaped to his feet and drew his
+gun.
+
+“Try an’ stop this one!” he yelled. “I’ll blow you so far--”
+
+Without a word Peterson stooped, picked up a stick, and brought it down
+solidly on Jamisson’s gun arm. The weapon fell to the ground.
+
+“When I say a thing, I mean it,” he said calmly. “There’ll be no
+gun-play. You got only what you deserved. What good would choking him
+do? Now you pipe down. Get over on the other side of the fire. I’m
+not going to have this deal spoiled by you, just because you can’t
+keep your temper. Jerry, watch him. If he starts anything let him have
+it.” He stopped, and Jamisson, like a beaten dog, walked slowly away.
+“That’s it. Now you pay attention to me, you two boys.”
+
+He motioned to the others to move to one side, so that he might have a
+clear view of the captives.
+
+“You know me,” he continued. “And now you know something else, and
+that is that we’re after some cattle of your father’s. I suppose you
+heard our plans. No use trying to pretend any longer. I aim to get the
+cattle, and that forfeit, too, when he can’t deliver. Figure out why
+I’m telling you this?”
+
+Teddy shook his head. He could not trust himself to reply.
+
+“It’s because you’ll never make use of the information until it’s too
+late. Oh, don’t get scared--I don’t mean any killing. We’re not all
+fools.” He glanced toward Jamisson. “But we’ll keep you tied up here
+until the whole thing is finished. Ginger, you’ll have to stay and
+guard ’em. Reckon you won’t mind that. Relieves you of a lot of work.”
+Ginger grinned, and nodded. “After two or three days we’ll turn you
+loose.”
+
+“You going to keep ’em here?” Bill Lefton asked in surprise.
+
+“Well, where else? What’s the matter with this place?”
+
+“It’s too near their friends, that’s what’s the matter with it! We’ll
+have to shift ’em. There’s a spot four miles from here in the timber
+where they won’t be found for ten years. I say we drag ’em over.”
+
+Peterson paused, and thought.
+
+“You’re right,” he said finally. “That means we’ll have to start now.
+Come on, break camp. Bill, bring up the broncs. Where are your ponies?”
+He looked intently at Roy.
+
+The boy thought swiftly. Would it be better to refuse to tell him? If
+Flash and Star wandered into camp riderless, Mr. Manley would know
+something was up and send out a searching party. But if they did get a
+chance to escape, they would be helpless without horses. Best to have
+the ponies brought along.
+
+“Near a bush, over that way,” Roy replied.
+
+Peterson nodded. “Round ’em up, Jerry, and bring ’em in. Ginger, don’t
+forget what I told you. You’re responsible for these boys.”
+
+His orders were obeyed promptly and without question, except by
+Jamisson, who declared he would not “play no val-let for no fool of an
+Easterner.” But he was wise enough to confine his objections to talk.
+
+Mounted once more on Flash and Star, with their hands bound firmly
+behind them, Teddy and Roy rode into the darkness, guarded by
+horsemen riding on each side of them and in the rear. Their way led
+through underbrush and into a forest, so deep that the light of the
+moon scarcely penetrated. For about half an hour they rode, then Bill
+Lefton, who was leading, called a halt.
+
+“This is it. Couldn’t find a better place. O.K.?”
+
+The boys saw that they had come to a small clearing in the bottom of a
+gully. Roy thought bitterly that Lefton’s words were true--that no one
+would find them here in ten years.
+
+“This’ll do,” Peterson said, with satisfaction. “Help ’em off, someone.
+I’ll mosey around and find a good place to tie ’em.”
+
+He selected a tree with a thick trunk, and the boys were forced to
+sit, one on either side of it, while ropes were bound around them,
+encircling the tree. The tree was thick enough to prevent either from
+reaching back and untying the other.
+
+“There, that’s over,” Peterson muttered, and straightened. “About time
+we started. Ginger, remember what I told you!”
+
+“We’re goin’ now--without no sleep?” Jamisson asked, his face
+expressing disgust.
+
+“We are. You’ll get plenty of sleep later. Look, Ginger--here’s water
+and food. Feed ’em when they’re hungry and give ’em water when they
+need it. And stay right here all the time! Get me? Don’t move till you
+hear from us, which will probably be to-morrow some time. Get me?”
+
+“Sure thing. An’ they won’t get away. I got somethin’ here that’s a
+great little pacifier.” He patted his gun significantly. “So long. Good
+luck.”
+
+Peterson nodded in answer, and remounted.
+
+“Let’s go, boys. We’ve got plenty to do. Ginger, watch your step. See
+you later.”
+
+Teddy and Roy heard the horses crash their way through the brush. One
+by one the riders filed into the woods. For many minutes the boys could
+hear the sounds of their departure. Then, silence.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXIII
+
+                                TOO LATE
+
+
+Ginger walked over and looked down upon the captive boys. He grinned
+good-naturedly.
+
+“Well,” he said slowly, “I reckon it’s our day. Hope you boys are
+comfortable. If you want anything, sing out. Um. It’s fine weather
+to-night. Yep, it sure is fine weather.”
+
+Ginger sat down, and rolled a cigarette.
+
+“You boys thirsty?”
+
+Teddy, who was facing him, said he was. His throat was burning still
+from Jamisson’s clutch. Ginger held the canteen to the boy’s lips, and
+Teddy drank deep.
+
+“Thanks,” he said. “Could you loosen us just a little? My arm--”
+
+Ginger grinned, and shook his head.
+
+“That’s one thing I can’t do. Reckon you’ll have to sleep as best you
+can. Hungry?”
+
+“No,” Roy replied shortly.
+
+He felt it was useless to argue. This guard, while good-natured enough,
+could not be coerced into giving them their freedom. Roy realized that,
+and decided to bide his time. Perhaps something would turn up before
+morning. He could hear Star whinnying close by, where he and Flash had
+been picketed. Roy thought that if he could manage to slip his bonds
+and overpower Ginger he and Teddy might still save their cattle. But
+now was no time to try it, while the guard was watching them. If he
+would only fall asleep!
+
+But Ginger was not the sort to give in to weariness when he was told
+to watch. He sat quietly, puffing on his cigarette, staring at the
+captives. Time dragged interminably. The silence of the woods seemed
+oppressive, overpowering. Roy felt his muscles tense with an effort at
+control. Anything would be better than this monotony.
+
+“How long are you going to keep us here?” he asked suddenly.
+
+Ginger shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t say. Till morning, anyhow. Maybe
+someone will ride back by that time.”
+
+Another period of silence. Roy strained his ears for the slightest
+sound, hoping, desperately, that someone would come. But who? They had
+not been gone long enough for his father to become worried and start to
+searching for them. Even then, it was useless to expect them to find
+this hiding place. It was too well concealed.
+
+Suddenly he started, nerves taut. Was not that a stick that broke
+behind him? There! Surely he heard a footstep!
+
+“Any idea of the time?” he asked loudly. “Suppose you haven’t got a
+watch. Not many punchers carry ’em. I remember when I first got one.
+Thought I was king of the rock. Only a small wrist-watch, but, believe
+me, I was sure proud of it. My dad gave it to me. Bet I have it yet
+some place. Funny how you hang on to those things. Like an elk’s tooth,
+or a rabbit’s foot. Sort of charm, you know. I knew a puncher that used
+to--”
+
+A figure stepped quickly from the shadows and stood over Ginger. A club
+was raised and brought down swiftly, landing on the man’s head with a
+dull thud. Without a sound, his body relaxed, and he sprawled on the
+ground, senseless.
+
+The figure bent down and felt of the rustler’s heart.
+
+“Just stunned,” he remarked, relief in his voice. He straightened, and
+Roy uttered an exclamation.
+
+“Mohammed!”
+
+“Professor Sullivan, if you please. I have discarded my robes. I find
+them cumbersome in situations of this sort. Now if you’ll just hold
+still a second--”
+
+He knelt and felt for the rope that held the two boys. Teddy craned
+his neck around, disbelief in his eyes, unable to credit their good
+fortune.
+
+“Professor! Boy, we’re sure glad to see you! How in thunder--”
+
+“That shall be later. It is imperative now that you regain your freedom
+as soon as possible.” He smiled. “Using the trade by which I make my
+livelihood--which, by the way, is guess-work--I should say that those
+who bound you and left this man as a guard are now on an errand which
+you would like to intercept as soon as possible.”
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick we would! They’re rustlers after our cattle!
+Here, get this knot untied. That’s the stuff. Ah!” Roy stretched,
+feeling the blood flowing through his cramped veins. Then he leaped to
+his feet, as did Teddy. “We can’t thank you now, professor, because
+we’re in an awful hurry. You know where our ranch is. Come over there,
+and we’ll do more than thank you! Come on, Teddy, let’s get the broncs!
+Thank goodness, they brought ’em along.”
+
+The two boys dashed into the brush, to appear in a moment astride their
+horses.
+
+“We got to go!” Teddy shouted. “Can you get back all right? Have you
+got your wagon?”
+
+“Not the wagon. That is broken. But Stamboul waits patiently for me. I
+shall ride him.”
+
+“Will you look after him?” Roy asked, pointing to the unconscious man.
+“He’s all right--I wouldn’t like to see him badly hurt. And we may want
+to question him later.”
+
+“I will. Good luck to you!”
+
+“Thanks! Let’s go, Teddy! Straight out!”
+
+The horses leaped forward. Through the woods they dashed, careless of
+low hanging branches, intent only on reaching their cattle in time. The
+boys gave their broncos their heads, trusting to their surefootedness
+to bring them through safely.
+
+Their trust was not misplaced. Flash and Star, as though they realized
+that their masters depended on them, ran swiftly, dodging in and out
+of the brush, until they reached the open prairie. Roy gave a shout of
+exultation.
+
+“Now we’re all set, Teddy! Baby, if we’re only on time! We’ve got a
+run of about five miles. Lucky there’s a moon--we can see where we’re
+going. Step on it, boy!”
+
+For answer Teddy raised his reins, the signal for every Western pony to
+“spread himself.” Flash jumped ahead. Roy, not a moment behind, urged
+Star to his best speed. This was no time for considering either man or
+beast. Both boys knew the stuff of which their horses were made. They
+would last--they would have to last!
+
+They headed for the southwest corner of the range. Their one chance
+was to get there before the rustlers, and then, when they came, to
+bluff them off. Since Peterson and his gang could not expect to see
+them, thinking them still captives, this was not a vain hope. Unarmed
+as they were, if they could force the rustlers to believe that they had
+been released by their friends, who were with them, they might yet save
+their cattle.
+
+The ponies were panting now, but still they kept up their tremendous
+speed. The ground seemed to fly from beneath their feet. Nearer and
+nearer they came to the spot where the cows were herded. It could not
+be more than two miles more. Neither boy spoke, concentrating his
+energies for the race against time.
+
+In the distance Shock Mountain arose, huge and weird in the moonlight.
+Not far now! They could almost see the black blot of the herd of
+steers as they stood in the lee of the mountain. Teddy craned his neck
+forward, peering ahead intently. Another half mile, and they would be
+there. The valley wherein the cattle were grazing came into view.
+
+“Guess we’ll make it!” Roy shouted. “Here’s where Peterson said they
+were! Can you see ’em? Can you--”
+
+Then they topped a rise, and the whole landscape spread out before
+them, every object plainly visible. The moon-lit scene was as light as
+day.
+
+Teddy’s eyes swept over the valley. Were they on time?
+
+He gave a groan and drooped over his saddle. Their race had been
+useless. There was not a sign of the six hundred head! The rustlers had
+beaten them!
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAPTER XXIV
+
+                          THE TRAIN OF EMPTIES
+
+
+When one has counted so heavily on something, has worked desperately
+for it, the moment when one realizes failure seems so definite, so
+unrelieved, that the world spins on unnoticed. Teddy and Roy sat in
+their saddles, staring down into the valley, despair written in every
+line of their faces.
+
+“Too late,” Teddy stammered. “We’ve lost. They’ve started the drive.
+Even if we could catch them, what would be the use? They’d never
+abandon the cattle now without a fight. And what have we got to fight
+with? Roy, we’re done! We’re done!”
+
+Roy nodded miserably.
+
+“Looks like it. By the time we got help it would be too late. We’re
+miles from our camp now. Let me think. We’ve got to do something. But
+what? They’ll take the cattle to the Jarmey place. Think, Teddy! Think!”
+
+“The Jarmey place!” Teddy fairly shouted the words. “We’ll have to head
+for there! Now we’ve got it--our one chance! Can we find it, Roy?”
+
+“We’ll find it,” Roy answered grimly. “I know, from what Pop told us,
+the general direction. Once we get there--”
+
+“We’ll think of that later,” Teddy interrupted. “The thing to do is to
+reach those empty cars before they load the cattle. Golly, we’re sure
+giving these broncs of ours a workout! But they’ll stand it, I reckon.”
+
+“Hope so,” Roy murmured, patting Star affectionately. “We can’t afford
+to let ’em rest now--we’ve got to go on.” He swung the pony about and
+headed away from the valley, Teddy following. It was not possible
+to force the horses to the speed they had showed on the ride over.
+They were covered with foam, and the tiny nerves in their backs were
+twitching from the effort they had made.
+
+“We’ll be good for another hour, and that’s all,” Roy declared. He had
+to keep a tight rein, for Star, keyed up as he was to the pitch of
+excitement, would have taken his opportunity to run fiercely until he
+dropped from exhaustion. But Roy was a wise rider.
+
+The horses were cantering, but not with that abandonment which means a
+mile or so at top speed, then the finish. They might find the Jarmey
+place easily. And, on the other hand, they might have to look for hours.
+
+They rode along, neither boy saying much, with a strange feeling that
+this journey was to be endless, that they were fated to ride forever
+over the moon-bathed prairie, up hills, into valleys, skirting groves
+of poplars and evergreens, now and then leaping small streams. What
+neither realized was that, from lack of sleep and food, they were
+getting a trifle light-headed.
+
+“Must have moved it,” Teddy said suddenly, and laughed shortly. Roy
+looked at him sharply. He pulled Star nearer to his brother’s horse
+and, leaning over, rested a hand on Teddy’s arm.
+
+“Feel all right, old boy?”
+
+“Me? Sure! Why shouldn’t I? Throat is dry and got a little headache.
+When I see Mob Jamisson again I’ll give him a headache! Where in
+thunder are we going, any how?”
+
+“To the old station at the Jarmey place.”
+
+“Oh, snakes, I know that! I mean are we headed in the right direction?”
+
+Teddy did not hear the sigh of relief his brother gave. But when Roy
+spoke his voice had a note of hope in it.
+
+“I think so, Teddy. We’ll soon know, anyway. If I’m right it’ll be over
+the next hill. We’ve been going upgrade for the last half hour, and the
+station is pretty high--Pop told us that.”
+
+He stopped and peered ahead. It was fully three hours since they had
+left the camp of the rustlers. All that time they had been riding with
+hope of success driving them on. For the first time Roy felt a wave of
+lassitude sweep over him. Savagely he fought it off and gritted his
+teeth. This was no time for sleep. Sleep! What had he thought of that
+for? Sleep! How pleasant it would be to let his head drop forward and
+drift off--off--
+
+“Hey! Come out of it! Buck up there, boy! We’ve got plenty ride ahead
+of us. Don’t cave in like that!”
+
+“Huh? You talk--talking to me? Oh! Hang it all, I did doze for a
+minute, didn’t I?” Roy shook himself and sat straighter in the saddle.
+“That sock on the head must have made me a bit goofy. I’m O.K. now.
+Golly, Teddy, I think we’re almost there! Listen! Can you hear
+anything?”
+
+Teddy pulled his pony to a sliding stop and strained his ears. Then he
+uttered an exclamation.
+
+“Cattle on the march! Over to the left! We’re on time, Roy! We’re on
+time! Head for the station!”
+
+“Straight ahead, isn’t it? Can we make that hill? Take a good start up.
+Now--”
+
+Teddy felt Flash rear and leap forward. The loose stones gave a
+precarious footing, and for a moment the boy feared that the pony
+would go over backward. But he recovered himself, and lowering his head
+plunged onward.
+
+The noise of the cattle became more distinct. They must be about half
+a mile to the left, where the level ground allowed cattle to be loaded
+into the cars.
+
+“We’ve got to make it--rustlers or no rustlers!” Roy panted. “If
+they’re guarding the cars we’ll take a chance and run through ’em! If I
+get hit, you keep on. Remember that!”
+
+The shouts of the men driving the cows toward the railroad could now be
+heard, and Roy and Teddy dug heels into their ponies’ sides. Exhausted
+as the horses were from their long, hard ride, still they responded
+bravely, and digging their forefeet into the hill strove to carry their
+masters to the top.
+
+“If we can reach the cars without being seen--” Roy gasped.
+
+The sentence was left unfinished, for he realized that Teddy knew what
+was in his mind. They had one chance to save their cattle, and a slim
+chance it was.
+
+The empties, they knew, stood on a steep grade. It was this incline
+which the rustlers counted on as a means of getting the cars started
+and carrying the cows to a place where they could be unloaded
+without fear of interruption. This place was at the end of the line.
+Thirty-three cars, loaded with heavy steers, would easily coast eight
+miles, given a good start.
+
+If they could reach the train before the rustlers discovered them and
+release the brakes, the train would start, and then nothing could stop
+it. Peterson’s work would go for naught. The cattle would have to be
+left where they were, for they could never be driven far enough to be
+hidden from the punchers of the X Bar X.
+
+These thoughts were whirling through the minds of Teddy and Roy as they
+spurred their horses up the steep hill.
+
+Ahead of them they saw a long line of mounds, looking like a caravan
+of camels in the moonlight. As they came nearer the contours took on a
+more angular form.
+
+“The cars! We’ve won, Teddy! We’ve won! Go on--go on! This is the last
+lap, Teddy boy!”
+
+Panting fiercely, the boys dashed toward the line of empties, standing
+motionless on the tracks at the top of the hill. At the same minute
+they heard a shot and a bullet whined by overhead.
+
+“They’ve seen us!” Roy gasped. “Ride, Teddy, ride!”
+
+Far to the left they could see a huge herd of cattle--their cattle. Men
+were dashing frantically about, spectres in the night. Streaks of fire
+flashed into the blackness and winked out, and the solos of the bullets
+merged into a chorus. The bright moonlight threw the two riders into
+silhouette, a perfect mark for the rustlers. Suddenly Star faltered,
+stumbled, went on more slowly.
+
+“He’s hit!” Roy groaned. “Star, don’t give up! Stick to it, boy! Stick
+to it!”
+
+The pony whinnied with pain, but fought his way doggedly up the hill. A
+little more! Just another hundred yards!
+
+“They’ve left the cattle! They’re after us!” Teddy shouted. “Ride low!”
+
+In front of them loomed the cars. Roy heard the wood splinter as the
+bullets pinged into them. Up--up!
+
+“Hop it, Roy! Hit the ground! Let the ponies go; they’ll find their way
+back!”
+
+At the top of the hill both boys sprang from their mounts. They turned
+them loose and saw them scamper away, their heels flying in the air.
+They were headed for home.
+
+The rustlers had come to the bottom of the hill, and now they started
+up, sensing the plan of action. They shot as they came, hoping a lucky
+bullet might find the mark. But now Teddy was on the side of one of the
+freight cars, climbing up the ladder to the top. Roy sprang for the
+next car.
+
+“The brakes--release ’em!” Roy shouted. “Start from the other end!
+Release every car! She’ll start herself!”
+
+He ran to the front, and Teddy to the rear. Thirty-three cars make
+a long train, and never had a freight seemed so long to the young
+ranchers as they strove to get it started downgrade before the rustlers
+reached them. Frantically they turned the brake wheels, jumping from
+one car to another, while hot lead split the air on each side of
+them. Luckily, not all the brakes were on, or they would never have
+succeeded. At last Roy turned one of the wheels, and felt the train
+give a lurch.
+
+“She’s started! Take ’em off, Teddy! Any more on?”
+
+“Can’t tell yet. Here’s one!”
+
+He kicked the cog loose and spun the wheel. For a moment nothing
+happened. Then a groaning of metal on metal, a creaking of wood, an
+exultant shout from the boys, and they threw themselves flat on the car
+roof as the train, gaining momentum every second, pushed through the
+ranks of firing rustlers and like an invincible iron monster started on
+its journey downgrade--without the cattle!
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAPTER XXV
+
+                                THE RODEO
+
+
+The cars were old and their joints rusty, and the noise they made as
+they rumbled along resembled an avalanche. The pistol shots, puncturing
+the roar, sounded like the popping of corks.
+
+“Try to stop us now!” Roy shouted gleefully. “Yow! Ride ’em, cowboy!
+Out of my way!”
+
+The rustlers had reached the top of the hill and were firing
+desperately. One of them sought to leave his horse and catch the
+last car, but his pony shied, and threw the man from his back, to go
+tumbling down the steep embankment.
+
+“Have a sleigh-ride!” Teddy called. “Tell us when you hit bottom!”
+
+Bill Lefton tried to swing his pony and ride parallel with the moving
+freight, but the road bed was too narrow, and his horse, with a neigh
+of protest, refused to follow this rumbling Juggernaut, then whirled,
+and almost on its haunches, started down the slope. The train picked
+up speed rapidly, and amid a fusillade of ineffectual shots it rounded
+a curve, bearing Teddy and Roy to safety.
+
+The last glimpse the boys had of the rustlers was the sight of Peterson
+waving his arms madly and shaking his fist--not at them, but at one of
+his gang.
+
+“Mob Jamisson having the law laid down to him,” Teddy chuckled.
+“They’ll blame him for this, sure as shooting. Boy, we’ve saved the
+cattle! They’ll never be able to drive ’em far enough to hide ’em
+before we’re on their necks.” He drew a deep breath. “Yes, it was worth
+it--it sure was worth it.”
+
+They sat up now, and drew closer together. They had flung themselves
+flat when the train began to move, one in the middle of the center
+car--which, they afterwards discovered, was the key car--and the other
+at the end. It was Teddy who had released the brake which really set
+the train in motion.
+
+The grade was not very steep at this point, and the speed at which the
+cars were running was not high enough to be dangerous. Teddy sat for a
+moment watching the scenery “roll by,” as he expressed it, and then he
+grinned.
+
+“I just happened to think,” he said, “that dad has Peterson’s deposit.
+Maybe he’ll come and claim it--maybe not!”
+
+“The only deposit he’ll get will be deposited in jail,” Roy said
+laughingly. It seemed the most natural thing in the world for
+them to be seated on top of a freight car, at two o’clock in the
+morning, running downgrade toward the end of the line. Gone was
+their weariness--their thirst. All they thought of was that they had
+succeeded--the cattle were saved--a good night’s work had been well
+done.
+
+The train jolted and swung along. Teddy and Roy sat on the board which
+runs along the top, the walking plank, arms about their knees, swaying
+from side to side with the motion, happy, contented. They would soon
+come to the end of the line, not far from Hawley. They could rout
+the sheriff out of bed, organize a posse, and chase Peterson and his
+crowd from here to the borders of the state--farther, if necessary.
+The cattle would be safe until they rounded them up with the others,
+to-morrow. Yes, it was a good night’s work.
+
+The grade was leveling off now, and the train ran more slowly. It
+reached a curve, on the right of which the ground dipped, so that they
+had a clear view for miles.
+
+“Teddy! Take a look!”
+
+Far to the right the lights of a town glimmered.
+
+“That’s Hawley! Let’s get off here. No telling how far this train will
+run, and the end of the line is much farther from Hawley than this is.
+It stops away off in some deserted hole, Pop said. Get busy with those
+brakes. Hawley, Ha-a-a-aw-ley!” he cried, in the manner of a conductor
+announcing a station. “All out for Hawley!”
+
+They ran from one car to another, applying the hand brakes. When the
+train had slackened speed sufficiently they climbed down the ladder and
+jumped to the ground.
+
+“Now we’ve got a nice little jaunt,” Roy said, peering toward Hawley.
+“But it might be worse. So long, old Twentieth-century!” He waved his
+hand as the train, barely moving, disappeared around a curve. “You sure
+helped us out of a bad hole! Come on, Teddy--get those legs of yours
+moving. _One_, two, three, four! _One_, two, three, four!”
+
+They set out joyfully, and in an hour reached the town, tired, but
+still happy. Hawley was a fair-sized place and they found a restaurant
+on the main street open. There was a telephone within, and they called
+the sheriff. At first he was angry at having his sleep disturbed, but
+when the boys told them who they were, he declared eagerly that he’d be
+right down. He was as good as his word. Not five minutes elapsed before
+he entered the door of the restaurant, fully dressed, two guns hanging
+from his belt.
+
+The boys soon explained the situation to him, and then he, in his turn,
+sat down at the ’phone and called many numbers. His orders were short
+and to the point. His men were to arise, saddle their horses, and meet
+him at the Alpha in six minutes--no longer. “Understand? All right!
+’bye!”
+
+When he had finished he turned to the boys.
+
+“So you rode the empties down to here! Well, well! Boys, that’s as good
+as a movie. Now listen. You ought to be pretty tired. I told my wife
+that you’d be right over to the house, and to get a room ready. You
+sleep--hear me? We’ll finish this job for you. We’ll let yore dad know
+where you are right quick, so he won’t worry. Then we’ll take the trail
+of them rustlers. Mob Jamisson with ’em, hey? Well, I’ll be plumb glad
+to see him again, not sayin’ the same fer him. My house is the fifth
+one down on this side of the street. Red brick. You can’t miss it. Just
+ring the bell. Mary’s up, an’ waitin’ fer you. Here comes my gang.”
+
+He hesitated as the sound of the arrival of several horses sounded
+outside the door.
+
+“I’ll go now. Don’t worry about yore dad. I’ll let him know first
+thing. We can find his camp all right if it’s anywheres on the X Bar X.
+Tell you a secret--I used to work fer that ranch when I was a kid. That
+was when yore grandfather had it. Well, so long! Pete--” to the man
+behind the counter--“if they’re hungry, you feed ’em an’ charge it to
+me. So long, boys!”
+
+Hungry? Weren’t they, though! They scarcely saw the sheriff burst
+through the door nor heard the noise of his departure. They were intent
+on a whole ham which hung in a glass-enclosed refrigerator.
+
+“Could we--could we have some of that?” Roy asked, pointing.
+
+“Ham! You betcha! Fried ham an’ eggs. Sliced tomatoes. Potatoes.
+Coffee. Pie a-la-mode. O.K.?”
+
+“I’ll tell a maverick it is!”
+
+Then they sat down to the best meal they ever remembered eating. At
+three o’clock in the morning, just these two, in the restaurant in
+Hawley, they ate until they could eat no more. When they had finished,
+the waiter looked at them critically.
+
+“I’m thinkin’,” he said softly, “that they don’t need no bed to-night.
+Maybe the sheriff’s house is only down a block, but they’ll never make
+it, unless they walk in their sleep.”
+
+He moved softly to one side and turned low the light. Quietly he
+tiptoed to the door and closed it behind him. And Roy and Teddy,
+their heads resting on their arms, feet tucked under them, slept the
+remainder of that eventful night on a table in the restaurant in Hawley.
+
+They awoke to find the sunlight streaming in on their faces and a
+voice, miles off, calling:
+
+“Hey! Come to! ’Phone for you! ’Phone!”
+
+“What? Somebody wants us? What time is it? Gosh, this bed is hard!
+Well, for the love of Pete--”
+
+Teddy, gazing about him stupidly, found the waiter grinning down at
+him. It took a full minute for realization to come to the boy, and
+another minute to explain to Roy. Sleep had sunk them so deep that they
+simply could not understand what had occurred. Finally, however, Pete
+convinced them that they were really in Hawley, and, what was more
+important, that Mr. Manley was on the ’phone.
+
+“Dad!” Roy exclaimed, jumping. “I’ll take it, Teddy. Where’s that
+’phone? Huh? Oh!” Almost next to his elbow, and he could scarcely see
+it. He picked up the receiver.
+
+“Hello, Dad! Sure! Fine! Right next to me. Yep, he’s all right too.
+Sort of sleepy. We fell asleep on a restaurant table--stayed there all
+night. Get up there, Teddy. What’s that, Dad? Say it again, will you?
+You caught--” He turned to his brother, eyes shining with excitement.
+
+“Teddy, they caught the rustlers! Every one of ’em! The sheriff found
+our camp, and dad and the others went right out on the trail. Here,
+Dad, tell Ted. He won’t believe me.”
+
+Then Teddy:
+
+“Hello, Dad! Is that straight? Got ’em all? And the cattle? Oh, boy!
+What luck! Say, how about Flash and Star? Came home? You! That’s a
+relief! How’s Star? That’s good.” Aside:
+
+“He says Star wasn’t hurt much. Bullet just grazed him.” Into the
+’phone again:
+
+“Where’d you get the rustlers, Dad? Uh-huh! Tried to drive the cattle
+away after all, did they? Didn’t think they were that stupid. Probably
+figured we’d ride to the end of the line and wouldn’t be able to get
+help before morning. Listen, Dad--did you get Mob Jamisson? Well, hold
+him for me--he owes me a new hat! Yep. All right, Dad! Want me to tell
+Roy anything!” A pause, and a grin stole over Teddy’s face. He looked
+at his brother and winked. “Sure thing, Dad! Tell ’em we’ll see ’em
+this afternoon! So long, Dad!”
+
+The receiver clicked down. Pete, the waiter, was watching the two
+brothers with an amused smile.
+
+“Dad wanted me to tell you something,” Teddy said slowly.
+
+“Well, what?”
+
+“Oh, maybe you won’t be glad to hear it. I don’t know. Perhaps I’d
+better wait till later. I don’t like to--”
+
+“Tell me now, you Indian! What is it?”
+
+“Well, he wants us to get home as soon as we can, because Nell and
+Curly are there and they’re going to see us in the rodeo! So, hit the
+trail, cowboy--hit the trail!”
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+A perfect fall day, with the bright sun laughing down on a scene of
+vivid beauty. Flags flying in the fresh breeze. Bands playing. Girls,
+in picture hats, gazing forward eagerly. Cow punchers, resplendent
+in silver mounted belts, checkered shirts, and big woolly chaps,
+swaggering proudly about. A crowd roaring its approval of a man in the
+center of the arena astride a bucking, twisting bronco. The rodeo!
+
+The governor of the state had a box directly in the center of the
+grandstand. Next to his was the Manley box.
+
+Within it sat Mr. and Mrs. Manley, with Belle Ada, Nell Willis, and
+Ethel--no, Curly--Carew. And one other. In the rear, inconspicuous as
+possible, a little man, tanned of face, with blue, kindly eyes, looked
+out upon the scene. It was Mohammed Ben Ali Suliman--alias Professor
+Sullivan, psychologist. He leaned forward and touched Mr. Manley on the
+shoulder.
+
+“Does--er--our boy ride soon?”
+
+“Teddy, you mean? Yep. Next. Did you see Roy win that Pony Express
+contest? Man, I’ve been with him all my life, and never knew he could
+ride like that. First prize! Great, eh? Look--that man’s finished.
+There he goes!”
+
+The rider gave a shout and flew over the pony’s head. He was out of
+the race, but he arose gamely and shook his fist in mock rage at the
+horse that had unseated him, then walked, a trifle unsteadily, to the
+side.
+
+“Teddy rides now?” Mrs. Manley asked in a small voice.
+
+“Sure, Mother! An’ don’t you worry! He’ll take that bronc under his
+wing as easy as pie. Watch! Here he comes!”
+
+A yell went up as another rider shot out from a corner, seated on a
+bit of leaping horse-flesh. Roy, who stood leaning against the fence,
+shouted:
+
+“Stick with him, boy! Hang on! You! Atta baby! Look at him go--! Oh,
+look at him go! Sweet daddy! You’re sure ridin’ now, Teddy! Don’t go to
+leather! Yay! Ride ’im, cowboy!”
+
+And Teddy did “ride ’im.” For every trick of the squirming pony, he
+knew a better one. Up went his hat, and down on the bronco’s flank.
+He was fanning him, and the crowd, quick to realize that here was no
+ordinary rider, roared delightedly.
+
+Excitement reigned in the Manley box.
+
+“Oh, Mr. Manley, isn’t he _wonderful_!”
+
+“Splendid! Teddy’s splendid!” Mrs. Manley forgot her momentary fears
+and gave way to the occasion, cheering with the rest.
+
+“Dad, he’s sticking--he’s sticking!” shouted Belle, wild with joy and
+excitement.
+
+Finally the pony gave up. Head lowered, breath coming in gasps, he
+submitted to the guiding rein. Over to the judges’ stand the boy rode
+him, as easily as though he had been a saddle horse for years. Teddy
+had won.
+
+Roy, unable to contain himself, jumped the fence, ran into the arena,
+and, reaching up, grasped his brother’s hand. Those in the stand saw
+the occurrence, and another yell went up. Brother greeting brother--two
+expert riders, each a prize winner! The crowd went wild. Here was
+romance, real Western life.
+
+“Teddy, congrats!” Roy said. “You’re a rider, boy!”
+
+“And how about you?” Teddy laughed, looking down at Roy. “The same
+thing goes for you! You wait, and we’ll bring our cups over together.
+Hold this bronc a second.”
+
+He dismounted, and another puncher took the horse away. Those in the
+Manley box were watching with eager eyes.
+
+“I believe,” Professor Sullivan said slowly, “that riding like this
+has its place among the arts. When I return to my college I shall
+suggest that they add a Chair of Horsemanship to their curriculum.
+My dear Mr. Manley, let me congratulate you. I shall leave it to our
+two friends--” he smiled at Nell and Curly, who sat entranced, hands
+tightly clasped--“to congratulate our boys. That was wonderful riding.”
+
+“If I’m not mistaken,” Mr. Manley chuckled, “that gets Teddy a first
+prize. And Roy won the Pony Express contest. Not bad, hey, Barbara?”
+He turned to Mrs. Manley. “What do you think of these boys of mine?
+They save my cattle for me, get the sheriff after the rustlers, get
+’em captured an’ put in jail, then come back an’ win two first prizes!
+Well, mother, what about it? How about those two boys of mine?”
+
+Mrs. Manley looked at her husband and smiled. Then she saw coming
+toward them Roy and Teddy, each one carrying a silver cup. They strode
+along, heads held high, the light of conquest shining in their eyes.
+Two horses stood awaiting them--Star and Flash. They mounted, and rode
+over to the Manley box. As they approached they held the cups out and
+grinned.
+
+“Yes, Bardwell,” Mrs. Manley said softly, “they’re fine boys, those
+sons of yours. But you musn’t forget--” she smiled again--“I’m not to
+be left out of this! They’re mine, too!”
+
+
+                                THE END
+
+
+
+
+                        WESTERN STORIES FOR BOYS
+
+                          By JAMES CODY FERRIS
+
+                     Each Volume Complete in Itself.
+
+
+Thrilling tales of the great west, told primarily for boys but which
+will be read by all who love mystery, rapid action, and adventures in
+the great open spaces.
+
+The cowboys of the X Bar X Ranch are real cowboys, on the job when
+required, but full of fun and daring--a bunch any reader will be
+delighted to know.
+
+  THE X BAR X BOYS ON THE RANCH
+  THE X BAR X BOYS IN THUNDER CANYON
+  THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER
+  THE X BAR X BOYS ON BIG BISON TRAIL
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT THE ROUND-UP
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT NUGGET CAMP
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT RUSTLER’S GAP
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT GRIZZLY PASS
+  THE X BAR X BOYS LOST IN THE ROCKIES
+  THE X BAR X BOYS RIDING FOR LIFE
+  THE X BAR X BOYS IN SMOKY VALLEY
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT COPPERHEAD GULCH
+  THE X BAR X BOYS BRANDING THE WILD HERD
+  THE X BAR X BOYS AT THE STRANGE RODEO
+  THE X BAR X BOYS WITH THE SECRET RANGERS
+  THE X BAR X BOYS HUNTING THE PRIZE MUSTANGS
+
+
+
+
+                  _On the Trail of Clues and Criminals_
+
+              Illustrated. Every Volume Complete in Itself.
+
+
+Frank and Joe Hardy are sons of a celebrated detective. Often the
+boys help him in his investigations. In their spare hours and during
+vacations they follow up clues “on their own hook.” These activities
+lead them into many strange adventures and dangerous situations. Yet
+their efforts are usually successful in tracking down criminals. These
+stories are packed with action, adventure and mystery.
+
+
+                         THE HARDY BOYS STORIES
+
+                          By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
+
+
+                           THE TOWER TREASURE
+                         THE HOUSE ON THE CLIFF
+                       THE SECRET OF THE OLD MILL
+                            THE MISSING CHUMS
+                         HUNTING FOR HIDDEN GOLD
+                         THE SHORE ROAD MYSTERY
+                         THE SECRET OF THE CAVES
+                       THE MYSTERY OF CABIN ISLAND
+                        THE GREAT AIRPORT MYSTERY
+                        WHAT HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT
+                         WHILE THE CLOCK TICKED
+                       FOOTPRINTS UNDER THE WINDOW
+                          THE MARK ON THE DOOR
+                        THE HIDDEN HARBOR MYSTERY
+                           A FIGURE IN HIDING
+
+
+
+
+                        TED SCOTT FLYING STORIES
+
+                          By FRANKLIN W. DIXON
+
+              Illustrated. Every Volume Complete in Itself.
+
+
+You’ll like Ted Scott. He’s a daring young American whose feats of
+flying thrill the whole world, but with it all he keeps a level head
+on his shoulders. The whole flying series has been inspired by recent
+aerial exploits and is dedicated to Lindbergh, Commander Byrd, Clarence
+Chamberlin and other heroes of the skies.
+
+                         OVER THE OCEAN TO PARIS
+                          RESCUED IN THE CLOUDS
+                   OVER THE ROCKIES WITH THE AIR MAIL
+                           FIRST STOP HONOLULU
+                     THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST FLYERS
+                         SOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE
+                           ACROSS THE PACIFIC
+                      THE LONE EAGLE OF THE BORDER
+                           FLYING AGAINST TIME
+                         OVER THE JUNGLE TRAILS
+                         LOST AT THE SOUTH POLE
+                        THROUGH THE AIR TO ALASKA
+                          FLYING TO THE RESCUE
+                        DANGER TRAILS OF THE SKY
+                        FOLLOWING THE SUN SHADOW
+                            BATTLING THE WIND
+                        BRUSHING THE MOUNTAIN TOP
+                      CASTAWAYS OF THE STRATOSPHERE
+
+
+
+
+                        Spotlight Books for Boys
+
+                          _From 12 to 16 Years_
+
+
+MYSTERY HOUSE                                         _R. J. Burrough_
+
+Another Smiley Adams story combines mystery and sports, with adventure
+aplenty in the deserted house on an island one dark and stormy night.
+
+THE LONE RANGER                                            _G. DuBois_
+
+Mysterious, friend to all in trouble, this dauntless rider, ever
+astride his magnificent horse, Silver, rides the Western range.
+
+FLASH GORDON                                            _Alex Raymond_
+
+Flash, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov, the only earthlings on the planet
+Mongo, save King Vultan’s people from destruction.
+
+TAILSPIN TOMMY                                           _Hal Forrest_
+
+Tommy fills in for an ace stunt flier in a war movie.
+
+THE G-MEN SMASH THE “PROFESSOR’S” GANG                     _Wm. Engle_
+
+Bob and Denny, G-men, in a chase that leads them into the underworld.
+
+SMILEY ADAMS                                          _R. J. Burrough_
+
+An exciting story about the disappearance of a football star between
+halves.
+
+
+
+
+                  Books for Boys by a Master of Fiction
+
+                          The Mark Tidd Stories
+
+                      By CLARENCE BUDINGTON KELLAND
+
+
+                              =MARK TIDD=
+
+An ingenious fat boy and his three friends meet danger and excitement
+in solving the mystery of the strange footprint in their secret cave.
+
+
+                         =MARK TIDD IN BUSINESS=
+
+Mark and his three friends take Smalley’s Bazaar and make a success of
+it, in spite of unfair competition from the villain of the story.
+
+
+                           =MARK TIDD, EDITOR=
+
+The resourceful fat boy runs a country newspaper. As editor, foreman of
+the press room, circulation manager and business manager, he makes the
+_Wicksville Trumpet_ a paying proposition.
+
+
+                        =MARK TIDD, MANUFACTURER=
+
+The boys take over an old mill fallen into disrepair and soon have it
+showing a profit. How Mark outwits the unscrupulous representative of a
+big power company makes an irresistibly funny book.
+
+
+
+
+                          FOOTBALL AT ITS BEST
+
+                     “Hot Off The Gridiron” Stories
+
+
+                          UNDER THE GOAL POSTS
+                             by EDDIE DOOLEY
+
+A rousing story of college football by a great player.
+
+
+                          By HAROLD M. SHERMAN
+                           ONE MINUTE TO PLAY
+
+There wasn’t room in Red Wade’s trunk for his football togs and his
+textbooks too--so he left his textbooks at home!
+
+
+                               TOUCHDOWN!
+
+A thrilling, smashing, breath-taking football story--introducing the
+“big three.”
+
+
+                            BLOCK THAT KICK!
+
+Tingling romance, breath-taking mystery. Climaxed by a championship
+football game at the Yankee Stadium.
+
+
+                            CRASHING THROUGH!
+
+How a clever little quarterback kept his big rivals’ fighting spirit at
+high pitch in order that his eleven might win a big game.
+
+
+                          FIGHT ’EM, BIG THREE
+
+Plenty of action on the gridiron and in other fields also. A story of
+three youths, Stuffy, Pepper and Brick.
+
+
+                               GOAL TO GO!
+
+Shrimp and Tubby, the “David and Goliath” of the Merwin College eleven,
+bring a great football crowd to its feet shouting like mad.
+
+
+                             HOLD THAT LINE!
+
+A story of the heart-breaking and nerve-trying experience one college
+player underwent before success.
+
+
+                                NUMBER 44
+
+How Bun Ritter, former mascot, becomes as famous as the mighty Branson,
+makes a story packed with football sensation!
+
+
+
+
+                          BOOKS BY LEO EDWARDS
+
+              ILLUSTRATED. EVERY VOLUME COMPLETE IN ITSELF.
+
+
+Hundreds of thousands of boys and girls have laughed until their sides
+ached over the weird and wonderful adventures of Jerry Todd and Poppy
+Ott and their friends. Mr. Edwards’ boy characters are real. They do
+the things other boys like. Pirates! Mystery! Detectives! Adventure!
+Ghosts! Buried Treasure! Achievement! Stories of boys making things,
+doing things, going places--always on the jump and always having fun.
+His stories are for boys and girls of all ages.
+
+
+                          THE JERRY TODD BOOKS
+
+          JERRY TODD AND THE WHISPERING MUMMY
+          JERRY TODD AND THE ROSE-COLORED CAT
+          JERRY TODD AND THE OAK ISLAND TREASURE
+          JERRY TODD AND THE WALTZING HEN
+          JERRY TODD AND THE TALKING FROG
+          JERRY TODD AND THE PURRING EGG
+          JERRY TODD IN THE WHISPERING CAVE
+          JERRY TODD: PIRATE
+          JERRY TODD AND THE BOB-TAILED ELEPHANT
+          JERRY TODD: EDITOR-IN-GRIEF
+          JERRY TODD: CAVEMAN
+          JERRY TODD AND THE FLYING FLAPDOODLE
+          JERRY TODD AND THE BUFFALO BILL BATHTUB
+          JERRY TODD: UP THE LADDER CLUB
+          JERRY TODD’S POODLE PARLOR
+
+
+                           THE POPPY OTT BOOKS
+
+          POPPY OTT AND THE STUTTERING PARROT
+          POPPY OTT’S SEVEN LEAGUE STILTS
+          POPPY OTT AND THE GALLOPING SNAIL
+          POPPY OTT’S PEDIGREED PICKLES
+          POPPY OTT AND THE FRECKLED GOLDFISH
+          POPPY OTT AND THE TITTERING TOTEM
+          POPPY OTT AND THE PRANCING PANCAKE
+          POPPY OTT HITS THE TRAIL
+          POPPY OTT & CO.: INFERIOR DECORATORS
+          POPPY OTT--THE MONKEY’S PAW
+
+
+  GROSSET & DUNLAP              _Publishers_                NEW YORK
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber’s Note:
+
+Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
+this_. Obvious printing errors, such as lines printed in the wrong
+order and partially printed letters and punctuation, were corrected.
+Final stops and close quote marks missing at the end of sentences were
+added. Fifteen misspelled words were corrected.
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76660 ***