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diff --git a/old/69352-0.txt b/old/69352-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d511713..0000000 --- a/old/69352-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6144 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The X Bar X boys on Whirlpool River, -by James Cody Ferris - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The X Bar X boys on Whirlpool River - -Author: James Cody Ferris - -Illustrator: Walter S Rogers - -Release Date: November 14, 2022 [eBook #69352] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL -RIVER *** - - - -THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER - -[Illustration: THE RUSHING CURRENT SWEPT TEDDY OUT OF REACH OF THE -ROCK.] - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER - -BY - -JAMES CODY FERRIS - -Author of “The X Bar X Boys on the Ranch,” -“The X Bar X Boys in Thunder Canyon,” 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, 1926, by - -GROSSET & DUNLAP - -The X Bar X Boys on Whirlpool River - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -CONTENTS - - I King of the Forest - II The Brainy Beastie - III An Angry Visitor - IV Joe Marino - V Guarded Words - VI To Whirlpool River - VII Suspicion - VIII Follow Us - IX The Water Trail - X A Figure among the Trees - XI A Night in the Woods - XII Voices in the Night - XIII The Fugitive - XIV Failure - XV A Vain Search - XVI Separated - XVII Primitive Tactics - XVIII Afloat Again - XIX The Whirlpool - XX Burying the Hatchet - XXI The Chase - XXII The Man at the Fire - XXIII Boss and Bandit - XXIV Flying Bullets - XXV Meet the Wife - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -THE X BAR X BOYS ON WHIRLPOOL RIVER - - - - -CHAPTER I - -King Of The Forest - - -“If there be such in these woods, then such there be,” announced -Teddy Manley, and punctuated this cryptic utterance with a slight -grunt as he bent over the marks in the soft earth. - -“No doubt, no doubt,” his brother, Roy, declared dryly. “Speak the -mother tongue, Teddy. What are you staring at, anyhow?” - -“Take a look for yourself,” Teddy answered briefly, and stepped -aside. Roy moved closer, gazed curiously at the impressions on the -ground, then gave a low whistle. - -“Bear tracks!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Bear tracks, or I’m a shad!” - -“You remain as originally intended,” remarked Teddy. “Those are -definite, certain, and never-to-be-doubted bear tracks. Now the -burning question is--” he hitched up his belt and turned his head -from side to side. “Whar am Mister B’ar?” - -Roy hunched his shoulders in a gesture expressing entire ignorance -of the subject. The tracks were fairly fresh, but their maker could -be many miles away by this time. - -It was early fall, and the two brothers had started out from the X -Bar X Ranch, with the intention of bagging some small game. Teddy -carried a light shotgun, hoping to get a chance at duck. Roy had -brought with him a small-bore rifle. Hardly the weapons with which -to hunt bear. - -The boys had picketed their ponies near the foot of the mountain, -knowing that the steep grade above made riding impractical. Thus far -they had not sighted any game worth considering, but now, when they -were near the top, Teddy had come upon the bear tracks. - -“Do we follow them?” Teddy, the younger, asked dubiously. He glanced -down at the gun held in the crook of his arm. “This shotgun I have -would only take his picture, Roy, and that pea-shooter of yours -isn’t much better. What’s the verdict?” - -Roy looked at his brother and smiled. - -“Trying to kid me? After looking for bears in these woods for years, -when we raise one, you want to know things! Huh! Don’t ask! Look me -straight in the eye, brother mine, and say: What would you rather -do, or hunt bear?” - -“You’re the doctor,” Teddy responded. “You must be getting reckless -in your old age, Roy.” This last was to nail any idea that Teddy -hesitated to face the adventure. He was slightly chagrined at the -fact that Roy had taken the initiative in suggesting that they -proceed. Usually it was the other way around, the younger lad -proposing, and Roy, with what he was pleased to call his “more -mature judgment,” disposing. - -“Far be it from me to dissuade you from entering the lists against a -baby bear,” Teddy went on. “I hope you see him before he sees you. -Those animals are easily scared.” - -“Yes, Teddy, my lad,” Roy said with a maddening grin. “We shall not -argue the issue. Come on--let’s go.” - -Grumbling half-heartedly to himself, Teddy Manley followed the -tracks. As he proceeded, the injustice that had been done him was -forgotten in the mounting excitement of the chase. The tracks led -diagonally across the mountain, and seemed to get fresher with every -yard. As the boys came to a clearing, Teddy halted. - -“Not long since he passed here!” he exclaimed, as he noticed an ant -heap that had been disturbed by the animal. “Look--those ants are -still half crazy with fright--running around every which way.” - -It was not by accident that Teddy’s eyes caught this telltale bit of -evidence. Born and brought up in the West, these boys could -interpret the signs of the forest with unerring judgment. Where -another might see merely a broken twig, the young ranchers read a -story. - -“He’s close,” Roy returned laconically. He looked to his rifle. The -magazine was full, and he pumped a bullet into the chamber. If they -did come upon the bear, by great good luck Roy might succeed in -placing a shot through the eye into the brain, which was the only -place where the small bullet would be effective. If he missed--well, -several things might happen, and not all of them to the bear. - -Teddy gazed intently toward a clump of sage brush just off the -trail. Absently he bent his left knee, and with his hand he -dislodged a piece of dirt that had caught on the heel of his shoe. -This he tossed into the bush carelessly. - -There was a sudden deep-throated growl. The bushes stirred, then -parted. Framed in a circlet of brown sage brush, appeared the shaggy -head of a huge black bear. - -Neither boy spoke. Silently Roy leveled his rifle. The bear stood as -immobile as a statue, staring fiercely at the intruders, only his -head showing. Then, as the lips drew back in a snarl, showing the -sharp teeth and the red gums, Roy pressed the trigger. - -There was a sharp crack. The bear started as though it had been -stung by a hornet, and a crimson spot of blood marked the black fur -just above the left eye. - -“Take it on the run!” Teddy cried hoarsely, and fired as he spoke. -He knew the buckshot would have small effect, but he hoped it might -cause the animal to hesitate long enough to give them an opportunity -to make their escape. - -As the bear moved forward Roy sprang to one side. With a yell to -Teddy to follow, he bounded to the right, then up, toward a ledge -that jutted out from the mountain over their heads. If they could -gain that, and the bear could not, they had a good chance for their -lives. - -Teddy leaped after his brother. The bear, growling in rage at the -pain of his wound, sought to close his teeth in Teddy’s leg. The boy -gave a shout, and releasing his hold on the gun gave all his -attention to the business at hand--beating the bear to the ledge. -Strangely enough, as he scrambled up the incline, Teddy’s thoughts -reverted to the ranch yard, when only yesterday he and Roy had sat -on the corral fence and snickered as Pop Burns told about the time a -bear had tried to make a meal from Nick Looker’s pants, while Nick -was in swimming at Lomley’s Lake. According to Pop, the bear had -struck a fishhook in the back pocket, and out of revenge had chased -Nick all over creation. - -“Now I know just how Nick felt,” Teddy panted. “Never--as long as I -live--will I laugh at another bear story! Hey, Roy! Hang on to your -gun! Mine’s gone!” - -But even as he spoke, he heard a thud and saw their only remaining -firearm go sliding down the mountain. It hit in the path of the -oncoming beast, and the animal stopped for a moment to see what this -was that tumbled toward him. As the rifle reached him, he put out -his paw, stopped the gun, sniffed at it, then flicked it from him -with a snort, and once more lumbered on. - -But at least the rifle had served one good purpose--for in that -small interval of time Roy had reached the ledge. He jumped upward, -careless of consequences, and felt his finger close over the root of -a tree. Straining every muscle, he gradually drew himself -up--higher--higher--and, with a gasp of thankfulness, he sank down -upon the rock. - -Then, bracing himself, he stretched his arms over the edge toward -Teddy. The boy seized his brother’s hands, and, grunting with -exertion, succeeded in gaining the shelf just as the bear reached -the spot where he had stood but a moment before. - -“Leaping lizards!” Teddy panted. “That was some close! Hey, listen -to that geezer grunt! Golly, I--” - -“I’ll tell a maverick it was close!” Roy gasped. “Another second and -you’d have been mince-meat! I told you we shouldn’t have followed -those tracks. If we had had a decent rifle--” - -“_You_ told _me_! Well, for the love of Pete! And _you_ were the one -who wanted to do all this bear hunting! Great snakes! How do you get -that way? Wow! Listen to our friend! He won’t be able to talk -to-morrow!” - -Below them the bear was uttering dire threats against their safety -and was trying desperately to reach the ledge by jumping. Every time -he sprang the boys heard the “scra-a-a-ape” of his claws over the -rock. - -Teddy shook his head. - -“Baby,” he remarked, “I sure hope he gets discouraged easily! If he -ever manages to pull himself up here--good-night!” - -Cautiously Roy leaned over. - -“He’s still at it. Thank goodness this shelf is narrow. But the -point is, how are we going to get down? It’s a cinch we can’t climb -up that cliff.” He motioned with his thumb to the wall back of them, -which rose straight up. “As long as the old boy wants to hang -around, we’re his guests,” he finished grimly. - -“Well, if you had frozen to that gun of yours we might have a -chance. But there it is, lying down on the rocks, not doing us a bit -of good. It might just as well be at home as down there. Say--” - -Teddy stopped short. Speechless, he seized his brother’s arm and -pointed. Roy looked along the side of the mountain, then staggered -against the wall. - -“Jumping catamounts!” he groaned. “We’re cooked! Another one! Start -the slow music, Teddy. This bear’s brought his gang along with him!” - -“Oh, cheer up! It’s not a gang--yet! It’s one bear, only one! And -that makes two bears, only two! Golly, if we only had a rifle!” - - - - -CHAPTER II - -The Brainy Beastie - - -Scuffling rocks down the slope of the mountain in his haste to join -his comrade, the second bear approached the ledge. Teddy and Roy -knew that the new arrival could not come at them from the side, as -the corners of the shelf tapered into the straight wall. - -Yet this fact was paramount in the minds of the boys--that two bears -were one more bear than one bear. - -“Come, join the party,” Teddy said bitterly, as he watched the -scrambling approach of the second beast. “The more the merrier. Roy, -just tell François to lay another place, will you?” - -Roy did not reply, but once more leaned over the edge of the -projection. The animal they had first encountered had ceased his -ineffectual attempts to reach the shelf, and was calmly awaiting the -arrival of his mate. - -“The uninvited guest,” Teddy continued, eyeing the oncoming bear -with a malevolent stare. “Well, there’s always room for one more. We -strive to please.” He raised his voice to a shout. “Hey, _amigo_, -would you mind bringing that rifle with you as you come by? There’s -something in it I want to give you. What? Oh, all right. If you want -to be nasty about it. The next time I--” - -“Teddy, put a buck-strap on that lower lip of yours,” Roy -interrupted. “I have an idea.” - -“Has it got something to do with us leaving here before winter sets -in? Because if it has, let’s hear it.” - -Without speaking, Roy nodded his head, then proceeded to search his -pockets diligently. At length he brought to light a fishline with a -hook attached, imbedded in a small cork. He held the line up with a -triumphant smile. - -Teddy looked at it for a moment. Then a grin came over his face. - -“Fine!” he cried joyfully. “Just the thing. I haven’t been fishing -for some time, and it’s well nigh on to three weeks since I fished -for bear. I’m kind of out of practice. Let’s see now. What is it you -use for bait? Oh, yes, I remember now. You tie the end of the line -to a tree, put yourself on the hook, and jump overboard. When the -bear nibbles you yell, ‘I’ve got him!’ That is, if you can. Then the -bear laughs and says, ‘Oh, no, quite the contrary, I assure you,’ -and by that time--” - -“Save it, and write a joke book,” Roy retorted. “Now control your -well known faculty for humor for a moment and pay attention. What’s -that down there?” He pointed, and Teddy stared. - -“That? Well, it _looks_ like the rifle you so obligingly dropped. Of -course, I can’t be sure, for we’re not sure of anything in this -world. But I _think_ it is.” - -“Strangely enough, you’re right. Now my idea is this: I’ll tie a -weight to this line about a foot below the hook. Make a cast. Catch -the hook in the rifle. Draw up said rifle. Shoot said bear and his -little friend. Then go home and eat.” - -Teddy gazed silently at his brother. His mouth opened wide. A fixed -look came into his eyes. Then, gasping for breath, he put out his -hand gropingly, as though to steady himself. - -“I’m not well,” he said thickly, “and I want to go home. It must be -those cucumbers we had for lunch. Never again, as long as I live, -will I eat cucumbers. Why, Roy, do you know what I thought you said? -I thought--” - -“Suffering tripe, can’t you be serious for a _minute_?” Roy burst -out. “I tell you my scheme will work. It’s the only chance we have. -Look--the other bear has arrived. Hear ’em talking to each other? -Suppose they’re able to boost themselves up here? ’Course I don’t say -they _could_--it’s pretty high, thank goodness. But if they did? -Where would we be then? Now you watch. I’m going to try it. Here she -goes.” - -Teddy settled himself in a sitting position on the ledge with his -back to the wall, so that he was out of sight of the bears below. He -waved his hand grandly. - -“You may fire when ready, Gridley!” he quoted. - -Roy carefully judged the distance from the ledge to the spot where -the gun lay, estimating the length of line he would have to use. By -this time the two bears were in close conference. Deep rumblings of -bear talk came to the boys on the ledge, and finally one -heavy-throated, decisive grunt. - -“Period,” said Teddy, and lapsed once more into silence. - -Roy took a firm stand upon the ledge. He had already attached the -stone to the line and had removed the cork from the fortunately -large hook. Now he drew back his arm, took careful aim, and threw. -The line whistled out, then sagged as the stone struck the ground. - -“Make it?” Teddy asked, not deigning to arise. - -“Missed,” was the laconic reply. “Give me time.” - -“Certainly. We have weeks at our disposal. I’ve got nothing to do -but sit here, anyway.” - -Roy grinned good-naturedly and drew the line in. Once more he cast. - -“I’ve got those bears worried, at any rate,” he declared, pulling in -for a third attempt. “Notice how quiet they are?” - -Teddy nodded solemnly. - -“Sure. They just decided which one was going to have me for lunch. -I’ll bet the first bear won. He likes me. Tried to kiss me on the -way up, but I was bashful, and, anyway, we were in a hurry.” - -Once more the line whistled through the air. This time, when it -landed, Roy gave a yell. - -“_That’s_ the one! Watch this now, Teddy, and give me credit!” - -Teddy, jarred out of his placidity, leaped to his feet. He saw that -the hook had come to rest about five feet below the gun, and in a -direct line with the trigger guard. - -“Boy--take it easy!” he breathed. “Pull up slow--slo-o-o-w! A little -more--no--don’t jerk it--gently now--” - -“Well, for the love of Pete, will you pipe down for a second?” Roy -exploded, a grin of amusement on his face. “How do you think I can -do this with you yelling in my ear? First you sit back and let me do -all the work, and then, by golly, you want to play director. Hey, -iss diss a system?” - -“Pardon,” Teddy replied, mockingly contrite. “You are right. I am at -fault, and I await your pleasure. Henceforth I keep my peace.” - -With a smile of satisfaction, Roy returned once more to the business -of catching the hook in the trigger guard. Slowly he drew in. The -hook neared the rifle. Then, with a foot more to go, it caught on -the edge of a stone, and stuck. Carefully Roy twitched the line, -hoping to dislodge it. But the hook resisted all his efforts. Both -boys took a deep breath. Below them the bears started their growling -again, and stones and dirt clattered down the mountain as they -leaped repeatedly up toward the ledge. - -“Now may the gods of the hills be with us,” Teddy murmured. “I fear -me those bears have formed a conspiracy against us!” - -Roy jerked the line desperately. If it parted, their last hope was -gone. They would have to remain on the ledge until the bears left of -their own accord or until the animals succeeded in their objective. -Roy shuddered slightly as he thought of this last eventuality. -_That_ would not be so pleasant. - -“Let’s try it,” Teddy suggested hoarsely, afraid almost that his -voice would cut the line. He took the cord from his brother’s -unresisting hand. - -For a moment it seemed that he would have no greater success than -Roy. The hook appeared caught firmly. Then, resolutely, Teddy gave -the line a violent tug. - -The hook released its tenacious hold on the stone and snapped -through the air. Teddy gave a gasp of dismay. Then, suddenly, his -face cleared and his eyes lit joyfully. He gave a shout of triumph. - -The hook, leaping toward the rifle, had become attached to the -trigger guard! - -“Got it!” Teddy yelled. “Don’t know how, but I did! Now, Roy, we’ll -see just how much this plan of yours is worth! Here, gun, gun, gun, -gun, gun! Come to papa! Whoa, baby, not so fast! That’s the stuff! -Nice rifle!” - -By fits and starts, the rifle, drawn by the fishline, made its -eccentric way up the mountainside. Gradually it approached a spot -just under the ledge where both bears were waiting, crouched against -the wall, staring frantically at this strange manifestation. Never -before had they seen a stick travel uphill apparently under its own -guidance. - -“Golly, I hope they leave it alone,” Roy gasped, peering anxiously -over the edge. “When I yell, Teddy, you give the line a quick pull -up and I’ll grab the gun. Easy now, it’s almost below me. -Careful--careful--get away from there, you varmint. Yay-y-y-y! Woof -woof! Bang bang! Scat! Now, Teddy! Pull! Hey, you! Lookout--” - -Teddy, standing above, where he could not see the rifle now that it -was directly below the shelf, had given the cord a quick tug in -obedience to Roy’s shouted command. At this very moment the bears -recovered from their panic. Simultaneously, they made a dive for -that strange thing dangling in front of them. The animal that had -chased the boys succeeded in hitting the barrel with one paw, while -the other paw brushed against the line. The rifle swung around, the -muzzle pressed against the bear’s chest. With a snort of surprise, -the beast hugged it to him. - -Bang! - -There was a quick report, as though some one had slapped two boards -together. The bear, stung with a pain more violent than any bee -sting, sprang back with a grunt of outraged dignity--sprang back, -and, howling in rage, fled ignominiously down the mountain, with his -astounded companion tumbling after! - -There was deep silence on the ledge. Open-mouthed, the boys watched -the lumbering animals disappear in the foliage at the foot of the -incline, and the crackling of the brush and the waving of twigs -testified that their speed was as yet undiminished--they were still -going, and going fast. - -Teddy blinked rapidly. Bending over, he felt with his hand of -several places on the rocky floor of the shelf. Finally he found one -to his liking. Then he sank blissfully down, rolled over on his -back, and the next moment the hills echoed with the laughter of two -boys lying on a narrow ledge high up in the mountains. - -“The--the poor thing was scared!” Roy spluttered, as soon as he got -his breath. “He tried--oh, golly--he tried to commit suicide! Baby! -I never expect to see a sight like that again! Teddy, if you had -only seen him--seen the expression on his face when the gun went -off! He grabbed the barrel, pointed it at his chest, and pulled the -trigger! Honestly! Then he looked so gosh-blamed surprised and -disappointed, and--and--Hold me, Teddy, or I’ll bust!” - -“I saw most of it,” Teddy declared, wiping tears of laughter from -his eyes. “The best part of it all was to see those two hopping down -the mountain like a couple of silly cows--or like rocking horses out -on a spree! Man, that was one sweet show! Say, I’ll bet the one who -shot himself won’t sleep to-night. Or, if he does, he’ll have bad -dreams. Imagine a bear shooting himself! Won’t Pop Burns like to -hear about this!” - -“Yes, but will he believe it?” Roy asked dubiously. “Pop likes to -tell ’em, but when it comes to listening--that’s another thing.” - -“Well, anyway, this beats his story about the bear eating Nick’s -pants.” - -“I’ll tell a maverick it does! And we know this is true, while that -other--well, I have me ‘doots.’ Come on, we’d better go now. We’ve -got to find your gun before we start home. Here--you slide down -first then grab me. I’ll bet Star and Flash are getting restless by -now. Neither one has been ridden much lately. All right--over you -go. There’ll be no bear to welcome you with open arms, either, thank -goodness. The party is over!” - -Still chuckling, the two boys, after finding the two guns where they -had been dropped, made their way down the mountain toward the -ponies. Star and Flash whinnied as they came up and pranced about -ecstatically the moment the boys were in the saddle. The love Teddy -and Roy had for their broncos was not unreciprocated. - -Talking of their adventure with the bears, the boys rode slowly -home. Teddy was anxious to tell Pop Burns about it, to see what he -would say. But as they neared the ranch yard of the X Bar X, they -heard something that drove these topics from their minds. - -From around the corner of the bunk-house came voices, loud in anger. -They listened. One of the speakers was their father! - - - - -CHAPTER III - -An Angry Visitor - - -“What do you reckon is up, Teddy?” asked Roy Manley. - -“Haven’t the least idea, but we’ll soon find out!” - -The two urged their mounts forward anxiously. - -Digressing here, for a moment, it will be recalled that these two -youths were first introduced in a book called “The X Bar X Boys on -the Ranch,” the opening volume of this series. Therein was told of -the long and dangerous hunt they, in company with their father and -other members of the outfit, had undertaken to round-up a gang of -rustlers who had stolen Flash, Star, and General, the ponies of -Teddy, Roy, and Mr. Manley. - -The boys felt keenly the loss of their ponies, and braved many -dangers before regaining them. The fact that the Manley posse caught -the rustlers when they were about to make a raid on the cattle of X -Bar X added not a little to the excitement. - -In the second book, called “The X Bar X Boys in Thunder Canyon,” the -adventures of Teddy and Roy on the trail of kidnappers are related. -These scoundrels, in revenge for a wrong they fancied Mr. Manley had -done them, took Belle Ada, the boys’ sister, and Nell Willis and -Ethel Carew, her friends, to a cavern far up Thunder Canyon. Guarded -there by an old woman and a number of men, the girls had a -terrifying time until Roy and Teddy found them and brought them -safely home after rounding up the kidnappers, who turned out to be -the same gang that had made trouble at the X Bar X Ranch before. - -The voice of the man who was quarreling with their father in the -ranch yard was not an unfamiliar one to the Manley boys. Teddy, who -was leading, reined up sharply and jerked his head in the direction -from which the words were coming. - -“Jake Trummer,” he said shortly. “Seems to be getting a load off his -chest. Wonder what the row is about.” - -“Plenty, from the noise,” Roy answered. “He’s sure laying it into -dad. Let’s investigate.” - -As the boys were intimately concerned with the running of the X Bar -X, their decision to learn the cause of the argument was not an -intrusion. They knew their father wished them to know anything that -concerned the ranch. So, chirping gently to their ponies, they rode -around the bunk-house and came in sight of the speaker. - -Jake Trummer had his back to them as they trotted up. - -“You heard what I said, Bard Manley,” he was thundering. “I ain’t -got no time for foolin’ around. Either you take yore cattle off my -ranges, or, by gosh, I’ll drive ’em off, an’ none too gentle, -either! You hear me!” - -“Can’t help it, not bein’ deaf,” Mr. Manley returned. “You make a -noise like a steam calliope, Jake, only not so pleasant. But you use -the same kind of power--hot air. Now listen. Just as fast as I can, -I’ll--hello boys!” their father suddenly broke off. “You’re just in -time. Jake, here, was tellin’ me a nice little story about a bad -wolf; wasn’t it, Jake?” - -“We heard some of it,” Roy said, with a grin, and dismounted. -“What’s the matter, Mr. Trummer?” - -“Matter enough! And if you think it’s a nice story, you’ll learn -different, Bard Manley! You get yore cattle off my ranges, an’ -quick! You know the grass down by Whirlpool River is the best -grazin’ in the state, an’ you know I only got a certain amount of -it. Hardly enough for my own stock. Then you let yore cows go -roamin’ all around creation an’--” - -“Do you mean that our cattle are using your grass?” Teddy asked, -sliding from his horse. “If that’s so, we’ll try to get them off as -quickly as possible.” He turned to his father. “I’m sorry about -that, Dad. I had Nick an’ Gus riding this week. They didn’t do their -job very well, I guess. Wait a minute, Mr. Trummer, and we’ll get -the straight of this. Hey, Nick!” The boy raised his voice in a -shout. “Nick around? Come over here--pronto!” - -“Take it easy,” Mr. Manley said suddenly. “Never mind it, Nick!” he -called. And as a young puncher appeared from around the bunk-house -the “boss” waved a hand. “Trot back. If we want you we’ll yell -again.” - -Nick Looker, with a puzzled look on his face, obeyed slowly. Mr. -Manley turned again to Jake Trummer. - -“Listen, Jake. I’ve known you for some years now. We ain’t never had -no argument before. I’m sorry my dogies got over on yore land. But, -leapin’ turtles! that’s no reason to come an’ take my head off about -it! Why’n’t you come up an’ tell me like a man, instead of raisin’ -the dust like a cyclone? Hey?” - -Jake Trummer’s face grew red. His neck swelled until the veins stood -out like knotted cords. His hands clenched. - -“’Cause I didn’t want to, that’s why!” he shouted. “Think you can -run me like you run this here ranch, Bard Manley? Well, you can’t! -When I says a thing I means it! You hear me! Them cattle of yours -been on my grass fer a week now. Every day I figures you’ll come -over an’ take ’em off, but you don’t do nothin’. So finally I has to -come over to you. But it’ll be the last time! You hear me! You get -them cows off Whirlpool River, or, by golly, I’ll drive ’em _in_ the -river! You hear me!” - -Turning on his heel, Jake Trummer strode savagely to the corral rail -where he had tied his pony. Releasing her, he vaulted into the -saddle, swung the pinto’s head about, and galloped out of the yard. -Slowly Mr. Manley took a corncob pipe from his pocket, stuck it in -his mouth, applied a match to its already filled bowl, and then -grinned. - -“The old boy sure had his fur up, didn’t he?” - -“I’ll tell a maverick he did,” Roy responded. Then a frown came to -his face. “What’s the rights of this, dad? When did Jake come over? -Had he been here long?” - -“Not five minutes before you came. Teddy, you trot over and ask Nick -an’ Gus Tripp to come over here. I want to ask them some questions. -I didn’t see no sense in lettin’ Jake Trummer have any say in how we -handle our men, so that was the reason I told Nick to go back -before. But to tell the truth--” he exhaled a great cloud of -smoke--“to tell the truth, I thought Jake was foolin’ at first. But -I guess he was sure enough mad.” - -“No doubt about that,” Teddy added grimly. “I’ll get Nick for you, -Dad. I’m sorry this happened. Jake has always been a good neighbor, -and I hate to have trouble with him.” Shaking his head, the boy led -his horse to the hitching rail and then made for the other end of -the yard. - -“Takes it like a veteran,” Mr. Manley remarked to Roy, as he watched -Teddy walk off. “Roy--” and he placed a hand on his son’s -shoulder--“I never say much to you two, but I guess you know that -I’m pretty well satisfied with who I got for youngsters. When the -time comes for me to take a back seat, I expect you an’ Teddy to -carry on this ranch like I did when I got it from my father--your -grandfather. You never saw him, but Pop Burns did. He’ll tell you -all about him. An’ I tried to do the best I could by him--just like -you an’ Teddy are doin’ for me. You boys are men, now--yep, real -men. It took men to locate those rustlers the time we had our broncs -stole, and to round ’em up. It took men to ride at that cave in -Thunder Canyon to get Belle Ada an’ the rest without knowin’ how -many guns you were goin’ up against. Yep, it took men to do those -jobs--an’ you did ’em. I ain’t kickin’ none. Snakes! what started me -off on that trail? Son, you see any signs of Father Time around -here?” and he squeezed Roy’s shoulder affectionately and laughed a -little. - -“Not any, Dad,” Roy responded, and tried to echo his father’s laugh, -but there was a queer lump in his throat that he could not account -for. Never before had his father talked like this. And when Mr. -Manley saw his son’s eyes, he understood. With a yell he grabbed Roy -about the waist and affected to throw him to the ground. - -“Could I do it?” he grinned, desisting. “You bet I could! Snakes, -Roy, you’re too blame serious! What chance have you got to see me -take a back seat yet awhile and watch the grasshoppers whizzing by? -In the words of the immortal poet, not any! Where in thunder is -Teddy? Oh, here he comes!” - -With the arrival of Nick and Teddy, Roy’s mind turned from its -rather sombre trend to the business of ranching. Roy, but one year -older than Teddy, had a more serious disposition, frequently -considering events more important than they really were. This nature -he inherited from his mother, who, before her marriage to Bardwell -Manley, had been a school teacher in Denver. From her Roy got his -taste for the really worthwhile things in life--poetry, literature, -pictures. But the fact that these tendencies showed early -development occasioned Teddy, who as yet was quite Roy’s opposite, -much amusement. - -As Nick Looker approached, Mr. Manley’s face took on a frown. - -“Hear the news, Nick?” he asked shortly. - -“Teddy told me,” Nick returned. An anxious light came into his eyes. -“Was Jake Trummer real sore, boss?” - -“He sure was,” Mr. Manley replied tersely. “Where’s Gus?” - -“Town. Nat Raymond an’ Jim Casey are ridin’ from to-day on, -accordin’ to Teddy. Gus went in to get some mail--says he’s -expectin’ a letter from some Southern belle he’s got down near the -border. Kind of uneasy about her, I’m thinkin’. Want him, too, -boss?” - -“Yes, I want him, too. But there’s a few things I want to say to you -first. Nick, Jake Trummer had a right to be as sore as he liked. -It’s no joke for another man’s cattle to eat up all your best -grazin’ grass, especially when you ain’t got too much of it. Jake -threatened to drive our dogies in the river if we didn’t get ’em out -of there pronto, an’ of course I couldn’t let him get away with -that, so I came back at him. But I knew he was right. Well--speak -up. Got an explanation?” - -“Who, me?” Nick’s face expressed hurt surprise. “What have I done, -boss?” - -“Well, outside of lettin’ our Durhams wander over on Jake Trummer’s -land and makin’ him come over here fit to be tied, I guess nothin’. -But we all have our own ideas, an’ mine, strange as it may seem, is -that when a man’s set to ridin’ cattle, he’s supposed to ride ’em, -and not let ’em mess up a neighbor’s grazin’ ground.” - -“Me? I let ’em loose? Why, boss, I didn’t have nothin’ to do with -it!” - -“Weren’t you ridin’ herd?” - -“Me? Why, no, boss.” - -Mr. Manley turned to Teddy. - -“How about that, son? Didn’t you tell me Nick was on herd?” - -Teddy looked at Nick, then averted his glance. - -“I guess I--” he began. - -“Wait!” Nick interrupted. “Teddy did set me out about a week ago! -But the way I understood it, he shifted plans, an’ I’ve been workin’ -fence fer six days! I ain’t been near the cattle!” - -“What do you mean?” Teddy asked sharply. - -“Why, Joe Marino--you know, boss, The Pup--he come to me an’ said -that Teddy, here, told him to tell me he was to take my place, an’ I -was to ride fence. He an’ Gus been on the job all week. I’ve been -workin’ on the fence. An’ believe me, it sure needs fixin’. You mean -to say that The Pup lied, Teddy?” - -Teddy nodded his head. - -“That’s just what he did, Nick. I guess it’s all my fault. I should -have been more careful and checked up. But what on earth did The Pup -do a thing like that for? It sure beats me!” - -“Nick, where’s The Pup?” Mr. Manley demanded sharply. - -“You got me, boss,” Nick confessed. His eyes were troubled. Somehow, -this thing that had happened seemed partly his fault, and he found -it a strange experience to be in wrong with the boss. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -Joe Marino - - -Always, as long as Nick Looker had been on the ranch--five years -this coming winter--he had done his work cheerfully and well. The -men on the X Bar X had more than mere employees’ interest in the -ranch. They looked upon it as a home, and, as such, to be well cared -for. - -“This here Pup--” Nick observed, “now, I don’t like to say nothin’ -against a man when he ain’t here fer a come-back; but--well, boss, -The Pup sure likes his liquor. I don’t mind a man takin’ a nip now -and then, if he’s built that-away. But not during workin’ hours.” - -“Do you mean to say Joe Marino has been drunk while he’s on the -job?” Teddy asked quickly. - -“Now, maybe we’d better wait till The Pup shows up,” Nick countered, -shifting his shoulders uneasily. “He’ll be around soon. Maybe he’s -rode to town with Gus Tripp. Most likely that’s it.” - -Mr. Manley puffed thoughtfully at his pipe. Through half shut eyes -he observed Nick. It was several moments before he spoke. - -“Gus hasn’t been doin’ any promiscuous galivantin’, has he, Nick? -But never mind,” he added quickly, as he saw the cowboy move his -head from side to side. “I don’t want you to tell tales out of -school. We’ll wait. Whereabouts were all those breaks in the -fences?” - -It was late in the afternoon before Gus Tripp rode in. With him was -The Pup. Roy, who had been seated outside the ranch house on a -bench, mending a broken stirrup, saw them come up. He dropped the -leather and hurried forward. - -“Gus,” he called, “dad wants to see you. Tie your pony and come over -to the corral, will you? Joe, you too.” - -“He want to see me?” The Pup asked, and Roy noticed that his voice -seemed unduly loud. “Well, I’m all set. Where is he?” - -“Over by the corral, as I said. Hurry up. Get your letter Gus?” - -“Nope--not any,” Gus answered. As he spoke he swayed slightly in the -saddle. “Funny--I kind of expected she might write. Guess I’m a back -number--ha--that’s funny--me a back number! Can ya imagine that, -Roy? A back number! Like a last year’s calendar! Say, that’s pretty -good. Get that one--that--that one, Roy? A last year’s calendar. -Huh! Pretty good! Made it up all--all by myself, too. Yesser! Pretty -good--pretty good,” and he wagged his head stupidly. - -Roy looked at the cowboy sharply. This was unlike Gus. It was plain -to be seen that he had been drinking, probably at Rimor’s in town. -Roy approached, and laid hold of the bridle of Gus’s pony. - -“Where have you been all day, Gus?” he asked quietly. - -“Who, me?” Exaggerated surprise was on the man’s face. “Why, I--I -been busy. Me an’ The Pup. We both been busy. Awful busy. Ain’t we, -Joe?” - -The Pup disdained to answer. An ugly look on his face, he lashed his -horse savagely, and jumped him toward the hitching rail. Then he -dismounted and walked toward Gus. - -“Come on,” he snarled. “Don’t sit there talkin’. We got to see the -boss. Ain’t you heard orders?” and he looked at Roy, a sneer on his -face. - -Roy flushed. He did not wish to seem above the men, but rather as -working with them. Joe intimated with his glance that Roy’s -authority was given by virtue of his being “the boss’s son,” and not -because he deserved it. Roy opened his mouth to reply, thought -better of it, and walked slowly away. The Pup laughed loudly. Roy -felt his muscles tighten, but he did not turn. He would not argue -with a man who had been drinking. - -He was not present at the scene between Mr. Manley and Gus and The -Pup. Teddy told him of it later. - -“There’s two we will have no longer with us,” Teddy said that night. -“Dad was feeding General sugar when they came up. Soon as he heard -them he whirled around and he knew in a second that they had been -hitting the bottle. Gus just looked kind of ashamed, but The Pup had -a mean look on his face. - -“‘Gus, where you been?’ dad wanted to know. Gus said he’d been to -town, to get a letter that didn’t come. Said he’d been expecting it -for two weeks, and he was kind of disappointed. Say, Roy, I thought -he was sweet on Norine?” Norine was the daughter of Mrs. Moore, who -was the housekeeper on the X Bar X. “How about that?” - -“Don’t know,” Roy replied. “Gus told me about the letter, too. I -have an idea that had something to do with his drinking--he never -used to touch it before. But go ahead. What happened next?” - -“Well, as I said, dad caught on right away, and he was some sore. -Told ’em both to get out--that he wouldn’t have men on his ranch who -drank during working hours. Then he asked The Pup what was the idea, -lying to Nick and getting him to change places with him, so The Pup -could ride herd. At first Joe wouldn’t tell, but when Gus let out a -few secrets the whole thing came forth. It seems that The Pup wanted -to take the cows so he could slip away to town when he felt like it -and liquor up and no one would know about it. How he ever got Gus to -consent to a thing like that is beyond me unless, as you say, Gus -isn’t himself on account of that letter.” - -“What did Gus do when The Pup spilled the beans?” - -“Just acted as if he was mighty sorry. Roy, it isn’t like Gus to -pull a stunt like that. He isn’t built that way. Joe Marino, now--I -wouldn’t put it past him. I don’t like that hombre for a cent. When -he came here last month, dad was short a hand, or he never would -have taken him. And now look at the trouble he’s got us in. Jake -Trummer, one of dad’s oldest friends, turned into an enemy. You -know, Roy, I think something happened up on Whirlpool River at -Jake’s ranch besides the mere fact that our cattle wandered there. -That, in itself, wouldn’t cause Jake to raise the row he did. I’ll -bet The Pup said something to Jake that he didn’t want to repeat, -knowing dad as he does. So he took it all out in being sore about -the cattle.” - -“Maybe,” Roy said slowly. “So Gus is going to leave, is he?” - -“Yep! Fact is, he’s gone now. When dad finished, Gus straightened up -like a man and shook his head to clear it. Then he spoke right out -and admitted he’d been in the wrong--that he’d got it coming to him. -Said it was all his fault about the cows and that dad was perfectly -right to fire him, and that he’s blamed sorry.” - -“He did?” Roy’s eyes lighted. “Good for Gus! I knew he was a -straight shooter, even if he did make a mistake. What did The Pup -say then?” - -“He looked at Gus with a kind of funny expression on his face. Then -he let a gob of tobacco juice ride at the ground, laughed, and -walked away. Gus took it all. He sure feels pretty low over this.” - -At that moment Mrs. Manley came to the door, saw Teddy and Roy -seated on the porch steps, and called to them. - -“Boys,” she said, “will you come in a minute? Your father wants to -see you.” - -“And so do I,” a girl’s voice added. Belle Ada, the sister of Roy -and Teddy, walked out on the porch. “Where’s that new whip you -promised me, Teddy? Got it?” - -“Haven’t had time yet, Belle,” Teddy answered. “Have it to-morrow -sure. I’m going in to town then, and I’ll stop by and pick it up. It -ought to be at the express office by now. I ordered it last week.” - -“Oh, you’ll forget it,” Belle declared, and then laughed. - -Belle was twelve years old, with dark hair and eyes. In disposition -she was a great deal like Teddy--happy-go-lucky, always ready for -fun. - -“You’d better tie a string around your finger. Or, better still, -around your toe. You’re liable to miss it on your finger, and you -stub your toe so often that you can’t miss it there.” - -“Aw, take a rest,” and Teddy grinned. “Come on, Roy, we’ll hop in -and see dad. Where is he, Mother?” - -“In his room. I think it’s about Gus that he wants to talk to you. -I’m so sorry that happened, boys! I told your father that he should -go more slowly. He was so worked up over Mr. Trummer’s visit that he -wasn’t quite himself. I tried to calm him as much as I could, and -now I think he regrets that he acted so hastily. But you go in and -let him tell you himself.” - -Mr. Manley was seated in a chair in his room, with his corncob pipe, -unlit, between his teeth. This was always a sign of mental -uneasiness with him. When smoke came from the pipe, all was well. -When it reposed in his mouth cold and dead, there was usually -something up. - -“Want us, Dad?” Teddy asked. - -“Yes. Want to make talk. Come in. Shut the door. Either one of you -see Gus?” - -“He’s gone, Dad,” Roy answered. “Teddy, you saw him go, didn’t you?” - -“Yes, I did. He rode away with a bag on his saddle about two hours -ago. He owned his own horse, didn’t he, Dad?” - -“Yes! Gus came to me with a pony, saddle, and nothin’ else, three -years ago. Wanted a job. I gave it to him. So he’s gone, eh?” - -“Afraid so, Dad. Didn’t you tell him to clear out?” - -“I did, and I’m sorry now that I did it. Your mother’s been talkin’ -to me, and, as usual, she’s made me see the error of my ways. I was -too fast. Jake Trummer got me all worked up. He used to be my best -friend, next to Pete Ball. Well, it’s too late now, I guess. As for -Joe Marino, I don’t care when he leaves. We never should have taken -him. He didn’t know much about punchin’, and the first day he was -here I kind of got set against him. He’s gone, too, I suppose?” - -“No, he hasn’t,” Teddy declared. “I saw him at the bunk-house -talkin’ to Pop Burns a little while ago. Pop didn’t seem to care -much about listening. He said something sharp and turned away. Guess -The Pup must have been beefing about you throwing him out.” - -“He won’t get far with Pop,” Mr. Manley chuckled. “Imagine Pop -hearin’ anything against the X Bar X! Not him. Well, I guess that’s -all, boys. I was hopin’ I could catch Gus and explain to him. The -poor geezer must have been worried about something, or he never -would have done a thing like he did.” - -“You’re right, Dad,” Teddy declared. “I noticed he hasn’t looked -well for some time. Keeps talking about a letter all the while. Yep, -it’s too bad. But it can’t be helped now.” - -“No,” and Mr. Manley sighed. Then he arose. - -“We got a job ahead of us to-morrow. Got to get those cows off -Trummer’s land. I don’t want no man but me to feed my cattle. So be -ready to start early. If you see Marino, you can tell him, for me, -that the sooner he leaves the better I’ll like it.” Again Mr. Manley -sighed. “But I sure wish it had been some one else besides Gus,” he -added. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -Guarded Words - - -Sadly enough, however, it was Gus Tripp who was the storm center. -This thing had been the only blot on his escutcheon during the three -years he had worked for the X Bar X. Willingly would Mr. Manley have -wiped it clean had Gus given him the opportunity. But the die was -cast. Gus--he of the drawling speech and eyes which were wont to -grow languid while Norine was near--had gone. - -No one gave much thought to Joe Marino, “The Pup.” Though he had -worked for Bardwell Manley, somehow he had never become a part of -the ranch, as the rest had. He was a man apart, neither seeking nor -admitting intimate friendship. His fondness for the cup, alleged to -cheer, was early discovered, but Mr. Manley was loath to discharge a -man for a personal defect so long as it did not affect his work. Up -to this time The Pup had been a lone drinker, but now, when it -became necessary to send him forth because he shirked his job, he -dragged one of the most popular boys on the ranch with him. - -Pop Burns was loud in his denunciation of the tempter. While the -boys were saddling their broncos the next morning, preparing to head -for Whirlpool River, the old man halted The Pup as he was lurching -past toward the cook house. - -“You still eatin’ here?” he wanted to know. - -“I am. Anything to you?” The Pup’s eyes, red from the effect of the -last night’s indiscretion, glared evilly. “Want to ask any more -questions?” - -“Well, now, maybe jest one or two,” the veteran puncher said slowly. -“First, where’d Gus duck to?” - -“How should I know? Think I’m his keeper?” - -“Keeper? Not any! I thought you pretended to be his friend, but I -guess I was mistaken. Usually, when a man tells a fellow certain -things, that other man kind of likes to keep track of his buddy.” - -“Hey? What do you mean--certain things? I don’t know nothin’ about -Gus. He rode with me a few times, that’s all.” The Pup leered -suggestively. “If you mean the letter he was waitin’ for from that -skirt down Togas way, why--” - -Pop Burns’ expression changed. His eyes narrowed, and the lines -about his mouth deepened. His hands clenched until they looked like -solid balls of brown leather. - -“Suppose you just forget about that,” he said evenly, an unwonted -dignity coming into the old man’s voice and manner. “Understand? We -ain’t in the habit of talkin’ out in public about another man’s -affairs. Gus was a friend of mine, I ain’t aimin’ to listen to a -coyote like you makin’ fun of him. Get me?” - -The Pup started to reply, then took a second look at Pop’s face, and -thought better of it. With an uneasy laugh he turned away and walked -toward the corral, where his pony was tied. Pop motioned to Teddy, -who was filling a can of flour some distance away. - -“Hear that?” - -Teddy nodded. - -“Some of it. I didn’t want to interfere, so I kept quiet. Dad wants -The Pup off the place as soon as possible. He blames him for the -whole affair.” - -“Yore dad’s right about that, Teddy. The Pup has got a streak of -orneriness in him a yard wide. He ain’t no good to no one, least of -all himself. Wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some more of him, at -that, one way or another.” - -“You mean he’ll make trouble?” - -“Well, he ain’t appeared to be a dove of peace so far, has he?” Pop -countered. “An’ he’ll not hang his tail between his laigs an’ run -without one more nip at somebody. You mark my words! I knew them -kind of waddies. Long ago, when yore grandpop was alive--an’ yore -dad was only a shaver then, like you are--we had a cuss by the name -of--” He broke off suddenly. “All right, boss! Comin’!” Pop called -out, and he hurried off in response to Mr. Manley’s call. - -Teddy watched him disappear in the direction of the ranch house, -then reflectively continued packing the can with flour. But as he -worked with his hands, a frown came to his face. He was remembering -Pop’s prophecy. - -It would be a shame if anything unpleasant happened now. Why, it was -not so long ago that they had rescued Belle and Nell Willis and -Ethel Carew from the kidnappers. How were the girls on the 8 X 8 -getting on? Teddy wondered. - -He came to a sudden decision to ride over to Peter Ball’s place to -visit them as soon as this business was over. - -Clamping the lid tight on the flour can, the boy thought of the -cattle on Whirlpool River and of the absent Gus Tripp. - -“Mighty queer that Gus would go to pieces like that,” he muttered to -himself. “There’s a reason behind it all, or I miss my guess. Gus -sure looked downhearted when he rode out.” - -Teddy carried the can and the flour bin toward the house. It was now -about eight o’clock, and the bright fall sun brought the landscape -out in bold relief. Teddy paused a moment before he entered the -house and peered toward the mountains to the west, where he and Roy -had lately come to grips with the gang that had run off with his -sister and her two friends. Then his gaze shifted, and he looked -over the rolling prairie toward the spot where they had earlier -captured this same gang of rustlers, though they had later escaped -to make more mischief. A grim smile curved the boy’s lips. - -“Did some one say the West was a quiet place to live in?” he -muttered, and laughed shortly. “Seems to me we do nothing but meet -trouble out here! Well, I suppose it’s all in the game. Now we’ve -got a mean job to get the cows off Whirlpool River. However--” He -shrugged his shoulders, replaced the flour bin, while the can he had -filled he carried to the yard and fastened to his saddle. His father -had told them to prepare for a journey of several days, and this -flour, mixed as it was with other ingredients, made fine “pan -bread.” - -Roy met him at the corral. - -“Can’t leave just yet,” he said. “Dad wants to wait until Nick comes -back. He rode down to see one of the boys from Jake Trummer’s place -who has been in town several days, hanging around. Dad wants to get -all the dope he can on this before he goes ahead, and Nick knows -this puncher pretty well and said he’d find out all he could. Nick -ought to be back in about two hours.” - -“As soon as Nick returns we go--that the idea?” - -“That’s it. Unless dad wants to start sooner, and I don’t think he -does. Say, is The Pup still around?” - -“Yep.” Teddy smiled grimly. “Around, and noisy. He had a session -with Pop not over ten minutes ago. Pop told him where to get off, -too. I heard part of it. Started to gas about Gus and his letter. -But he got shut up quick, let me tell you. Pop wouldn’t stand for -hearing Gus made fun of. Where does this bacon go--on my saddle?” - -“Guess so. I’ve got enough to carry. Golly, dad must expect to spend -Christmas on Whirlpool River, from the load we’re packing. Bet when -we get there Jake Trummer will forget his sore-headedness and invite -us to keep our cows there the rest of the year. That’s the kind Jake -is--quick to anger, but he gets over it just as fast. He’s a good -friend of dad’s too. At least he was before this happened. That’s -what made me think there’s more in this than we suspect. However, -we’ll know as soon as we hit the river. Jimminy! what in thunder is -that?” - -Roy stopped and gazed up the road that led past the ranch house. -From behind the house came curious sounds--reminiscent of a load of -junk being pulled over cobblestones. Now and then a splutter, like -the gasp of some huge animal, made itself heard over the noise. -Teddy grinned. - -“It will arrive in a moment,” he said. - -It did. There soon came into sight one of the strangest contraptions -ever seen on four wheels. Once it had been a flivver, but those days -were gone forever. Its body was of shiny red and made to resemble a -boat, with a rudder in the rear, and a propeller. The wheels were -nearly concealed in the “hull.” From its pointed bow, blue smoke -arose. - -Within it, on the front seat, sat a cow puncher, his face alight -with the joy of possession. In the rear were two girls, some two or -three years older than Belle Manley, trying in vain to suppress the -laughter that would bubble over. - -“Bug Eye!” Teddy yelled. “And Nell and Curly! But what in the name -of seven sledges is that thing they’re riding in?” - -“Howdy, boys!” Bug Eye called, waving one arm and reaching toward -the “in’ards” of the machine with the other. With a groan the -contraption subsided. “What do you think of my Fishmobile?” - -“Your what?” Roy shouted. - -“Fishmobile! P-s-y-c-h-e--Fish. I saw it on a boat once. And this is -a boat and an automobile, so I call it a Fishmobile. Good, hey?” - -“Did you two ride in that all the way over from the 8 X 8?” Roy -laughed, walking toward Nell and Ethel, the good-looking nieces of -Peter Ball. - -“We certainly did!” Nell answered. “It runs splendidly, doesn’t it, -Ethel?” - -“Great!” was the laughing answer. “How are you, boys? We came to -visit Belle, though, as I remember, Nell did say something about -Roy--” - -“Oh, hush!” Nell interrupted, blushing. “Teddy, I haven’t seen you -since you and Roy found us in those terrible caves at Thunder -Canyon,” and she shuddered slightly. “But we want to forget -that--although we’ll never forget what you did for us,” and she -looked quickly at Roy. “But where is Belle?” - -“Right here!” a voice called from the porch, and Belle Ada ran into -the yard. - -Greetings were soon over, and then the young folks gathered around -to inspect Bug Eye’s new creation. - -“She goes on land or water,” he explained proudly. “See? Got a -propeller on her and everything. Works on the fly wheel. The boss -give me that old flivver--remember?--an’ said I could do what I -wanted with it. So I done it. Looks great, hey? An’ when I come to a -lake, why all I have to do is throw the propeller in gear, an’ away -we go!” - -“Yes! But, Bug Eye,” Teddy broke in, with a look at Roy, “where is -this lake you’re going to sail on?” - -A look of amazement spread over the puncher’s face. He snapped his -fingers and frowned. - -“Golly!” he exclaimed. “Never thought about that. Well, I’ll be -jiggered! Of course there’s Lomley’s Lake--but that would never do. -Too small. Well, now, that’s too bad.” Then he brightened. “But if I -_do_ find a lake somewheres, I’ll be all set for it!” - -A laugh arose, which did not at all disconcert Bug Eye. All but the -proprietor of “Psyche, the Fish,” wandered into the house. Bug Eye -drove toward the bunk-house, there to be the center of a crowd of -sarcastic cowpunchers. The remarks made concerning the Fishmobile -were graphic if not flattering. - -Much as Roy and Teddy wanted to talk to the visitors, they knew that -they must continue preparations for the journey to Whirlpool River. -It was nine-thirty now, and Nick had not yet returned. Mr. Manley -was pacing about the yard nervously, anxious to get started. - -Roy was currying Star over by the hitching rail at the side of the -cook house. Suddenly he heard a voice that caused him to start. It -came from behind the cooking shack, and Roy made as though to go -forward, then thought again and remained where he was. - -It was Gus Tripp talking. At first Roy did not recognize the tones -of his companion, but as the other talked louder, he knew it to be -The Pup. Gus seemed to be strangely insistent over something. - -“No, sir,” he was saying. “Not me! Count me out! The boss only gave -me what I deserved. I hit the bottle and got fired. All right. I got -no kick comin’. I’m sorry I did it, but let that go. It’s all over -now, and you can count me out of any scheme like that, Joe. I may be -an idiot, but, by golly, I’m no polecat!” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -To Whirlpool River - - -“Gus Tripp!” Roy muttered to himself. “And The Pup! I wonder if I--” -Coming to a sudden decision, he threw the currying brush on the -ground and stepped forward. It took but a moment to reach the cook -house, and without hesitating he walked around to the side. It was -in his mind to speak to Gus and tell him Mr. Manley would like to -see him. But when he rounded the corner he stopped short. There was -no one in sight! Puzzled, Roy glanced within the shack. The only -person there was Sing Lung, the cook, who grinned widely as he saw -Roy. - -“Hungly?” he demanded. “You boy betta’ have plenty eat, you lide -long, yes?” - -“Yep, we got a long ride ahead of us,” Roy returned absently. “Say, -Sing, did you hear two men talking outside here?” - -“Who men?” - -“Well, I think they were Gus Tripp and Joe Marino. I could hear ’em -away over by the hitching rail, so you must have heard ’em too.” - -“Me? Nope, I hear nobody. I lun wata--see?” He turned on the kitchen -faucet, and the noise of the stream beating against the tin of the -sink made even thinking difficult, let alone talking. - -“All right, shut it off,” Roy yelled. “I understand. But why you -don’t break every dish in the place with that torrent I can’t see. -Guess you didn’t hear anything.” He stepped into the yard again. -Gazing toward the road as it rose into the mountains past Eagles, -the ranch town, Roy discerned two horsemen. The boy nodded. - -“There they go--Gus and The Pup. Wish I could have got here sooner, -so I could have talked to Gus. Now I suppose he’s gone for good. -Wonder what he meant by saying he may have been an idiot, but he -wasn’t a polecat? I don’t like that Joe Marino! Chances are he -wanted Gus to go in with him on some shady scheme, and Gus refused. -Good for Gus! Wish he was back with us.” Roy shook his head, and, -seeing Pop Burns walking across the yard, asked him where Teddy was. -He was told the boy was talking with his father over at the corral, -and, intending to tell them that Gus had returned but had ridden -away again, Roy hurried forward. - -When he reached the corral he saw that Nick Looker had come back. -What he was saying evidently was of interest, for both Teddy and Mr. -Manley were listening eagerly. - -“Roy, I want you to hear this,” the ranch owner called as Roy came -up. “Nick, tell him what you told us.” - -“Well, it was just that I had a talk with Bob McKeever--he’s a hand -on the Whirlpool River Ranch. I’ve knowed him for quite a spell. Bob -says The Pup told Jake Trummer that we put our cattle to his grass -on purpose, and that The Pup had orders to let ’em roam as much as -they wanted. And I found out how all those breaks got in the fence, -too--they been cut. I came across a pair of wire pliers down by the -east fence.” - -“Marino told Mr. Trummer that we put our cows in his fields on -purpose?” Roy repeated amazed. “What did he ever say a thing like -that for?” - -Nick shrugged his shoulders. - -“Don’t ask me. I only know what I been told. Guess that’s reason -enough for old man Trummer to go up in the air, hey, boss?” - -“It certainly is,” Mr. Manley said slowly. “I wish I had known this -before. Things would have been different. What else did McKeever -say, Nick?” - -“Well, he said he heard his boss swear that if them dogies weren’t -off his land by to-morrow, he’d drive ’em into the river. And he -would, too--old man Trummer is some hot-headed.” - -“I know he is,” Mr. Manley said. He thought for a moment. “If I -thought it would do any good, I’d phone him. But I’m afraid that -would make things worse. Nope, we got to take our medicine. Drat -that Joe Marino! I should have thrown him off long ago! Now look at -the mess he’s got us in! Snap to it now, boys, we start right soon. -Got no time for delays. Nick, you come with us. Teddy and Roy, I -expect you to take complete charge of the ranch while we’re gone.” - -“You mean we’re to stay, Dad?” Teddy asked, a disappointed look -coming over his face. Up to this moment the boy had fully expected -to go with the others to Whirlpool River. - -“Afraid so, boys. After what Nick said I can’t afford to leave the -place without some one who can handle things. We’ve got a long ride -ahead of us--might be a week. And I’ve got to know that the ranch is -bein’ taken care of. I didn’t exactly like Marino’s attitude when I -gave him the gate. If he tries any funny stuff, you’ve got to be on -the job.” - -“I see, Dad,” Roy answered. “That’s the right thing, I guess. If you -want us to come on later, we can head down the river by boat and get -there almost as soon as you can. Now what are the orders, Dad?” - -It was a disappointment for the boys to stay at home, when they had -been counting on riding with their father, but both saw the wisdom -of Mr. Manley’s plan. Their mother would not care to stay any length -of time on the ranch without some one of responsibility near by, -especially in view of what had lately happened. She was not a -nervous woman, but she realized that the presence of a man like Joe -Marino on the ranch was a constant threat. - -Then, as Teddy and Roy thought that their two friends from the 8 X 8 -were visiting Belle, things began to look brighter. They had no real -reason for expecting trouble from Jake Trummer. As soon as he heard -the straight of the affair he would probably “snap to,” as Teddy -expressed it. - -“But if you want us, we’ll be ready,” the boy continued. “You’re -taking five men, aren’t you? That ought to be enough. We haven’t -more than three hundred head in that herd, from the last checking. -Guess five can handle ’em.” - -Mr. Manley smiled at his son’s assumption of an old rancher’s -prerogative, but he took care that Teddy did not see the smile. He -wanted his sons to have full confidence in themselves, and to this -end he never hesitated to place responsibility on either Teddy or -Roy. - -Before starting, Mr. Manley gave the necessary instructions for the -running of the ranch, then, with complete assurance that they would -be carried out to the letter, he set out. Teddy and Roy watched the -party, led by Mr. Manley, head for the road and toward Whirlpool -River. - -“Kind of wish we were going,” Teddy declared, as he waved a hand in -farewell. “But dad knows best. Come on--let’s see what Nell and -Curly are doing.” - -The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Teddy and Roy, after they -had attended to the immediate business of the ranch, went for an -evening ride with the three girls. Bug Eye and his Fishmobile were -to stay the night, and possibly several days, to look over some -cattle on the north range that Peter Ball, his boss, was thinking of -purchasing to fill out his stock. There had been an epidemic of -blackleg among the cows of the 8 X 8, and Mr. Ball wanted to get -some healthy Durhams in to fill out, as he had lately contracted to -fill a large order from Denver for cattle on the hoof. - -On the way back to the ranch, Nell and Ethel, or more popularly, -“Curly,” rode on ahead, while Teddy and Roy talked in low tones of -The Pup. Roy had neglected to tell his father of the conversation he -had heard behind the cook house, but when he informed Teddy, the -younger lad attached little importance to it. - -“The Pup probably wanted Gus to go on a spree with him,” Teddy -suggested. “I guess Gus has had enough of that sort of thing. He’s -not built for it. Gus, normally, is a clean liver. He doesn’t take -much to booze and he would never have touched it if he hadn’t been -worried about something. Wonder what he’s going to do now?” - -“But what did he mean when he said dad had a right to discharge him -and he wouldn’t hold it against him?” Roy persisted, not answering -his brother’s question. “Doesn’t that sound as though Marino wanted -Gus to go into some scheme to get even with dad?” - -“Aw, don’t be so pessimistic! Golly, Roy, you’re up to your old -tricks again, aren’t you? Let it ride! Even if The Pup did have some -such plan in mind, he’ll forget it as soon as he hits Rimor’s and -gets lit up, and I’ll bet money that’s what he’s doing this minute. -I only hope Gus isn’t with him. You say they rode off together?” - -“Yes. That’s why I’m worried. But, after all, there’s no use hunting -for trouble. We’ve got enough as it is.” - -Darkness had settled over the land when the riders reached home. The -supper table seemed strangely vacant with Mr. Manley absent, but the -girls and Teddy and Roy kept up a running fire of conversation, so -that Mrs. Manley had not time to think long about her husband riding -far out on the trail. They tried to keep her, as much as possible, -from worrying. - -Later in the evening Teddy left the porch and walked toward the -bunk-house, to see Nat Raymond about the next day’s work. As he -neared the corral he heard Flash neigh as though he knew Teddy was -near, and the boy turned aside for a moment. - -To his surprise he saw a figure dart out from behind a tree, and, -silently, the boy sprang forward. In a moment he had the man in his -grasp. - -“Let’s have a look at you!” Teddy demanded. The man did not -struggle. Instead he faced the boy boldly. - -“The Pup!” Teddy exclaimed. He released his hold on the man’s arm. -“I thought you had gone to town.” - -“Yes, it’s The Pup,” the other sneered. “And what about it? Gonna -kick me off? If you are, you’d better start kickin’ now, ’cause it’s -gonna take you some little time!” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -Suspicion - - -The bright moon made the scene almost as light as day. Teddy could -see the man’s small, close-set eyes and his thin-lipped mouth as The -Pup thrust his face forward belligerently. - -“You’re awfully sure about that, aren’t you?” the boy said in a low -voice. Perhaps another youth might disclaim such a quarrel as this, -which seemed purposely thrust upon him. Teddy had no reason to seek -a fight with Marino, nor even meet him half way. It would have been -better, perhaps, had the boy at this moment turned on his heel and -walked away. But Teddy was himself, and no one else. The memory of -Gus’s betrayal rankled within him. - -The Pup moved his shoulders slightly, dropping the right one lower -than the left. Teddy settled himself firmly. - -“Think yore some baby, don’t you?” the man flashed, and Teddy could -see a dark flush mount to his face. “You an’ that brother of yours! -Pah! Yuh make me sick!” and he spat energetically. - -Teddy clenched his fists, but held his peace. He would not let -himself be talked into starting hostilities. If Marino wanted to -fight--well, there were two sides to the story. - -Of a sudden The Pup changed his tone. His voice took on a whining, -ingratiating note. - -“What are you two always pickin’ on me for?” he demanded. “I didn’t -do nothin’ to yuh. A feller can’t--” - -Teddy saw the man’s hand leap to his belt. Like a bundle of coiled -springs the boy leaped forward. His open hand found The Pup’s wrist -and closed upon it, holding it in a firm grip. The other hand -pressed back the man’s chin--pressed it back until Marino was -staring with glassy eyes up into starry night. - -“Drop it!” Teddy gasped, and a knife flashed to the ground. Teddy -kicked it to one side, felt about the man’s shirt to see that no -more weapons were concealed, and stepped back. - -“A fine snake you are!” Teddy said contemptuously. “Tried to pull a -knife on me, didn’t you? For two cents I’d--” - -“Oh, let me alone!” the man burst out. “Yes, I tried to knife you, -an’ I’m sorry I didn’t! I don’t like your kind! When I came out -here--” He stopped, and bit his lip. - -Teddy gazed at him in wonder. The man’s Western accent had -disappeared. He carried a knife--a thing no true Westerner ever did -except for working purposes. Mexicans carried them--it was a Greaser -trait. Was this man a Mex? Teddy looked at him closely. - -“What you starin’ at?” The Pup asked uneasily, once more reverting -to his former manner. “You got me, didn’t yuh? Well, call it a day! -Yuh got a shootin’ iron there--why don’t yuh use it?” - -“I’m not in the habit of shooting men down in cold blood,” Teddy -said deliberately. He stepped closer to the man. “Marino! where are -you from?” he snapped. - -Although a cloud dimmed the moon just then, Teddy could have sworn -he saw fear leap into the man’s eyes. Marino started as though he -had stepped on a rattler where he had expected to find a garden -snake, then recovered himself. - -“Kind of a funny question to ask a man in these parts, ain’t it?” he -sneered. - -“Not to my notion. But if you want to keep it to yourself, that’s -your lookout. The days when a gunman could come West and get a job -on a ranch without any one bothering about him until he let daylight -into some peaceful citizen, are gone forever.” - -“An’ who wants a job on your place, anyhow?” - -“That’s not the point. You’re on our land, and you were one of the -hands of the X Bar X. As long as you stay here you’ve got to watch -your step. What was the idea of toting that thing around?” Teddy -nodded toward the long knife, gleaming on the ground a few feet -away. - -“That’s my business, too.” - -“Well, when you try to stick me with it that makes it my business! I -guess it would be better for all concerned if you just moseyed out -of here, Marino!” - -Teddy felt himself growing hot under the collar at the consummate -nerve of the man. Standing there arguing a question of ethics just -after having tried to murder him! - -“Throwin’ a guy out this time of night, hey?” Marino demanded. - -“Yes--I’m throwing you out. Going?” - -The Pup looked over toward the corral, then back to Teddy. He -grinned sardonically. - -“Not havin’ no more reason for stayin’, I’ll be on my way,” he -declared. “Soon as I--” He made a move toward his knife. - -Teddy took a quick step forward, and put his foot on the weapon. - -“That stays here,” the boy said grimly. “Where’s your pony?” - -Marino motioned with his thumb toward a group of trees on the edge -of the ranch yard. - -“Over there. I just rode by to get some duds I left here. But never -mind ’em now,” he added suddenly. “I’ll get ’em later. Hope you -choke.” - -With this pleasant farewell, the man walked in the direction he had -said his horse was tied. Teddy watched him go, a fixed look on his -face. - -“Cow-puncher, hey?” the boy muttered. “You’re as much a cow-puncher -as I am a Chinaman! Let’s have a look at this toad-sticker.” He bent -over and picked up the knife. Holding it up, he saw that the -initials “J. K.” were burned in the handle. The blade was long and -curved slightly. - -“J. K.--the K standing for Marino,” the boy mused. “Some day we’ll -have this little argument out, Mister J. K. Marino. But you won’t -have one of these things in your hand when we do. Lucky for me I saw -you make a dive for it, or I’d be plumb tired of living by now.” - -A moment more he gazed at the knife, then absently he stuck it in -his belt. Slowly he continued on his way to the bunk-house, to see -Nat Raymond. - -Before they turned in he told Roy of the occurrence. With the door -of their room shut tight, so as not to disturb Mrs. Manley, the boys -talked far into the night. When finally they switched off the light -they had come to no decision except to agree that Marino was not to -be allowed on X Bar X property again. Yet, had they known it, this -was, in effect, locking the stable after the horse had been stolen. - -While Teddy and Roy were talking things over in their room, another -conversation, quite relative to theirs, was being carried on within -the doors of the bunk-house. Despite the appeals of a few men to -“can the chatter an’ go to sleep,” Nat Raymond and Pop Burns were -verbally appointing themselves a committee of investigation. - -“Me, I’m goin’ to try to find Gus an’ bring him back,” Pop declared, -pulling hard on his pipe. “He’s too good a man to--Jim, take yore -toe outa my eye! He’s too good a man to lose.” - -“Well, then go an’ chin somewhere else!” Jim Casey ordered -petulantly. “You guys loaf all day an’ want to stay up all night. -Us, we got to work!” - -“Who loafs all day?” Pop asked indignantly. “I do a blamed sight -more work than you do, Jim Casey, young as you are! So fold that -behind the rim of yore derby!” - -“Aw, let him rave,” Nat Raymond pleaded. “He only wants to start an -argument. Listen! How you gonna find Gus?” - -“Don’t know. But I will somehow as soon as the boss comes back. -He’ll be glad to see the old geezer. The boss hated to fire Gus as -much as Gus hated to be fired, I’ll bet--maybe more. But Bardwell -was all het up over what Jake Trummer said.” Being the oldest man on -the X Bar X, Pop felt privileged to take liberties with the boss’s -name. “You know, Nat,” he continued, “that time Belle Ada and the -others were kidnapped took a lot out of the old boy. He ain’t as -young as he was once--none of us are,” and Pop puffed reminiscently. -“I mark the time that--” - -“For the love of seven kinds of gorillas, will you guys pipe down?” -came a voice from one of the upper bunks. “What do you think this -is--a lecture hall?” - -Since several others took up their grievances at this point, Pop and -Nat were compelled to desist and turn in. But Pop called across to -Nat that when the boss came back he was “goin’ to ask for a few days -leave an’ hunt Gus up.” Nat added he’d do the same and hunt Marino -down, and the whole room echoed this sentiment. The Pup had -succeeded in making himself uniformly unpopular during his stay at -the X Bar X. - -Early the next morning the ranch yard was the scene of a -consultation. Both Teddy and Roy felt it advisable to tell the -others of what had occurred the night before, so that they might be -on their guard and see that Marino kept his distance. Pop grunted -scornfully when Teddy told of the knife, and expressed himself -fluently concerning any one who was yellow enough to try to slip a -sticker into another. After Teddy had concluded his story, heads -were nodded sagely. - -Bug Eye, who was still among those present, declared as his opinion -that The Pup was nothing more nor less than a Black Hand. - -“With that name an’ carryin’ a dirk,” he demanded, “what else could -he be? I know them kind. Saw one in Frisco one time, an’ again in -Galveston. They’re all alike.” - -“Yore quite some traveled, ain’t you?” inquired Rad Sell -sarcastically. “Suppose you went in that Fishmobile of yourn.” - -“Naw, he walked,” Nat Raymond interrupted. “Ever see the soles of -his feet? All callous. Ain’t they, Bug Eye?” - -“Never mind that,” Roy said, suppressing a smile. “This is more -important. While dad’s away, Teddy and I have got to manage this -place, and we don’t want anything to go wrong. So if any one sees -Marino hanging around, tell him he’s not wanted. We don’t care for -snakes like that on our ranch--they’re likely to bite and poison -some one.” - -Teddy nodded in approval. - -“And also,” he added, “if you happen to see Gus--though I don’t -suppose you will--tell him to return. All is forgiven!” and the boy -grinned. “In the meantime there’s plenty to do. Nat, as I started to -tell you last night--” and Teddy went on explaining some details of -the day’s work. - -The crowd in the yard wandered off to go about their respective -tasks. Teddy and Roy were to ride to Eagles to see about some new -blankets and they turned to the corral to saddle Star and Flash. - -As they approached the railing, Teddy said to his brother: - -“Remember that horse I broke about a month ago--just before we went -on our little picnic to Thunder Canyon? The one that jumped the -fence with me?” - -“Sure, I remember him. Made a fine riding pony. Dad said he wouldn’t -trade him for any horse on the place--except, I imagine, General.” - -“Yea! Well, I want you to take a look at his left foreleg. Seems to -have some kind of a sore on it, and it won’t heal. I put ointment on -it last week, but it didn’t seem to help. Wait here, and I’ll get -him.” - -The boy opened the gate. At this time of year there were only a few -horses within the enclosure, and no steers, since all these were on -grazing ground. They would not be brought in until the round-up in -the late fall. - -Striding up to Flash, Teddy rubbed the pony’s nose with his hand and -gazed about him. Strangely enough, his eye did not catch the mount -he spoke of, and he looked more carefully among the other horses. -Still he could not see the bronco. - -“Hey, Roy!” he called. “Can you spot that pinto? Blamed if I can. I -must be getting blind.” - -For a long moment both boys swept the corral with their eyes. -Gradually they were beginning to realize the true state of affairs. - -“You say it,” Teddy begged. “Go ahead.” - -“I will--the pinto’s gone,” Roy declared grimly. “There’s no doubt -about it. He’s not here, and none of the boys have him out. Teddy, -he’s been stolen!” - -“An’ I know the waddie that took him!” Teddy burst out. “Last night! -Oh, what a clown I was not to stop The Pup when I had him instead of -letting him get away with a horse like that! Kick me, Roy--I deserve -it!” - -“You don’t know for sure,” Roy admonished. “Some one else may have -taken him--though it certainly does look suspicious. If we--” - -He was interrupted by his mother’s voice, calling from the front -porch. - -“Teddy! Roy!” Mrs. Manley exclaimed. “Come in at once! Something has -happened!” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -Follow Us - - -With a bound, the boys were out of the corral and running toward the -house. As they came closer they saw a look of anxiety on their -mother’s face. - -“What is it?” Roy shouted, not slacking his pace. “Is any one hurt?” - -“No, not that! But I just went to your father’s desk to get a -blotter from the drawer, and a large sum of money is missing! It was -taken from his desk last night!” - -The explanation of Mrs. Manley’s concern came as a relief, rather -than a shock, to Teddy and Roy. On that short journey from the -corral to the house, their minds had run the gamut of emotions--they -did not know what to expect. Since the true character of The Pup was -known to them, they had almost feared he had attempted to injure -some one within the house. - -“How much was it, Mother?” Roy asked, as he reached the porch. - -“About four hundred dollars. Your father drew it from the bank the -day before yesterday to pay the men with. He must have forgotten to -tell you about it, though he may have wanted to wait until he -returned before giving the boys their wages. Now it’s gone! The -drawer was forced and the money stolen. Do you think any of the -men--I don’t like to mention it, but--” - -“Don’t worry, Mom, none of the boys did it,” Teddy assured her. - -“We know who’s got it; but that won’t help much,” Roy said. - -“You do?” Mrs. Manley’s eyes expressed her surprise. “How do you -know?” - -“Because the money isn’t the only thing that’s missing. That pony -dad liked so well is gone, too.” - -“The one Belle’s been riding--the one you broke?” A frown came to -Mrs. Manley’s face. “Your father will be sorry to hear that. Next to -his own horse, he liked that pony better than any on the place. But -tell me--who took him? And who took the money?” - -“The Pup,” Roy declared, pressing his lips together. - -“Joe Marino! The man Gus rode with!” Mrs. Manley shook her head -sadly. “I’m very sorry. I was afraid he would cause trouble of some -sort after your father discharged him. But are you sure?” - -“I am!” Teddy exclaimed decidedly. “He came back last night, Mother. -I met him.” Wisely, the boy did not tell of his fight with the man. -“I told him to stay away from here, and, as I remember now, he was -near the corral when I caught him! He must have sneaked into dad’s -office, taken the money, and then he got the pony out. So-o-o -_that’s_ what he meant when he said his job here was finished!” -Teddy brought a fist down sharply into his open palm. “And I had him -in my hands! If I only had that chance over again, I’d certainly -make the most of it! Wonder how far away he is by now? Maybe we -could--” - -“Cool off,” Roy advised. “No use to beef about a thing that’s -already happened. The thing to do is to find Joe Marino.” - -“Are you certain it was he?” Mrs. Manley asked. - -“We sure are!” came from Teddy. “How about it, Roy? Wouldn’t you bet -your bottom dollar that The Pup did this?” - -Both his mother and Teddy waited for the reply. They had confidence -that Roy would not go off “half cocked,” a trait which Teddy had in -full measure. Besides this, with Mr. Manley gone, the mother and -younger brother leaned toward Roy as the natural head of the family. - -“Marino,” Roy said slowly, “is the thief, or I’m a ring-tailed -doodle bird.” - -“And there’s no two ways about it!” Teddy added. “Come on, -Roy--we’ll go get him! He’s got a payroll and a horse of ours!” - -“But, boys--” Mrs. Manley began, when Roy threw an arm -affectionately over her shoulder. - -“Don’t worry, Mom,” he interjected. “Dad told us to stick, and stick -we do until he sends for us, payroll or no payroll. Teddy, you fly -off the handle too fast. You know what the orders were.” - -“That’s right, too,” the younger lad said, a bit regretfully. “But -it sure does seem a shame to let a skunk get away so easily!” - -“He won’t get away,” Roy asserted. “We’ll telephone in to the -sheriff at Hawley to be on the watch, in case he went that way. Then -maybe we can reach Nick’s friend at Eagles--the puncher he talked to -from the Whirlpool River Ranch. If he’s a friend of Nick’s, he’ll -help us out. Then, when dad comes back, we can start on the hunt.” - -“Yea, but when’ll that be?” Teddy half grumbled. “A week, maybe. By -that time The Pup could be half way across the continent. Oh, I know -it’s the only thing to do,” he added quickly, as he saw Roy stare at -him. “But--oh, well, I guess you know how I feel!” - -“It wasn’t your fault at all, Teddy,” Mrs. Manley consoled. “How -could you know that Marino was here to steal?” - -“Aw, I might have guessed he’d try some stunt like that,” the boy -muttered. “After he--I mean when I saw him sneakin’ around. Well, we -live and learn. Anything else missing, Mother?” - -“I don’t believe so, and I certainly hope not,” Mrs. Manley -answered. “A horse and four hundred dollars are quite enough. Do you -think--oh, I can’t think--Gus--” - -“Not any!” Teddy exploded forcibly. “And that reminds me, Roy! That -conversation you heard behind the bunk-house! Marino was trying to -get Gus to go into this scheme with him and split the money. That’s -it, as sure as shooting! Nope, Mom, Gus had no finger in this! It -was Marino, all alone. I’ll lay anything on that.” - -“You’re probably right, Teddy,” Roy agreed, his face clearing. “At -least it’s an explanation of what I heard. Of course we can’t be -sure of that, though it sounds likely. The Pup may have had another -idea, and just formed the plan to rob our place on the spur of the -moment when he heard dad was away. Come on, let’s take a look at the -desk. That may tell us something.” - -When they reached Mr. Manley’s office they saw in a moment that the -drawer of the desk had been pryed open with some sort of knife, and -the lock sprung. There were marks--small cuts--about the woodwork on -the edge of the desk. As Roy saw these, he looked at Teddy -significantly, but said nothing. He did not want his mother to know -of the knife episode. - -A raised window on the side indicated how the intruder had gained -entrance. Such was the faith that Mr. Manley had in his men that he -never bothered to lock up at night, and this was the first time in -all the years he had been the owner of the X Bar X that his trust -had been violated. Perhaps it was carrying things to extremes to -allow a large sum of money to remain unprotected, but “the boss” was -ever an unreliable business man. It was this very quality which so -endeared him to his family and to his associates--the quality of his -lovable childishness. Yet there were those who could tell of another -nature which lay buried beneath this exterior--a nature which men of -evil character had learned to fear. When aroused, the boss of the X -Bar X was a “fightin’ fool,” as Pop expressed it. - -Realizing that there was nothing more to be learned within the -office, Roy and Teddy returned to the ranch yard and informed the -men of what had occurred. There was a quick rush for “shootin’ -irons,” which had to be forcibly quelled. There were many saddened -faces when Roy told them that they could not start in immediate -pursuit of the marauder, but must wait for the return of the boss. - -“I hate to hang around here as much as you do,” he finished. “But -dad’ll be back soon, and then we’ll have our inning. There’s a bare -chance that some one else may pick up The Pup. If that happens, -we’ll be saved the trouble--although it would almost be a pleasure,” -and his lips shut tightly. - -“An’ we ain’t to do nothin’?” Pop Burns asked wistfully. - -“Not yet awhile. We can’t. If dad were only here, we could get up a -gang and go after him. But we’ve got to stay on the place. That was -the order, an’ I aim to see it’s enforced. Of course if when you are -on range you should see The Pup, well--” - -“That’s enough, Roy,” Nat interrupted feelingly. “We’ll do the rest. -There ain’t no need for you to elucidate. But aside from that, if -you say we stick on the ranch, stick we do. But I hope the boss gets -back soon. Marino--the polecat! Rustlin’ one of our best horses! The -ole--” and Nat proceeded to lay bare the secrets of The Pup’s life -as he understood them. - -The first excitement of the discovery over, the ranch settled down -to its usual workaday tasks. There was much to be done, and the men -were soon absorbed in their labor. There are dull times about a -ranch, but the early fall is not one of them, and thus it was that -when a rider, dusty, hot, and tired, loped into the ranch yard he -found it deserted. The only person in sight was Sing Lung, who sat -in the doorway of the cook house enjoying the morning sun, and -probably dreaming about the pleasanter and more picturesque lands -across the sea. But when he saw the horseman, a grin came to his -face and he waved a hand. - -“’Lo, Nick,” he beamed. “Why you come back quick? Cows all fixee, -maybe yes?” - -“Maybe no,” Nick answered shortly, “Rustle me some grub, pronto, -Sing. Where’s Roy an’ Teddy?” - -“Horse pen, me t’ink. You find?” - -With a grateful sigh, Nick slid from his horse and set out for the -corral. - -“I been ridin’ most of the night,” he sang out over his shoulder, -“so let that grub be early and plenty.” - -He found the boys engaged in replacing one of the corral rails. Roy -held one end of the new bar in place and Teddy was about to raise -the other when he saw the man on foot. - -“Nick!” he exclaimed, and dropped the rail. “What in thunder--” - -“Left yore dad last night late,” Nick interrupted wearily, “an’ rode -like a fool to get here. I got a message for you.” - -He reached in his vest pocket and drew forth a soiled paper. Looking -at it with a glassy stare for a moment, he passed it over to Roy. -Wonderingly, the boy took it, and as Nick flung himself full length -upon the grass he opened it and read: - -“Roy and Teddy: - -“Got in bad jam. There’s been a slide near Whirlpool River, and the -cattle are in danger. Need your help. Take two men and come down the -river in a canoe, pronto. Follow us. Got to get the cows out of -there. Nick is foreman--he stays. Suggest that Bug Eye, if he’s -still there, come with you, and Pop. Only hurry up. - -“Dad.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -The Water Trail - - -To Teddy’s excited questions, Nick gave only mumbled replies, and -waved his hand protestingly. - -When Roy bent down and raised him to a sitting position he declared -he knew nothing more than what was in the letter, except that a -wandering horseman had told of a slide near Whirlpool River, which -threatened to force the cattle into the water, should it reoccur, -and would the boys “please give the bronc some water.” This was -attended to, and the boys got ready to start. - -Nick came to life suddenly at Sing Lung’s cry of “come an’ get ’um,” -and started lurchingly for the mess house. After he was stoked with -food and coffee, he aroused himself to an interest in life, and -where he was taciturn before, he was a veritable spring of -information now. The food acted as a stimulant, after his long fast -and hard ride, and he talked willingly. - -Teddy and Roy, eager as they were to set out, felt it would be worth -their while to delay long enough to hear Nick’s story, so they -waited for him to light a cigarette, settle himself comfortably on a -bunk, and commence. - -“We struck camp about seven last night,” Nick said, blowing out a -swirling cloud of smoke. “The goin’ had been bad, on account of the -rains, an’ we didn’t make such good time, ’cause the boss wanted to -save the broncs. We hit that place on the other side of Harver’s -Gully--forget the name of it--’bout twenty miles west of the gulch. -Then we got set for the night. - -“Long about nine o’clock, just when Slim Holiday was startin’ one of -them dirges he calls a song, we hears a noise an’ up rides a hombre -on a pony that looked like it was more use as a hat-rack than a -horse. This waddy tells us something that sure makes us sit up an’ -take notice.” - -“The slide?” Teddy interrupted. - -“Check! He says the whole top of Friendly Mountain has shifted, an’ -part of it’s slid down into the valley almost to the edge of -Whirlpool River. Says he saw it happen, an’ the rest of the mountain -is likely to go any day now. Says if it does, it’ll about block up -the river.” - -“Just where on the river is this?” Roy asked excitedly. “That river -is some long, runs into Thunder Canyon, I think. The slide may not -be near our cattle.” - -“May not, an’ then again it may. That’s the way yore dad feels about -it. Last we heard of that bunch of dogies they was near Friendly -Mountain. They may be there yet, or they may have wandered Pete -knows where. But we can’t take no chances. We got to see that the -cows get out quick. Yore dad says the pick of the whole bunch is in -that herd.” - -“They are, too,” Teddy mused. “All our best short-horns. Was dad -worried, Nick?” - -“Well, he wasn’t any too easy in his mind. So he roots me out to -ride back--which I done. Yep, which I done.” Nick’s head started to -nod, and Teddy motioned toward the bunk he was sitting on. Gently -the two boys deposited the puncher on the bed, took his still -smoking cigarette from his fingers, and left him to shake the -rafters with healthy snores. - -“I don’t like the looks of this at all,” Roy declared, as soon as -they reached the yard. “I kind of hate to leave mother alone with -Marino around. If he should come back--” - -“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Teddy assured him. “Marino isn’t -going to show his face around here for some time to come. And then, -too, Nick will be here. Mother will be all right. She depends on -Nick--and he’s a good man. Now we’ve got to tell her, and find Bug -Eye and Pop. I suppose Bug Eye will want to go in that Fishmobile of -his--but not with me. Suppose you see mother while I find the -others?” - -Mrs. Manley took the news calmly. Nell and Ethel were disappointed -that the boys were going to leave, but at Belle’s insistence they -promised to remain until their return. - -“Bring back some fish,” Belle suggested. “Some trout, if you can.” - -“If we bring back any fish, they’ll be the kind that walk on land,” -Roy declared grimly. His mind flew to The Pup, and he wondered if -there was a chance of meeting him. Then, with a laugh, he dismissed -the thought. “That would be the kind of thing you read about, but -never happens,” he decided. “I reckon we’ll never see him again, nor -our money or horse either.” - -Teddy’s idea was to bring the heavy canoe, which lay under a shed in -the rear of the yard, to the water by one of the ranch trucks. Both -the boys had often been on the river before in this canoe, but never -had they been as far as the rapids, which gave the stream its name. -The part that flowed by the ranch was broad and peaceful, and -continued this way for some fifteen miles. Then, like a beast -suddenly released from a cage, it became a roaring, whirling -torrent, barely navigable, and dangerous always. It was down this -stream, and past these rapids, that Roy and Teddy had to go to reach -the cattle. - -When Bug Eye and Pop heard the news, they began preparations -immediately. Pop examined the bottom of the canoe with minute care, -he and Bug Eye going over every seam, for this was the boat to which -they were to trust their lives. Bug Eye had received word by phone -from Pete Ball that he was not needed for a time at the 8 X 8, and -that Mr. Manley was welcome to his services. By one o’clock -everything was in order. - -Roy, after several attempts, succeeded in awaking Nick for a few -moments, and under the boy’s eyes the puncher wrote his instructions -on a slip of paper, for Roy knew in his tired state he would never -remember them. This over, Nick murmured something that may have been -Chinese, but that sounded faintly like “good luck,” and, turning -over, resumed his interrupted slumbers. - -Jim Casey was to drive the truck, containing the canoe, to the -river. All of them were needed to lift it in place on the vehicle, -so heavy was it, but at last it was in and securely lashed to -prevent it from jolting. The rest of the stuff, including food and -blankets, were piled in the front, to be unloaded and put into the -canoe when the river was reached. - -Mrs. Manley, Belle, and the two visitors watched the start from the -porch. Affectionately the mother kissed her sons good-bye and -breathed a prayer for their safety. She knew that the journey they -were about to undertake was dangerous in the extreme, yet she never -uttered one word of protest. It was necessary that they go--their -father had called for them. And, as she waved good-bye, she smiled -cheerfully and bravely. These were her sons--they would come back as -they had always done, successful, unharmed. Yet strive as she would, -the mother could not keep a tiny lump from coming into her throat. - -The truck containing the five men--Teddy, Roy, Bug Eye, Pop, and -Casey, the driver, reached the river in half an hour. Carefully the -canoe was lifted from the platform and carried to the water’s edge. - -“Now!” Roy grunted, and they swung it into the stream. Eagerly they -bent over, watching the bottom with anxious eyes. For a moment they -waited. - -“Not a drop!” Teddy exulted. “You did a good job, Pop. Nary a leak. -Hope she stays that way, and I guess she will. It’s a good boat. All -right, Jim. Let’s get the rest of the stuff out. Then you can mosey -back. Let Nick sleep as long as he wants to--he’s had a hard ride. -And tell Belle she’ll have to ride to Eagles herself for that whip I -promised her unless she wants to wait until I get back. It’s at the -express office now. Wait--take that roll of blankets first, and -we’ll stow ’em at the bow where they’ll stay dry.” - -The canoe was soon loaded and ready to start. Roy and Bug Eye were -to paddle first, while Teddy and Pop sat in the middle. - -“So long!” Jim called. “If you see The Pup tell him we been lookin’ -for him!” - -“Now why should we see The Pup?” Roy asked of no one in particular, -and dipped his paddle deep into the water. “Although I was thinking -the same thing a while ago. Pipe dreams, I guess. What do you say, -Bug Eye? Let’s hit it up. Hu, hu, hu, hu....” - -The boat glided downstream, both paddlers stroking in unison to -Roy’s grunted chanty. The gentle current added to their speed, and -they went along at a good rate. On either side of the river, willows -trailed their drooping branches into the water and afforded a -grateful shade from the midday sun. Roy, seated in the rear of the -craft, steered nearer the edge to take advantage of this protection. - -To the left, many miles from the river, but because of its hugeness -seeming almost to border it, rose the highest peak in that part of -the country. Its top was capped with eternal snow and framed in a -wreath of clouds--a picture to make even the most indifferent heart -beat faster. The sparkling water of the stream reflected the sun -like a polished mirror. After half an hour of paddling, Roy stopped -for a moment and shaded his eyes with his hand. - -“She curves around here some place, doesn’t she?” he asked. “I don’t -exactly remember--it’s a long time since I’ve been down this far.” - -“If by ‘she’ you mean the river, it does,” Bug Eye grinned, turning -around slightly. “It swings to the left, then it’s straight for a -long stretch before the rough water starts. Golly, it’s almost -smooth enough here to try my Fishmobile! Wish we could have brung -it--I mean brought it.” - -Some one had lately placed into Bug Eye’s hands a copy of “Correct -English as Used by Gentlemen,” and since then he had laboriously -tried to pattern his speech after the forms advocated by the book. -Thus far he had not had much success, most of the time being too -lazy to retrace his words. - -“You know how long that Fishmobile would last?” Teddy laughed. -“About five minutes--if it didn’t fall to pieces before then. Say, -Pop, have you ever shot the rapids below here?” - -The veteran puncher nodded solemnly. Seated on the bottom of the -canoe with his long legs curled uncomfortably about the bundle of -blankets and his bald head exposed to the rays of the sun, Pop Burns -presented a strange sight. A canoe is no place for a man who appears -uneasy unless he’s straddling a bronco. - -“I bin down twice,” Pop replied. “Once we got spilled--see that -scar?” - -He bent over, exposing a white line on the top of his head. - -“Where I hit a rock,” he explained laconically. “But we had a small -boat then, and she wasn’t well balanced. With this thing, now, we -got a good chance. She’s heavy, an’ we got lots of weight on the -bottom. But even at that, it ain’t gonna be no picnic.” - -“Isn’t,” Bug Eye corrected. “We’ll make it though, Pop. We got to -make it. Yore boss wants to get those cattle out quick. We can land -an’ see can we scare up some broncs. Can’t do a thing on foot. How -long you calcalate it’ll be before yore dad shows up, Roy?” - -“Well, we’ll probably hit Trummer’s range sometime to-morrow or the -next day. Dad had a start on us of a day. That ought to bring him -there soon after we arrive. The land route is much longer, on -account of having to skirt the mountains. But dad’s a hard rider, -and so are the men with him. I have a hunch they’ll make it almost -as soon as we shall.” - -“You figuring on borrowing broncs from Jake Trummer?” Teddy asked. - -“Well, if he wants us to get the cows off his range he’s got to help -us out that much, anyhow. Besides, if that story about the landslide -is true, he’ll have his hands full with his own cattle, although his -herd may not be near the place where the slide occurred. Something -tells me the bird who told that tale exaggerated more than a little. -Still, dad believed him, so there may be something in it. We can’t -afford to take a chance. Say, here’s a peach of a place to stop. How -about eats?” - -There was a general assent to this proposition, and Roy steered into -a little cove. - -“That was a nice, pleasant ride,” Teddy reflected as he seized a -bundle of foodstuffs. “If it was all like that, I wouldn’t kick. But -wait till to-morrow! If we don’t have our hands full then, I’m a -ring-tailed doodle bird!” - - - - -CHAPTER X - -A Figure among the Trees - - -Their meal was rather a sketchy one, for the men all felt that time -was precious and that to delay longer than was absolutely necessary -lessened, by just that much, their chances of saving their cattle. -Nevertheless, they ate heartily, though hurriedly, and when once -more they were in the canoe, with Teddy and Pop paddling, Roy gave a -sigh of relief. - -“Feel like a new man,” he murmured. “Now the thing to do is to give -the new man some food, I suppose, but I’ll postpone that for awhile. -Glad you’re doing the paddling, Teddy. I hate to work right after a -meal.” - -“You might leave off those last four words and be nearer the truth,” -his brother grinned. “Me, I like it! Helps the food to digest. -Increases the salivary activity, and, by exciting the interior of -the diaphragm, it adds to--” - -“Chuck it,” Roy interrupted calmly. “You’re talking Chocktaw. Here’s -that bend you spoke of, Bug Eye.” - -Before them the river curved gently, sweeping through a broad lane -of grasses and trees. The current was swifter here, and Pop, who was -in the rear, and hence occupied the position of steerer, trailed his -paddle in the water and found that the boat sped along as fast as -though he were paddling. - -“A taste of what’s comin’,” he declared. “The banks are a little -narrower below here, an’ that’s what makes the current faster. But -that don’t mean we won’t have no more work, Teddy,” as he saw that -the boy had followed his example and allowed the stream to carry the -boat. “It broadens out pretty soon, an’ then we hit it up again.” - -“Don’t worry--I know that,” Teddy returned. “Roy and I have both -been down this far, but not for a long time. But this curve is -familiar. Golly, it sure is pretty around here!” - -Silently the boy gazed ahead, resting his paddle across the canoe. -The scene was truly magnificent. The sun, past its zenith now, threw -flecks of gold on the water as it shone through the trees. Fleecy -clouds drifted slowly overhead. The willows nodded sleepily, as a -soft breeze stirred them. - -“I could enjoy this if we weren’t in such a hurry,” Teddy sighed. -Then he turned to Roy and grinned. “This is soft for you, hey, Roy? -Kind of beats a sunset, doesn’t it?” - -“Kind of,” Roy answered absently. His eyes were dreamy, and as Teddy -saw them he winked at Bug Eye. - -“‘This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the -hemlocks,’” he began to quote softly, then suddenly gave a yell. -“Hey! It’s morning! Wake up!” - -“What?” Roy stared at his brother stupidly. Then a sheepish grin -came over his face. “All right, you Indian! I’ll get you for that. -But I sure was day-dreaming. Guess it was that meal.” - -“Uh-huh,” Teddy grunted, expressing his contempt of such subterfuge. - -As the boat shot downstream, Pop Burns cast an appraising eye -shoreward. The foliage was especially thick at this point, almost -concealing the hint of mountains which rose back of the pebbly beach -line. The puncher thought that if a man wanted to make a getaway -after a crime, he would surely take this route. Unless by some -chance the pursuers stumbled on the fugitive, there would be very -little chance of finding him. - -“If he hugged the river, he could travel for miles without bein’ -seen,” Pop muttered to himself, and squinted again toward the bank. -“But I suppose he wouldn’t have sense enough to do that. More than -likely, if a rustler wanted to dig out for another country, he’d -take an overland route and have to ride like all get-out to keep -ahead. An’ if he wanted to, he could mosey along this bank an’ take -his time. Then, when he got to where he wanted, he could cut for it. -Seems that when a man takes to stealin’ an’ such like he loses what -little brains he ever had.” - -Strangely enough, thoughts of this same nature were revolving in -Teddy’s mind as his paddle dipped into the water. But they were more -definite and were centered about a certain man. That man was The -Pup. When they had received word that they were to leave the ranch -and follow their father, the boy had been nervous for fear Marino -might return and, out of revenge, try to do some damage to the place -or its occupants. Yet Roy had said there was not much danger of -this--that The Pup was miles away by this time. Surely if Roy--he of -the careful, “mature” judgment--was satisfied that the home folks -were safe, then Teddy had no cause for worry. Nick knew about -Marino, and knew he was a character to be watched. Nick would see to -it that Marino had his fangs drawn if ever he ventured to show his -face at the X Bar X again. - -Teddy recalled the long knife with which Marino had attacked him, -and the boy could not repress an involuntary shudder. Suppose The -Pup, fired with liquor, should return some night and seek entrance -to the ranch house? The men would be some three hundred yards away -in their own sleeping shack. Could they--could Nick--hear a call? - -Unconsciously the boy’s muscles tightened and he drove his paddle in -more forcibly, sending a shower of spray over his brother, who was -seated on the bottom of the canoe behind him. - -“Hey, take it easy!” Roy yelled. He brushed the water from the back -of his neck and demanded: “Why so strong all of a sudden, Teddy?” - -“Just thinking,” Teddy murmured. Roy got a side view of his -brother’s face as the boy turned his body at the end of the stroke, -and the older lad frowned. Was Teddy getting the “willies” now? -There must have been some reason for those set lines around the -mouth and those tiny knots of muscle just above the jaw bone. Roy -knew his brother well enough to be sure that the younger lad’s -thoughts were reflected in his face as though it were a mirror. - -“What’s on your mind, boy?” Roy asked softly. - -“Nothing--yes there is, too!” Teddy burst out. He ceased from his -labor and rested the dripping paddle on the bow of the canoe. “I’m -worried about mother and Belle and the others. Where do you suppose -The Pup is now?” - -“Headin’ for the Border, an’ goin’ strong!” Bug Eye interrupted. -“That waddy won’t let no grass grow under his feet. He’s afraid he -might be pushin’ it up a little later if he does. Yore dad ain’t got -much use fer sneak thieves an’ rustlers.” - -“You mean he wouldn’t stay in this part of the country?” Teddy asked -eagerly. - -“Not a chance,” Roy answered. “Is there, Pop? Don’t you think The -Pup will head south and try to make the Border?” - -“That’s my idea of it,” the veteran said decidedly. He mopped the -top of his shiny head with a huge red handkerchief. “This is some -hot work! Yep, I reckon Marino is pretty scarce around here now. -Why, Teddy? Why was you askin’? Hopin’ to run acrost him?” - -“Not any,” the boy said shortly, resuming his paddling. “But--well, -you know how I got this.” He drew from his belt the knife he had -forced from The Pup’s hand when he had met him near the corral. At -the last moment, impelled by a motive he himself could not explain, -the boy had brought the weapon with him. Now he turned it over and -gazed at the initials burned in the handle. “The man who carries one -of these is the kind you need eyes in the back of your head to -watch. And I was afraid he might come back to the ranch some night, -loaded and sore. Nick might not be handy. I wish--” - -“Teddy, believe me, there’s not a chance in the world of that,” Roy -said earnestly. He sat up straighter, and twisted around so he could -see his brother. “You know how I feel about those things. In fact, I -guess you’ve laughed at me plenty for being an old maid. But in this -instance, I’m not worried. There are five men left to take care of -the place. I told Nick to let the work ride till we came back, and -to stick close to the ranch house. I told him if Belle or Ethel or -Nell go riding, to be sure to have a man or two trail along. There’s -to be a guard awake through the night, wandering around the place. -He’ll sleep in the day time. Didn’t know all that, did you?” and Roy -laughed. - -“Well, to tell the truth,” he went on, “I didn’t want to be kidded -about it, so I kept it quiet. But now that I see you’ve got the -fever yourself,” and Roy grinned again, “I’ll relieve your mind.” - -“And believe me, you have!” Teddy exclaimed fervently. “Roy, if ever -I kid you again about being too careful, just remind me of this! -Baby! You know, as I was paddling along there, it struck me all of a -sudden. Like a cold shower! I started to think, what if The Pup -comes back and all the boys are out of reach? And golly, I began to -get the fidgets! I didn’t want to tell you, because I know when you -start to worry you sure do a good job of it. But, by jingo, you did -your worrying ahead of time, which is the right way. Woosh! I feel -better. Funny how you get nervous all of a sudden like that, isn’t -it? All right, Pop, let’s go! Now we can consider the cattle--and -we’ll have plenty to think about there, let me tell you! Come on, -Pop! Hit it up! _One_, two, three, four! _One_, two, three, four! -Yay! Look at her travel!” - -The shore slid by rapidly, and the water started to boil under the -bow of the canoe. Pop, in the stern, wrinkled his face into a grin. -Did this youngster think he could turn the boat on him? The old -puncher dug his paddle deep into the water, and his shoulders moved -rhythmically. Teddy was hard pushed to keep up with the old man, so -powerful were the veteran’s strokes, and as the current was swifter -here, the boat seemed fairly to skim over the water, heavy as it -was. - -“All right, men!” Roy called out. “You’re doing fine! We’re creeping -up. Another mile to go now. We’ve left Yale behind, and we’re -passing Harvard.” He began to sway his body back and forward, in the -manner of a coxswain of a racing shell. “Yo, yo, yo, yo--” - -Suddenly he stopped. He had been facing the shore, and now he -reached forward and seized Teddy’s right arm. The boy yelled, -floundered, and the boat swung around. - -“Roy, you big--” he began, then hesitated as he saw his brother’s -face. - -Roy’s eyes had narrowed to two hazel slits. His forehead was creased -with a frown. His underjaw shot forward ever so slightly. He pointed -silently. His grip on Teddy’s arm tightened. - -The boy gazed at the shore, puzzled as to the reason of his -brother’s queer actions. For a moment he could make out nothing -except the dense trees and brush bordering the bank. - -Then, suddenly, he started. His face grew white. Unconsciously his -hand slid to his belt and seized the butt of his gun. - -“The Pup!” Teddy gasped. “The Pup, or I’m a ring-tailed doodle bird! -And he’s got our pony with him! Come on, Roy! Let’s get him!” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -A Night in the Woods - - -“To the shore, Pop!” Roy yelled, realizing that The Pup had seen -them and it would be useless to hope to catch him unawares. “Wait, -Teddy--” He saw that the boy had drawn his gun and that his eyes -were blazing. “Don’t shoot! You may hit the horse! And, anyway, we -don’t want to kill the skunk! We want to capture him, if we can.” - -Unfortunately their craft was almost directly in the middle of the -stream, some two hundred feet from the shore. The figure on -horseback had disappeared, but Roy hoped that, due to the tangle of -brush, Marino might not be able to retreat before they could land. -Pop set his teeth and leaned on his paddle, and Teddy did the same. -But they were not working together, and the boat started to swing -crazily. - -“Wait till I get in with you, Pop!” Teddy gasped. “This blame -current! It sure is strong!” - -Gradually the canoe neared the shore. But by that time all four -realized that their attempt was doomed to failure. The Pup had -surely seen them and had got away. - -“I guess we lose,” Roy sighed, while he mopped his face with his -handkerchief, for Teddy’s efforts had splashed him considerably. -“Let up, boys. No use to land now. Besides, those rocks would make -hash of the boat.” He pointed to some sharp-edged boulders along the -bank. “No soap. What a fine time to be in the middle of a river! Bet -The Pup is snickering up his sleeve by this time. It’s a wonder he -didn’t wave good-bye at us,” and Roy laughed bitterly. - -“Merry Christmas!” Bug Eye remarked, and looked about him comically. -“I am still among those present. Now, if it ain’t too much trouble, -will you kindly explain this muddle to a poor man what ain’t got his -right health?” - -“Do you mean to say you didn’t see him?” Teddy asked in amazement. - -“Who? The Pup? I seen nobody, an’ very little of him. I was sittin’ -here peaceful-like, maybe dozin’ a bit, as boys will do, when all of -a sudden I hears a yell, gets a free shower bath, an’ wakes up to -see Teddy an’ Pop paddlin’ like a couple of crazy men. Then I hears -some one say ‘The Pup,’ an’ I looks, but don’t see a soul. Now, I -ask you: what happened?” - -“Why, we saw Joe Marino!” Roy exclaimed excitedly. “And he was on -the horse he stole from our corral! I spotted him first, and tipped -off Teddy. We tried to make the shore, but the current was too -swift. So I guess he’s plenty far by this time. What a break!” - -“Yo’re sure it was him?” Bug Eye asked curiously. - -“Positive!” Teddy declared. “I saw him as plain as I see you now. He -was on our bronc, facing the river. Probably just watered the horse. -Then, when he saw us he turned and beat it--disappeared like a -shadow. Pop, you saw him, didn’t you?” - -The old puncher nodded forcibly. - -“Sure did,” he agreed. “But I was too blame busy to say anything. I -had all I could do to try an’ keep this fool boat straight, an’ I -didn’t make out so well at that. We’re a bunch of dubs, I reckon,” -he admitted reluctantly. - -“Well, if yo’re sure you saw him, why don’t you land an’ have a -look?” Bug Eye inquired eagerly. - -Teddy snorted. - -“What for? Just to see the scenery? Marino is gone by now. We -haven’t as much of a chance as a fish on a desert of finding him.” - -“Let’s see! Ain’t that what some one said a while ago?” came from -Bug Eye. “Seems to me I heard a voice say he would try fer the -Border, an’ that this part of the country would see him no more,” -and he looked quizzically at Pop. - -“Dry up,” Pop said succinctly. “We all make mistakes. But if you -want to, Roy, we’ll land an’ take a look. Think it would do any -good?” - -“Not a bit,” Roy decided. “We’d only waste our time. I wonder if -that waddy could have been following us?” - -“Hardly, if he didn’t know we were here,” Teddy replied. “And it’s a -cinch we surprised him, because he ducked like a scared rabbit. -Nope, we just happened to run across him, that’s all. If we had only -been on land!” - -“If the cow hadn’t stopped to chase a fly off her back, the train -wouldn’t have hit her,” Roy retorted facetiously. “Suppose we had -caught The Pup? What would we have done with him?” - -“Plenty,” Teddy answered. “Gotten some of dad’s four hundred -smackies back, anyway. He can’t have spent it all this soon. Chances -are, he’s got most of it with him.” - -“What he ain’t spent fer booze,” Bug Eye interjected contemptuously. -“The Pup ain’t worth the powder to blow him up, though I’d chip in -my little bit to stand part of the expense if any one wanted to try -it,” he chuckled. “Well, I guess you can kiss the money goodbye, -Roy. An’ the bronc too. Whatever you say about The Pup, he sure can -ride, an’ he’ll be ridin’ fer election by now. You boys tired -paddlin’? I’ll spell one of yuh, if yuh wants me to.” - -Pop accepted his offer, and once more the canoe slid on toward the -rapids, still many miles downstream. There was much talk of the -possibility of seeing The Pup again, and Teddy was in favor of -unlimbering one of the rifles that lay in the bottom of the boat on -the chance. But Roy vetoed this idea, saying it was very necessary -that they keep the guns dry and clean. - -“Those rifles are our dinner-checks, you know,” he added. “When we -land, we’ve got to look lively and do a bit of hunting if we want to -eat. Sun’s almost down. We ought to make camp shortly. Soon as you -see a likely spot, Bug Eye, head for it.” - -There was a run of some fifteen minutes while not a word was spoken. -The only sound was the regular dip, dip, dip of the paddles, -propelling the canoe onward. Pop, the extremist, was either so -talkative that he’d “gab the ear off a brass monkey,” to use Nick -Looker’s expression, or else he kept strict silence. Bug Eye was -content to dream of the possibilities of his Fishmobile, and Teddy -was wondering how his father was making out. - -“They ought to be about in a line with us,” the boy thought, “though -far back behind those mountains. Hope they reach the cattle about -the time we get there. If that herd has done much wandering--” He -shook his head dubiously. - -If they had traveled that far off their own range, there was no -telling how much farther they would go. Teddy hoped they would -travel beyond the danger of the landslide the stranger had told -about. - -Roy’s thoughts were in a rather chaotic condition. The discovery of -The Pup had bothered him more than he cared to admit. Why was it he -was headed toward the Whirlpool River Ranch--Jake Trummer’s place? -Of course, it might be that he took that route because it offered -the greatest protection. Unconsciously Roy echoed Pop Burns’ -thoughts, and decided that the heavy brush along the river would -certainly be ideal for the concealment of a fugitive. - -Presently his cogitations were interrupted by Bug Eye, who called -out: - -“How about this place ahead? Me, I’m gettin’ hungry! All right, -Roy?” - -“Sure, I guess so.” Roy gazed at the small cove, then nodded. “Fine, -Bug Eye. Get her up close, and I’ll hop out and pull the canoe up. -Steady--” - -He leaped to the bank and grasped the bow of the craft. This he held -while the others stood up and tossed the blankets, food, and rifles -on the shore. Then the canoe was drawn up until it was nearly out of -water. - -“She stood up well,” Teddy remarked, looking down at the boat. -“To-morrow will tell. We’ll hit the rapids then, and give the ole -raft a good try-out. Oh, baby, I’m stiff!” He stretched high and -wide. “I’d hate to live in a canoe.” - -“I’d hate to live in a suitcase, too, but why worry about things -like that?” Roy laughed. “Here, you navigator, see what you find.” -He handed his brother a rifle. “If you catch anything less than -three inches, throw ’em back.” - -“Now, by golly, that’s an idea!” Teddy exclaimed. “Fishing with a -rifle. I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen it done. I’d like to -try it.” - -“How do you mean?” Pop asked interestedly, ceasing from his labors -of untying the blanket roll. - -“Why, shoot the fish!” - -The old man cackled sarcastically. - -“You heard of it, hey? Well, I’ve heard of a willyloo bird, too, but -I never seen any. But go right ahead. Have yore fun.” - -“Just to show you it _can_ be done, I will!” Teddy declared, and -strode resolutely to the water’s edge. “What would you like, trout -or pickerel?” - -“Chocolate.” Bug Eye responded, with a grin. “Let ’er ride, Teddy.” - -The boy peered keenly down at the stream. The others grouped -themselves eagerly around Teddy, while the sun, almost at the -horizon, threw a cloth of gold upon the water. - -Suddenly Teddy saw a silver flash about five feet out. He brought -the gun to his shoulder and took careful aim. - -Crack! - -“Get him?” Pop asked excitedly, forgetting his former declaration of -unbelief. - -“Wait a minute,” Teddy grinned. “Give me time. There--what’s that?” - -He pointed toward a spot a little out from where they were standing. -Bug Eye gave a yell. - -“A fish, sure as shootin’! An’ dead! Teddy, yo’re a wonder! I’ll get -that one for you!” Shoes and all, he waded into the stream and -seized the trout that floated on the surface of the river. - -“Boy, it’s a wonder!” Pop exclaimed, as Bug Eye held the fish up for -inspection. The veteran rancher gazed at Teddy and shook his head. -“One too many for me,” he muttered. “You win, Teddy!” - -“Golly, it did work, didn’t it?” the young lad marveled, touching -his prize. “What do you think of that, Roy?” - -“I think you’re the luckiest boy in seven counties,” his brother -laughed. “But, anyway, we’ve got our supper, and we’ll give you -credit, Ted. Hail to the chief!” and he bowed low. “May he continue -to have much success in his chosen career.” - -“It’s the concussion,” Teddy remarked, apropos of nothing. “The -bullet hits the water, and the shock stuns the fish. At least that’s -the technical explanation of the phenomenon,” and he pretended to -choke over the long words. “But I suppose it’s useless to tell you -birds that. Come on, let’s eat.” - -Had it not been for the fact that the mission before them was of -such a weighty nature, the memory of that supper underneath the sky -on the banks of the river would have remained in the minds of Teddy -and Roy as one of the happiest they had ever enjoyed. But they could -not entirely throw off the responsibility that burdened them, and -behind all the jests that enlivened the meal was a feeling that this -was superficial, and, at most, a respite. Still, worry does not sit -long on young shoulders, and the occasion was a jolly one. - -Supper over, they saw to it that the boat was safe from possible -attacks by the turbulent river. Then, wrapping themselves tightly in -their blankets, the four cast themselves down upon nature’s bed. The -light from their dying campfire flickered eerily, casting strange -shadows. Above them the wind caressed the tree tops, humming or -whistling as trees will. - -And far down the stream, under these same stars, rode a man with a -haunted look on his face--a man on a stolen pony and with four -hundred dollars in bills in his pocket. - -He heard no whispering winds, saw no stars; the river to him was no -friend, nor could he find comfort in the prospect of a camp by the -side of a stream. - -But he soon must stop, for even he must rest and give respite to the -wearily lagging pony. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -Voices in the Night - - -During the night, Roy tossed about restlessly, and once he sat up, -under the impression that some one had come upon them. He peered -about him and listened intently, but could not place the sound which -had awakened him. Finally, with a grunt of contempt at his own -nervousness, he rolled over and closed his eyes, at once sinking -into a more restful slumber, which lasted until the sun was again -warming the languid world. This time, when he awoke, he sprang to -his feet and threw the blanket from him quickly. - -There was a method in this. The insect tribes of the woods find a -blanket, inhabited by a sleeping human, a cosy place to spend the -night, and frequently a camper will discover a strange collection of -crawling things sharing his covering. Thus, having little fondness -for snakes or spiders, Roy tossed the blanket to the ground with -some haste, lest the guest intrude further and stay for breakfast. -He bent over the cloth to see what he had gathered, but found -nothing more than a few beetles and a single, undersized scorpion. -He shook himself well, tossed the blanket on a tree limb to air, and -called the others. - -Teddy, arousing himself gradually, “to avoid sudden shock,” as he -explained with a grin, walked toward the canoe. - -“Francois, my orange juice,” he muttered sleepily, and, reaching -under the seat, pulled forth a can of beans. This was opened with -the aid of a revolver barrel, and the contents were soon being -heated in a pan held over the fire by two green sticks. The four -made a most satisfying breakfast, and, after piling their belongings -once more into the craft, set off again down the river. - -“Hear anything last night?” Roy, who, together with Teddy, was -paddling, asked casually. - -“Not me,” Teddy answered forcibly, if not grammatically. “This baby -slept like the well known rock. Why?” - -“Oh, nothing--only I thought I did. I woke up with a start, some -time in the night, and sat up. But I may have been dreaming. Anyway, -if it was some one sneaking around, he didn’t disturb us.” - -“It would have taken a cannon to wake me up,” Bug Eye declared, -yawning and dipping his hand into the water. “Boy, when I sleeps, I -sleeps, an’ no mistake. Who did you think it was, Roy, The Pup?” - -“Had no idea,” Roy answered. “I dropped off again right afterwards. -Pop, do we reach the rapids to-day?” - -“We should,” the puncher replied. “If nothin’ happens, I expect to -see Whirlpool River Ranch by night. Then the thing to do is to find -those locoed steers, that Gus--er, I mean that The Pup--chased.” By -common consent the subject of Gus’s disappearance had not been -discussed. It was a painful subject for all of them, since they all -liked the young cowboy. Each hoped sincerely that, somehow, Gus -would some day return and take his place with them once more. - -“What do you mean, unless something happens?” Bug Eye questioned, -more to relieve the uncomfortable silence induced by the mention of -Gus’s name than anything else. “Ain’t gettin’ pessimistic or -nothin’, are yuh?” - -“Well, yuh can’t tell,” Pop said philosophically. “This river is -treacherous. I’ve seen her when it looked like she wouldn’t drown a -cat, then it started to rain, an’ in ten minutes she was bubblin’ -like a wash-boiler over a furnace--sweepin’ over the bank, raisin’ -Cain generally. But I reckon the weather’ll stay clear fer a while.” -He squinted up at the sky. “Yep, we won’t get no rain to-day.” - -“Now I’ll bet it’ll pour,” Bug Eye jeered. “Pop, I hearn you -prophesy before. Yo’re not so hot. Just before we had that -cloudburst last spring, you said we was in fer a drought.” - -Scorning a reply to such calumny, the veteran puncher pulled out his -pipe and lit it. Then, puffing contentedly, he watched the shore -line slip by. - -Whether the gods of the storm had heard Pop’s boast and decided to -put him in his place or not, the fact is that it did rain--and rain -hard. Along about three o’clock the clouds started to gather, and by -four the first drops fell. Within a few minutes the peaceful scene -was changed to a furious tempest, with wind, lightning, and finally -hail scourging the earth. - -As soon as white-caps appeared on the surface of the water the boys -headed for shore, and succeeded in getting their craft to a point of -safety on the bank before the real deluge started. - -They turned the canoe over and piled branches at its sides, thus -keeping the blankets and rifles dry, while they stood shivering -under the partial shelter of a tree. They felt that they were as -secure there as any place, though the lightning flashed almost -continuously. One bolt struck a quakermast not a hundred feet from -where they were standing, but it did no more damage than searing off -the bark. The thunder, following the flash, was deafening. - -When the rain had abated somewhat, they ran toward the river. Pop’s -description of it after a storm had not been exaggerated. The -current had increased tenfold, and it fairly roared as it dashed -over the rocks. Yellow foam was tossed high upon the shore. - -“That queers our plan of reaching Jake Trummer’s place to-night,” -Teddy said grimly. “No one but a fool would launch a boat in that.” -He watched a huge tree limb go floating by. “Are the rapids worse -than this, Pop? Do you think this storm will make them much more -dangerous? Will--” - -“Take it easy, son,” Pop chuckled. “I’m no bureau of information. -You’ve seen those rapids, haven’t you, Teddy?” - -“Yes; but it was a long time ago. I forget just how swift they are.” - -“Well, they’re bad enough, but not quite this bad. It is possible to -shoot ’em in a heavy canoe like we got. Now what else was it you -asked?” - -“Do you think this rain will make ’em worse?” - -“It might. There’s no tellin’. But we won’t take a chance on ’em -to-night, at any rate. We’ve got to wait till morning. Now let’s -have a look at the stuff that was placed under the boat.” - -The rain had ceased by this time, and now the sun came forth in all -its glory for a farewell flash before night settled down. The boys -turned the canoe over carefully and discovered that the rifles and -blankets were as dry as before the storm. This lightened their -spirits somewhat, for it meant that they could at least spend a -fairly comfortable night. - -They fretted a good deal at the delay, but there was no help for it, -and they set about making camp. It took them some time to get a fire -going, for they had hard work to find dry wood, but finally picked -up enough to start a small blaze, sufficient to warm them. - -“Guess we won’t be at the grazing ground much before dad, at this -rate,” Roy declared, munching on some bacon and bread. “Golly! I -hope those Durhams stick around a while longer.” - -“Say! I wonder if that storm could have started another slide?” Bug -Eye questioned suddenly. - -“Snakes, I never thought about that!” replied Roy. “Suffering tripe, -what a break it would be to get there and find the cows all in the -river, drowned! And if that waddy Nick told us about spoke the -truth, that may have happened. That will hit dad hard. Our best cows -are in that bunch.” - -“Aw, forget it,” Teddy returned. “I can’t believe that, Roy. It -doesn’t stand to reason. Cows wander all over the lot, and there’s -not one chance in a thousand that they’d wait for a landslide to -fall on ’em. They may have been in danger when that stranger came -through, but that was three or four days ago. They’re just as likely -to be a mile away by this time.” - -“Hope you’re right,” Roy mused. “And when you look at it that way, I -guess you are. The story does sound fishy. Golly! I wish those -blamed trees would stop dripping cold water down my neck.” - -With a last parting glow, the sun sank out of sight and darkness -followed fast. The boys had established themselves some distance -back from the river, but its roaring song could be plainly heard -through the black night. Like all good campers, they had brought -with them a small spade, and now found a use for it. They dug up the -soft earth in a trench about their camp until a layer of dry sand -made a comfortable sleeping place for them. But all were rather -restless, and none of them wished to turn in immediately. - -Gradually the voice of the river grew fainter. The torrent was -subsiding. Bug Eye and Pop had seated themselves on a log near the -fire, and were puffing away on pipes, waiting for sleepiness to come -upon them. Roy fed the blaze until he got it going to his -satisfaction, then called to Teddy: - -“What say we have one more look at the stream before we turn in? I -want to see that the canoe is pulled up far enough. Want to come -along?” - -Teddy stretched himself, and yawned. - -“Sure. Might as well. She seems to have gone down quite a bit--you -can hardly hear it now. Let’s go.” - -Together the two brothers walked through the woods. Neither had a -light, but the clouds were nearly dispelled and the moon shone -through a faint haze. When they reached the water’s edge Teddy -remarked: - -“I’ll say it’s gone down. We could almost start now, if we wanted -to. I think we could make it all right. But I suppose there wouldn’t -be much sense in it.” - -“Not much,” Roy laughed. “Golly, it’s lonely here! Listen! Doesn’t -the river sound queer? Almost as if it were talking to us.” - -“Poetical Roy,” Teddy chuckled. “Ask it if it’s going to be a nice -day to-morrow, will you? Or maybe it doesn’t talk English? Maybe--” - -He stopped, and a puzzled look came over his face. He grasped his -brother’s arm. - -“By golly, it _is_ talking!” he whispered tensely. “Listen!” - -To their ears came a sound of voices--men’s voices! And they came -from the surface of the river! - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -The Fugitive - - -Long, weary miles stretched out behind The Pup as he wheeled his -tired pony through the brush bordering the stream and allowed him to -dip his nose in the cool water, drinking in noisy mouthfuls. Long, -weary miles behind--and what before? Would the miles be any shorter, -the road less wearisome? Would the midday sun be more merciful, or -the nights more friendly? - -As his horse drank, The Pup shifted uneasily in the saddle, and, -turning his head, peered quickly behind him. This gesture had become -almost automatic in these last few days. Always, whenever he halted, -his eyes would seek for some hidden enemy, and at the slightest -sound his hand would twitch down to the gun at his side. But how -guard against one enemy when the very woods themselves seemed -hostile and the song of the birds sounded a note of continual -warning? The man shivered apprehensively. - -Savagely The Pup pulled his pony’s head up, causing the animal to -whinny in pain at the suddenness of it. - -“Gonna drink all day?” the man muttered, then shivered slightly. It -was long since he had tasted food. Perhaps the memory of his last -meal caused him to regret his cruelty to the bronco, for he allowed -him to continue his drinking until fully satisfied. - -He was about to dismount and quench his own thirst when a sound of -voices and the splash of paddles pulled him up short, froze the -blood in his veins. Panic-stricken, he gazed frantically out from -the small bower of brush in which he was encased. As the splash of -paddles grew nearer, The Pup’s heart kept time with their beat, -almost choking him with its fierce throbbing. Men! On his trail! He -_must_ move--_must_ force his muscles to act! Yet he sat there, his -face a sickly grey, his breath coming in short gasps. - -Now the bow of the canoe slid into his line of vision. In another -second--a fifth of a second--those in the craft would see him. Who -were they? Did they know him? Could they be-- - -His lips pressed together suddenly, forcing back the cry of fear -that strove for utterance. They were! Roy and Teddy Manley! And two -others! The men he had robbed! There, before him, looking at him! - -With a sob he threw off the coils of terror that held him rooted to -the spot and jerked his pony around desperately, sinking spurs deep -into the animal’s sides. A single, frantic bound took him through -the brush and out of sight of those on the river. Then, trembling -violently, he gave the pain-maddened brute his head and clung -fiercely to the saddle as the horse bore him swiftly over the uneven -ground--back, far back from that dangerous stream. - -Gradually his mind resumed more normal action, realizing that, for -the present at least, he was safe from pursuit. Teddy and Roy were -in a boat. He was on horseback, and miles from them now. Safe--he -was safe! The Pup drew a wavering sigh of relief. - -Slowly, stolidly, he continued his onward ride, once more parallel -with the river, but at some distance from it. He had not gotten his -drink after all, and thirst clutched his throat with hot, feverish -fingers. Would he dare to return to the stream, to brave his -pursuers, to shout--“Come an’ take me! But I’m thirsty, I tell -you--thirsty!” - -The very thought set him to trembling again. He must not think of -such things. Of what use now was the roll of bills in his pocket? -The whole sum could not buy him a single drink. He took them out and -gazed at the greenbacks dully. Then, shrugging his shoulders, he -replaced them and ran his tongue over his parched lips. Part of the -money was gone--spent for whiskey that had proved a traitor, that -burned him now, as it had soothed before. - -He had to go on--always on. Mexico was ahead--Mexico and safety, -Mexico and long, cooling drinks in tall glasses. The Pup grinned to -himself. Togas, the town of his birth, lay just across the Border. -They had thought his name was Marino! Well, that name was as good as -any other. If he had given his real name, old Manley would never -have hired him, for it was a name that still lingered in the minds -of some of the vaqueros of the South. Marino--or, to give him his -right name, Jules Kolto--was born a Mexican, although early in life -he had recognized the value of concealing the place of his birth -from his companions. A Mexican was not respected in his line of -business--a business carried on at the muzzle of a revolver or at -the point of a knife. For Jules Kolto had been a highwayman. - -It was seven years since he had robbed any one. There was a girl in -Togas--his sister--who had decided the matter for him. He had -supported her and his mother out of the fruits of his profession, -and neither of them knew what that profession was until one day his -sister met him at the door of their home and led him gently within. -His mother lay on a couch, her face waxen. In her hand she grasped a -paper--a paper with his picture on it and “Five Hundred Dollars -Reward” printed below. He had killed his own mother. - -Then his sister made him promise to go straight. He had, too--until -now. But the temptation had been too great. Rimor’s, with its -whiskey, had been too convenient, and riding cattle was dusty work. -So he had fallen into the old ways again, after seven years of -peacefulness. And what was more natural than that the whiskey should -remind him of those other days when money was to be had for the -taking! - -Mr. Manley’s departure had given him his chance. Like a rattler he -had struck and glided away. Now he regretted it. Not remorse--Jules -Kolto remorseful? But anger, anger at his own foolishness. The hill -he had climbed up from evil had been hard and steep. Now, with a -single jump, he was just where he had started from! - -Jules shook his head bitterly. He had been happy before--well, -fairly happy. At least he had known what it was to face a man, then, -without fear, turn one’s back and walk away. That was all gone now. -He was a fugitive--hunted, trailed by other men. - -If he could make Mexico, he would be safe. He would seek his sister. -She would understand, would shelter him and help him to come back -again. Togas--why, that was the town where Gus had his girl, the -girl who hadn’t written, and who had sent Gus to seek forgetfulness -in alcohol! Gus--poor, deluded Gus! To worry over a girl! Funny -Jules hadn’t recalled that Gus had told him that she lived in Togas. -But perhaps it was just as well. He might have given himself away. - -How far was it to the Border? A good eight days’ ride, at least. -He’d have to leave the river soon. It was too dangerous, anyway, -with Teddy and Roy Manley around. But they wouldn’t catch him! -Never--never! - -Then a sudden thought came to the man. Why, they might not have been -chasing him at all! Those cattle--those cows that had wandered on -Jake Trummer’s place while he and Gus were in town, drinking! Of -course Mr. Manley had gone on ahead to round them up! He had known -that. Then the boys followed, to help. That’s what had happened! -Jules felt great relief surge through him. They were not chasing -him! - -He rode forward with a lighter heart. There was some chance for him -after all. If he could reach Togas and find his sister, all would be -well. He would buy an interest in a small store with his four -hundred dollars, then, when he had earned more money, he might send -the amount he had stolen back to the X Bar X, just to square things. -The horse--well, he’d see about that. It was a fine bronc. - -Later that day it rained. The wind beat upon him and the lightning -blinded him and the storm left him wet and shivering. He tried to -start a fire, but could find no dry wood. He put his hand to his -belt for his knife, that he might cut some, then remembered. Teddy -Manley had the knife now. He had not really meant to harm the young -fellow, just to scare him. But the boy was too quick. Jules grinned -faintly. If Teddy had known it, he was the first man ever to get the -best of Jules Kolto in a knife fight. The kid sure had nerve! - -Well, he would have to do without his fire. But now he could move -more openly and with less fear of detection, for night was closing -in. Having slaked his thirst, he pulled his belt in another notch, -to lessen the pangs of hunger, and rode on. Togas was ahead--Togas -and his sister and an easy chair in their tiny patio. Worth living -for! - -If he reached it with his money still intact, his troubles would be -over. He would have enough to start a small business and live the -rest of his life in contentment, fearing no man. He would return the -four hundred--as soon as he made that much--and send it back to -Bardwell Manley. He would start square. - -He knew that the region he was now in was a favorite place for -bandits. Many gangs had made the banks of Whirlpool River their -stronghold in days gone by, and rumor had it that one still -flourished--the Denver Smith gang. A lone rider, like Jules, with a -roll of bills in his pocket, would be meat for them. He had better -stop and camp for the night before he ran across any highwaymen. -Jules dismounted. He picketed his horse nearby. Then the former -bandit drew his coat about him and lay down to rest, fearful that if -he proceeded through these dark woods the money he had stolen would -be stolen from him. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -Failure - - -A moment, a breathless, hushed moment, Teddy and Roy stood beneath -trees which still dripped from the recent rain, the drops falling in -a patter whenever the light breeze stirred the branches. Through the -darkness came those low, tense tones. As the boys listened, words -separated themselves from the mumble of sound. - -“... just heard about it,” some one was saying. The speaker had a -high, nervous voice which he apparently kept softened by an effort. -“Stay out from that shore, Bunk! Wanta have those fools on our -necks?” - -“Aw, yo’re too touchy, Denver,” another whined, and the boys heard -the swirl of a paddle being held in the water, evidently to swing -the boat around. The craft was probably drifting with the current -now, for the listeners could not detect the dip of blades forcing it -onward. “They ain’t near here,” the speaker went on. “Go ahead. -Let’s have the dope.” - -Roy leaned closer to Teddy and spoke with his mouth close to his -brother’s ear. - -“We’ll follow,” Roy whispered, and Teddy nodded to show that he -understood. Carefully the two boys picked their way along the bank, -hoping to hear more before the canoe drifted out of range. - -“How many times do I have to repeat this?” the one called Denver -snarled. “Now listen, you guys. Manley, up on the X Bar X, let a -herd of his cattle wander off his ground on to the grazin’ field of -Jake Trummer, of Whirlpool River Ranch.” - -Teddy started, and nudged Roy. His brother did not respond. He was -listening intently. - -“Now I happen to know--never mind how--that old man Trummer went to -Manley an’ told him if the dogies weren’t off there soon he’d drive -’em into the river. That was two or three days ago. Manley started -out to round ’em up. But he went overland, so he’ll be some time -gettin’ there. That’s where we come in.” - -“And so do we!” Teddy whispered. “Roy, get this!” - -“We’ll keep goin’ now,” Denver continued, “an’ take a little rest in -the morning just before we hit the rapids. Then we take our time -with the cows. Mike said he’d have ponies waitin’ for us. We drive -the cows off Trummer’s range, hide ’em somewhere, an’ when Manley -comes up, his Durhams are gone, an’ he says Trummer drove ’em into -the river, like he said he would! What could be simpler?” - -“You sure got it down pat, Denver,” said a third voice. “Lucky for -us that storm came up. All we have to do is to sit back an’ drift -along--make good time, too.” - -“You allus was a great feller fer work, Porky,” Denver said -contemptuously. “How you ever--” - -The voice died away. Bunk had evidently steered the canoe further -from the shore, and the murmur of the still turbulent waters drowned -out the words that followed. - -Teddy turned excitedly to Roy. - -“Did you hear that?” he whispered. “Come on! Let’s get the gang! -Rustlers, that’s what they are! After our cattle! And they’ll beat -us to it, unless we can nab ’em!” - -Roy had already turned and was running toward their camp. - -“See to the canoe!” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll get the -others. Take out all the stuff except the rifles. We’ll get those -waddies yet!” - -Realizing that haste was imperative, Teddy stumbled toward the -canoe. Frantically he started to unload. Heedless of consequences, -he threw the articles right and left, concentrating on the job of -emptying the craft as soon as possible. Every moment the rustlers -were getting farther and farther away. - -“This is our chance to save the cattle,” the boy panted, as he -tossed out the last can of foodstuff. “The dirty rustlers! Trying to -frame Trummer, too. If I could only--” - -Seizing hold of the boat, he sought to pull it to the water’s edge, -but the task was too much for him. Gasping, he finally desisted, and -at that moment Roy, Bug Eye and Pop Burns appeared. - -“All right, boys!” Roy exclaimed. “In she goes--ho! Teddy, take the -front! Grab this paddle! I’ll stay in the stern! Bug Eye, you and -Pop keep those rifles loaded--we may need ’em!” - -The canoe was in the water now, and swung about madly. The current -was stronger than they had imagined. - -“With luck, we’ll catch up to them soon!” Teddy panted. “If we can -get close enough before they know we’re comin’--” - -Roy did not reply, needing all his energy to keep the boat straight. -The larger craft received the full force of the stream, and also it -was much less heavily weighted than it had been. - -“Want me to--” Bug Eye began. But when he saw, by the moonlight, the -lines of intense effort in Roy’s face he stopped. This was no time -for talk. - -“Can you--hear ’em?” Teddy gasped, digging his paddle in deeper. - -“Nope!” Pop answered laconically. He, alone, seemed to accept the -situation calmly, staring straight ahead as he sat rigidly in the -bottom of the canoe. Perhaps he feared the chase would be futile, or -perhaps he realized that their best chance of success lay in going -about the affair in a businesslike manner. His rifle, loaded, lay -across his knees. - -As the canoe shot downstream, Teddy, in the front, strained his ears -for some indication of the boat they were following. But it seemed -to have been swallowed up by the river. Surely they were going much -faster than the other craft and should have caught them by this -time. Unless--and Teddy frowned at the thought--unless they knew -they were being pursued and made for the shore, pulling their -lighter boat up out of sight. - -Now the river seemed to take their canoe in a powerful grip and -shake it. Roy paddled desperately, and succeeded in steadying it. - -“Close!” he gasped. “Thought we were over then!” - -“If I had my Fishmobile--” Bug Eye muttered, then closed his mouth -tightly. The shore seemed far away at this moment. - -“Better head in,” Pop suggested quietly. “Afraid they got away, -boys. I don’t like the sound of this river.” - -“Hate to give up,” Roy responded, but even he was beginning to see -the wisdom of Pop’s advice. Somehow, the roar of the stream seemed -to have increased in volume. Whether it was because the banks were -closer together here, thus adding to the force of the current, the -boys could not tell. At all events, both Teddy and Roy decided that -they had best attempt to land. - -“Take the left side for a minute,” Roy called. The sweat was running -off the paddlers in small rivulets and their breaths were coming in -short gasps. “We’ll have to--get together. With me, now! -Ho--ho--ho--ho--” Slowly the craft turned her nose to the bank. The -shoreline was barely distinguishable, and the boys had no means of -estimating their speed. But they knew that they were going fast -enough to sink, surely, if they hit anything. - -“Make it?” Bug Eye asked anxiously. He was holding on to the sides -of the boat with both hands, his rifle, forgotten now, lying in the -bottom. Indeed, all thought of their quarry had vanished from the -minds of both Teddy and Roy. All they knew was that they were out in -the middle of a river which was trying its best to whirl them onward -to destruction. - -Even Pop Burns was startled out of his complacency. He turned and -looked sharply at Roy. - -“Mebby--mebby not,” he said enigmatically, and began to peel off his -vest. “Yo’re gettin’ near, though. A little more, boys. I’d help if -I could, but if I tried to shift we’d go over sure.” - -“Stick--to it,” Teddy panted. “Roy, you take the left--we’re gaining -now--she’s swingin’ closer--” - -Teddy had a wild idea that if they came near enough, he could tumble -overboard and swim with the canoe to land. But he dismissed the -thought as soon as it came to him, for the craft was much too heavy -for any such plan as that to work. Besides, there were huge, sharp -rocks along here, and if his head struck one he would be lost. - -“Got--to stick--to the ship,” the boy murmured, as he strained at -the paddle. - -Suddenly Roy gave a yell. The boat lurched, and swung about in a -circle. - -“Paddle’s gone!” he cried. “Broke! We’ll have to swim for it!” - -“Take this!” Teddy shouted, and thrust his own paddle back. Bug Eye, -who was behind him, seized it and passed it to Roy. “Never mind -trying to make shore now! Keep her straight!” - -Desperately Roy tried to do this. There was a sickening moment when -the river seemed to fall from beneath them and for an instant they -hung in space. - -A wave slapped them broadside. - -“Here--she--” Bug Eye yelled, and that was all. A rock, huge and -black, loomed up before them. A crash, then a crunching sound. Water -poured over the side. - -Then all four were struggling for their lives in a current that -sought to draw them into the depths! - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -A Vain Search - - -When Teddy felt the dark waters close over his head, his first -thought was that now, after their long journey, they were to fail. -He did not fear for his own safety, unless it was that his absence -would cause his father and mother worry. The rushing current swept -him out of reach of the rock which had been their Scylla, and, in -one vivid flash, Teddy saw Roy clinging to its ebony sides with arms -that seemed almost lifeless. - -“Hang on, Roy!” Teddy gasped, and then he was borne out of hearing. -Weighted down as he was by heavy clothes, Teddy had hard work -keeping his head above the water long enough to take a full breath -before being forced below the surface again. Luckily, there were no -sharp-pointed rocks in his path. - -With desperation, Teddy struck out for the shore he saw looming in -front of him. But it was impossible to make much headway against the -fierce current that pulled him onward and tumbled him over like a -basket in a waterfall. Finally, exhausted by his struggles, he -contented himself with keeping afloat, and was promptly spilled upon -the bank. - -So surprising was the transition from water to land that, for a -moment, the boy could not realize it. One second he had been -floating down a darkened, turbulent stream and the next he was -tossed upon the shore, his breath almost driven from his body by the -suddenness of it. - -“The--ole river--is full of tricks!” he gasped, and sat up. -“Good-bye, canoe! I’ll bet there’s a hole in her big enough to drive -a steer through!” He cleared the water from his eyes, pulled himself -farther from the edge, and peered into the night. - -“Roy!” he yelled. “Where are you? Hey, Roy!” - -For a long moment he waited, then fear stole darkly upon him. -Breathing quickly, he shouted once more. - -When there was no answer to this hail, he sprang to his feet and -started to run back along the bank, calling as he ran. He saw that -he had landed on the same shore they had put out from, and hoped -that his brother might have done the same and perhaps have started -back for their camp. But this hope was dispelled when Teddy came -upon two bedraggled and forlorn wanderers--Bug Eye and Pop. They -were staggering around aimlessly, now and then letting out a weak -call for Teddy and Roy. - -“Did you see Roy?” Teddy asked them anxiously, as he ran up, -breathless. - -“Teddy!” Pop gasped. “Yo’re safe! Boy, I was afraid! Where’s Roy?” - -“I don’t know!” Teddy answered frantically. “I thought he might have -come ashore with you! Didn’t you see him?” - -“Not--not me!” Bug Eye stuttered, shivering and resting one hand -against a tree to steady himself. “I thought--” - -“Never mind about that!” Teddy cried tensely, fully aroused now to -the dangers of the situation. “We’ve got to hunt for him! Bug Eye, -you go downstream! Pop, you come with me!” - -“I seen him hanging on to that rock we hit,” Pop declared, craning -his neck forward and seeking to pierce the blackness. To add to -their troubles the moon had disappeared behind clouds and the night -was as dark as pitch. - -“I saw that, too!” Teddy exclaimed, opening and closing his hands. -“You two--for heaven’s sake don’t stand there gaping! Roy is -lost--maybe--” - -“Now, maybe nothin’,” Pop Burns interrupted. “If you want to help -him most, Teddy, just take it easy an’ don’t waste none of yore -energy in boilin’ over. We’ll find Roy all right. He just came -ashore at another place.” - -“I sure hope so!” Teddy breathed. “It’s so blamed dark here! The -moon is gone--we haven’t a dog’s chance of seeing him. But we can -yell.” He raised his voice once more in a shout. “Roy! Yay-y-y, -Roy!” - -“That won’t do no good,” Pop said gently. “We got to hunt. He may be -hurt, an’ lyin’ on the shore somewheres. We’ll get him, sure, when -daylight comes.” - -“We’ll get him before that!” Teddy said determinedly, and started to -run along the bank. - -“You go the other way,” Pop directed in a low voice to Bug Eye. -“I’ll follow Teddy--I don’t like the way he’s talkin’. Roy may be -pretty badly hurt after all, an’ Teddy feels it. I seen Roy go -head-on to that rock, but I wouldn’t tell Ted that. We’ll meet you -at camp. If you find Roy, give a good loud yell--that is, if -he’s--not hurt too bad.” And Pop swallowed quickly. Then he turned -and followed Teddy. - -The boy was a good distance ahead, and Pop had to hurry to catch -him. He located him by the crashing of the bushes as Teddy ran -along, almost blindly, calling Roy every five yards. - -“Son, son,” the veteran puncher admonished, laying a hand on Teddy’s -shoulder, “don’t take it so hard. We’ll find Roy, sure as shootin’! -Yuh can’t down him with a little spill in the river! Like as not -he’s laughin’ over it now an’ bettin’ he could have made the shore -with the one paddle if we hadn’t hit that rock. Shake yore stumps, -Teddy, an’ get a hold on yore liver. Roy ain’t hurt!” - -Teddy took a deep breath and slowed down to a walk. - -“Can’t tell, Pop,” he declared gloomily. “I’m afraid of--I don’t -know what. Why didn’t Roy come right ashore if he could?” - -“But great snakes, boy, he may be on the other side, or he may have -been washed far downstream!” Pop exploded. “Just because he ain’t -here, don’t say he’s still sittin’ out there on that bloomin’ rock!” - -“That’s right, too!” Teddy agreed, and brightened. “I’ll bet he’s -across from us! If we only had that canoe now, we could--” - -“Oh, no we couldn’t,” Pop interrupted grimly. “That current is too -blame strong. I reckon we can find the canoe all right, come -mornin’. She’ll probably need patchin’, but I can fix her if she -ain’t too bad.” - -It was just this sort of talk that Teddy needed, and when he spoke -again his voice was stronger and more spirited. - -“Do you really think we can mend the canoe, Pop?” - -“Sure we can! Won’t be nothin’ to it. Now, Teddy, we better give up -lookin’ for Roy until she gets light. We’re only wastin’ time this -way, an’ I got an idea he’s over on the other bank. If that’s so, we -got to find the boat first an’ go get him. Let’s hit for camp, -Teddy.” - -For a moment the boy hesitated, and Pop feared he was going to -insist on continuing. But at last the boy sighed, and turned. - -“You’re the doctor,” he said dully. “Camp it is.” - -Had Teddy known the real reason for Pop’s insistence upon returning, -he would have slept little that night. The fact is that the veteran -rancher feared the worst. He had seen Roy dashed head foremost upon -the rock, then go limp. At that moment the moon was blotted out, and -he lost sight of the boy. But he had seen enough to feel that there -was little hope for Roy. - -There had never been for a moment the question of rescue. It had all -happened too quickly--the rock, then the crash, and then that -horrible drop. They had been swept apart in a flash, and were not -near enough to offer each other assistance. Pop knew that ordinarily -Roy would have made the shore safely. But injured, perhaps -unconscious--The old man shook his head sadly and was thankful for -the darkness that hid the tragedy even for a little. - -Their fire was still going well when they reached camp, and half -heartedly they set about drying themselves. None of them talked -much. Their hearts were too heavy. Pop made an effort at -conversation, but did not meet with much success, and at last -decided that it would be best to leave Teddy alone with his -thoughts. Perhaps the boy might find inward comfort as the night -wore on. Pop hoped so, fervently. - -The hours passed slowly, as none of the three even attempted to -sleep. - -As soon as the gray dawn lightened into brightness, Teddy sprang to -his feet. - -“Now,” he said sharply, “we can start. We won’t stop--” his eyes -narrowed and he clenched his fists. “We’ll find Roy if we have to -stay here a week! Come on!” - -“No breakfast, son?” Pop expostulated questioningly, thinking that -unless Teddy kept up his strength he might collapse when he learned -the truth. For Pop was firmly convinced that they would see Roy -alive no more. Yet, even with this weight on his heart, he presented -to Teddy a face that had nothing in it but hope. - -“Eat?” Teddy asked contemptuously. “Not me! I’ve eaten my last meal -until Roy comes back and eats with me!” - -“Keep yore nerve, kid,” Pop muttered. “I’m afraid this day’s gonna -be a tough one. Poor Roy!” and with leaden steps he followed Teddy. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -Separated - - -Slowly, as though awaking from a drugged sleep, Roy Manley came to -himself. His eyes stared upward through a screen of green foliage -tangled above him. He twitched his shoulders and felt the hard earth -beneath them. Weakly, he turned his head from side to side, trying -vainly to force his sluggish brain into activity by impressing upon -it some familiar sight, so that he might recall his situation. Of -course he knew where he was. It was just that he was tired and -couldn’t think well. In a moment it would come to him. He would lie -here a bit longer until those confounded trees stopped whirling -around, then he’d get up. - -Let’s see, now. He was in the woods, that was certain. And that -murmuring in the distance--or was the whirr within his own head? -Cautiously Roy raised his hand, passed it gently over his disheveled -hair. Snakes, what a lump! How did he get that? Dully he rubbed the -spot where the bruise was and found the hair matted. - -“Must have gotten a terrific sock,” he muttered. “That’s blood. -Funny it doesn’t ache. Golly, it’s cold! Better build a fire.” - -He sat up uncertainly. Then he made a stupendous discovery. - -“Why, I’m all wet!” he exclaimed in amazement. He fingered his soggy -vest and stared stupidly down at his soaked shoes. “How did that -happen? No wonder I’m cold! And I guess I won’t build a fire, -either, for if I’m wet the matches will be wet; that is, if I have -any. And if the matches are wet I’ll be wet--I mean the opposite--” -He snapped his fingers and shook his head impatiently. Talking to -himself like a little child! The thing to do was to find out where -he was and how he arrived here. Perhaps if he got out in the sun and -away from the shade of this tree he might be warmer. Automatically -he struggled to his feet. - -A moan of pain escaped him, and he sat down suddenly, his hand -twitching to his right ankle. Broken? He moved the foot carefully, -and, although the effort was agony, he found that it was just a -little sprained. Well, he’d have to take it easy. A sprain was bad -while it lasted, but it would mend itself. There was no need of -setting it, like a fracture. - -Again he arose, gently this time, and it was a relief to discover -that by favoring the injured ankle he could move about slowly. -Without knowing exactly where he was going, except that it was -warmer in the sun, he limped forward. The liquid murmur he had heard -before grew louder as he moved toward it, and presently he came in -sight of a river. It recalled nothing to him beyond the fact that he -was very thirsty, and, making his way to the bank, he threw himself -face downward and drank. Refreshed, he arose once more and looked -about him. - -The opposite side of the stream was about four hundred yards away, -with no sign of help there. Turning to the left, he limped along the -shore, and found that the river broadened greatly just below him. -Following the shore line he made another discovery--that he was on -an island! - -As his eye followed the rim of land he saw that it swept about in a -half circle, the other half of the ring being behind him. Again he -put his hand to his head, this time in wondering amazement. An -island! How did he get here? The river! Undoubtedly that was the -cause of his saturated clothing. But why had he gone in the water -with his clothes on? Desperately he tried to concentrate, to -remember. He closed his eyes and lashed his memory cruelly. Think! -Think! A black shape in front. Darkness. A flash of fire, blinding -in its intensity. His fingers reaching out for that black shape, -seeking to cling to it, to draw him up. Water roaring in his ears. -The rock! - -Now it was coming. He must not break the thread. He must follow it -to the end. The rock. A cry, in some well-remembered voice, calling -to him to “hang on.” His arms straining to retain their hold. Then -oblivion. - -But what had gone before? Had he been in a boat and fallen -overboard? That was it! The canoe! Teddy! Pop! Now memory came to -him in a flood, sweeping over him, leaving him weak and gasping for -breath. He recalled the launching of the craft in the night and the -effort to catch the rustlers they had heard planning to steal their -cattle. Then the current had seized them and his paddle had broken. -Then the rock, and after that--nothing. Now this--the island, and -he, wet and shivering, with his head cut and his ankle sprained, -limping about aimlessly! - -Where were the others? A great fear struck at him, catching him by -the throat. If they had drowned! If Teddy was gone--floating face -downward on the surface of the water, silent, inert, dead! A quick -shiver passed over Roy’s frame, then he gritted his teeth. He -_would_ not think of that! Teddy had surely escaped, as he himself -had. Perhaps he had swum ashore and was even now looking for Roy. -Teddy was a strong swimmer. And when the canoe had crashed, Teddy -was in the far end. He probably had not touched the rock, but had -swum directly for shore. - -Could he, too, be on this island? Hopefully, Roy threw back his head -and called loudly Teddy’s name. There was no answer. A second time, -then a third time he called. No welcome sound came back in return. -But suppose his brother had been washed ashore as he had! Clenching -his fists tightly, to withstand the pain of his injured ankle, Roy -started a circuit of the island, for he must make a search. - -The island was not large, so the search was soon concluded. Roy was -alone. If Teddy had gotten ashore, he must be on the mainland; but -on which side? Their camp of the night before had been on the left -bank. If Teddy had kept his bearings, he would, of course, head for -that. As Roy remembered, the canoe had been about in the center of -the river when it foundered, so that Teddy and the others might -possibly be on the right shore. - -The pain in Roy’s ankle was still great, and the boy sat down and -removed his shoe and sock. He saw that the limb was swollen, and, -hopping to the water’s edge, he soaked his already damp sock in the -stream and bound it tightly about the ankle. This should help reduce -the swelling and lessen the irritating pain. The cut on his head was -a small matter, he decided, and so gave it no attention other than -to bathe it with his wet handkerchief. - -Now that the first sensation of uneasy wonderment had worn off, Roy -began to realize that he was hungry. His firearms had gone down with -the boat, so that even if there was game on the island he would have -no means of capturing it. He searched his pockets, and thankfully -his fingers closed upon his jackknife. This might be of some use. -The knife was a heavy one and the blade long. Roy balanced it in the -palm of his hand. Then, experimentally, he raised his hand over his -head and threw. The blade bit into a tree some ten feet distant. - -“Haven’t lost the old eye,” he chuckled, then limped over and drew -the knife out. “Haven’t done this since Teddy and I were kids. -Golly, I’m glad I remember how to throw. Wonder if I’ve got any -string in my pocket?” - -But this time his search was in vain. All he found besides the knife -were two handkerchiefs and a buffalo nickel. He looked at the coin -musingly. - -“You’re not much help out here,” he muttered, with a grin. “Can’t -even buy a stamp with you. Well, maybe you’ll bring me luck. I sure -need it. Back you go,” and he replaced the five-cent piece in his -soggy pocket. - -Suddenly an idea struck him. He took one of the handkerchiefs, the -one he had wet in the river, and cut the hem off with his knife. -This he tested by pulling it. - -“Feels strong,” he declared to himself. “We’ll take a shot at it, -anyhow. Can’t any more than fail.” - -He looked about him until he found a stick and a small dry log. - -“Now, Mr. Scout, do your stuff,” he chuckled, and arranged his -implements. The strip of handkerchief he wound about the stick in -such a manner that, when made the string of a bow and sawed back and -forth, the stick spun rapidly around. Then he whittled one end of -the stick to a point, found a flat grooved rock to hold the other -end with, and bent to his task. - -“Handkerchief, stay with me!” he breathed, and he started the stick -whirling in a small hole cut in his log. He had piled some fine, dry -bark shavings close to this hole, and now he watched them anxiously. -Faster and faster he twirled the stick. If the strip of cloth held, -he might-- Ah! There it was! The shavings were smoking! A little -more now! - -He blew gently on his fuel and was rewarded by seeing a thready -spiral of smoke ascend. Then he cast the stick aside and fed the -tiny flame with dry leaves. Within five minutes he had a respectable -blaze going, actually a fire started! Did a wood fire ever before -send out such welcome incense? Not for Roy Manley--nor for many -another boy, perhaps, situated as he was just then. - -“The boy firemaker!” he laughed, and strutted about until he came -down too hard on his sore leg. But the warmth of the flame was -grateful, for the day was cool and his wet clothes anything but -comfortable. Presently Roy removed his outer garments and spread -them around the fire. Standing near the blaze, he dried his -underthings and, after a time, dressed again with considerable -ceremony. Dry clothes are real clothes, he decided, while wet -clothes are worse than fetters. He felt better; much better. - -“The next thing to do is to eat,” he told himself. Building a wall -of dirt around the fire so it could not spread, he went in search of -food, holding his knife in readiness in case an opportunity to use -it should present itself. He saw several rabbits and some squirrels, -but none of them was near enough to bring down. But at last he -espied a porcupine slowly crossing a log in front of him. Discarding -the knife in favor of a heavy stick he picked up, Roy rushed upon -the quilled animal. With one sharp blow on the head he killed it. - -“That was luck!” he chuckled, looking over the queer thing that lay -there. - -“We saw your brother about a month ago,” he mused, while he carried -his game back to the fire and soon prepared the beast for cooking. -“But there was no need of killing him. Teddy wanted to cart him back -and show him to Pop,” Roy ruminated. At the thought of Teddy, a -frown of anxiety crossed Roy’s face, but he quickly dismissed it. -Worrying was worse than useless. Besides, Teddy must be some place. - -“Yep,” he went on absently, “ole porky sure did help me out.” Like a -great many men, he was talking to himself when alone in the woods. -And now, with the smell of meat cooking, for he was hungry and -wasted no time in preliminaries, his situation assumed a more normal -aspect. Somehow, he felt that this would turn out all right, black -as things seemed just now. When a person’s hunger is satisfied, he -looks at the world with a clearer, more optimistic vision, and the -eating of “porky” worked that sort of miracle for Roy. - -When his makeshift meal was over, he breathed a sigh of relief, -yawned, and stretched lazily. The reaction from the strain he had -been under came with a rush, and now, scarcely able to keep his eyes -open, the boy threw himself full length on the ground by the river’s -edge. - -For a moment he lay there, his head on his arms, thinking drowsily -that he must arouse himself and hunt Teddy. He must keep going, he -must not give in. - -“Can’t let him get lost like that,” Roy muttered, forgetting that -he, too, was in trouble. “Good ole Teddy--have to find him.” - -He pushed himself up with his hands and shook his head wearily, -determined to fight off fatigue. But he was so tired--so tired. If -he could only sleep-- - -Above him sounded a rush of wings. A shrill scream sounded almost in -his ear, and he felt a fierce, slashing wind surround him. Roy’s -heart leaped into his throat, and he awoke now with a terrific jolt, -his pulses hammering. Once more the scream sounded. - -With an effort Roy rolled over. Then, swift as light, he threw up an -arm to protect his face. - -Directly over him hovered a huge eagle, talons outstretched, beak -open, eyes glaring fiercely, ready for attack! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -Primitive Tactics - - -When Roy Manley saw the great bird above him, poised and hovering, -ready to strike, something in the lad suddenly jerked him to his -feet in prompt alertness. - -Oblivious of everything save that he was confronted by a creature -intent upon attacking him, the savage, primitive man was aroused in -the young rancher. He realized that he must, in this emergency, -depend for defense upon his hands alone--as must have an ancient -dweller in a cave of the stone age. - -As the bird, with a savage scream, swooped down at him, Roy lashed -out with his bare fists. One blow caught the eagle full upon its -feathered breast, knocking him aside. A wild yell burst from the -boy’s lips, rivaling the bird’s screech in its intensity. He -shouted. He called out meaningless phrases. He was a savage, -battling for his life against an ancient enemy. - -As the eagle, knocked from its course, fluttered to the ground, -Roy’s eyes lit with a strange, fierce gleam. He sprang for the bird -and sought to grasp the creature, but, to his surprise, the great -dweller of the upper regions was not there. With a single beat of -its powerful wings it had gained the air once more. - -Sobbing in rage, Roy leaped to his feet, his injured ankle -forgotten. Some ten feet above the ground the bird wheeled, -screamed, and returned to the attack. This time it was more wary, -and did not plunge directly for the boy, but shot down a little to -one side, then, spreading its pinions wide, glided in. Roy, his lips -drawn back in a snarl, met it fully. The beak stabbed once, as quick -as a rattler striking, and Roy felt a searing pain in his right -shoulder. A dark stain spread over his shirt. At the same time the -boy was able to seize one of the wings in both hands, and he hung on -desperately, twisting it with all his strength. Another quick stab -of the powerful beak, and Roy released his hold, blood now streaming -from his left arm. - -The eagle, realizing now that his adversary was no weakling, but -able to strike him down with one blow, retreated for the moment to -consider matters. This gave Roy the chance he needed, and he quickly -drew the knife from his pocket and opened it. - -“Now, come on!” he yelled, taking a step forward toward the bird -that was resting on the ground, reassembling his ruffled plumage. -“Start something, you buzzard!” It is not to be wondered at that the -boy in his excitement had mistaken his huge antagonist. “Buzzard” -was the first thought that had come to his mind, and he shouted it -out. - -The bird held off, considering. His wing had been cruelly twisted by -this strange-looking foe before him. Some one should suffer for -that. And then, with a scream of defiance, the eagle arose again in -the air. - -Roy stood tense, waiting, his knife held in readiness. The moment’s -respite had given the boy time to realize his danger. This was no -buzzard, but an eagle that seemed bent upon the boy’s destruction. -Tales of strong men being killed by this species of bird flashed -through Roy’s mind, and he clenched the knife more firmly. If he was -to die, he would put up a good fight first! - -The bird was diving again. The pain in his wing had rendered the -eagle careless of consequences, as he must punish this impudent -being, and now he swooped directly at Roy. The boy drew back his -arm. The sun glittered on the open blade as he held the knife poised -for action. A harsh cry from the bird--a grunt of fierce effort from -the boy--and the eagle, a long jagged rip in his side, lay gasping -upon the ground! - -Roy sprang forward, his hand red from blood that was not all his -own. He knew that he must finish this now, before the bird had a -chance to recover. Again the knife sank deep in feathers and flesh, -and this time Roy knew his work was well done. The eagle sounded a -single cry that floated upward and wavered to silence in the blue -regions of its element, the body of the bird gave a convulsive -shudder--then the tremulous breathing stopped, the head sank down, -and the wings folded themselves quietly to rest. - -There, on the shore of Whirlpool River, Roy Manley looked down upon -his kill--looked down with eyes from which all anger, all blood-lust -had fled, and which held only pity for the death of such a splendid -creature. - -Silently he wiped his knife clean, shut the blade, and replaced it -in his pocket. Then, for the first time, he saw the long cut on his -arm, and felt the stiffening of his shoulder where the eagle had -struck. Stumbling, he made his way to the water’s edge, and, ripping -the remnants of his shirt from him, bathed the wounds. Strange that -he felt no pain, but instead a growing wonder that he, and not the -bird, had been the conqueror in that mighty battle. He had a queer -inclination to kneel for a moment and do homage to a worthy fighter, -but the feeling passed and the reaction slowly set in. He felt -himself grow faint, and he staggered from the water. A growing -blackness encompassed him, as though night were coming. A horrible -nausea seized him, close to the dead bird, and he sank upon the -earth, already all but unconscious. - -The sun was at its zenith when Roy once more opened his eyes. This -time there was no wonderment in them. He knew definitely and with -certainty what had happened. And if he needed proof that it was not -all a dream--and indeed, somehow it did create in his mind a -sensation akin to a nightmare--there was the bird lying at his side. -Yes, it had actually occurred--he, practically weaponless, had -fought an eagle and won. - -He sat up, moving his arms gingerly. Everything appeared to be in -working order. He examined the cuts, and saw that they had been but -superficial and had already stopped bleeding. - -Then he grinned. - -“Bids are open for the moving picture rights,” he chuckled. “First I -get in a scrap with a bear and then an eagle! But the boy, here, -nothing daunted, immediately enters the cave of the lion. Isn’t -there a lion somewhere around?” - -Slowly he got to his feet. Then he noticed the wet sock tied about -his ankle. Except for this, he would have forgotten that the limb -had ever been hurt. - -“The pain must have been scared out of me,” he said aloud, and -laughed again. His laughter was not hysterical. It was the wholesome -amusement of a boy who had a sense of humor, and the reaction from -his late suspense. - -Then his mind leaped to thoughts of Teddy and the others. - -“They’ll be worried stiff,” he declared. “They’ll think I’m drowned, -sure. I’d better find some way of getting back to them.” Never an -idea that his brother and Pop and Bug Eye might have failed to reach -the shore--might have been caught in the current, and killed. These -sombre thoughts had gone from him completely. - -He retraced his steps to the water’s edge. The river was once more a -placidly flowing stream, its surface harmless and innocent of -treachery. - -“You’re a hypocrite,” Roy said. “You are a two-faced fraud. However, -I’ll try you once more.” - -It came to him that if he was to reach the mainland he must swim for -it. He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the keen air. - -“My powers of recuperation are extraordinary, to say the least,” he -laughed. “Good thing I found that porcupine! All right--camera -ready? The boy hero will attempt to swim the terrible rapids--only -they’re more like a lake now. But we’ll call ’em rapids to make it -look harder.” - -He removed his outer clothing and waded in. The opposite shore -seemed much nearer now, probably because the water had receded. At -all events, he struck out with a will and arrived on the bank not at -all exhausted. As he left the water he thought of the spectacle he -must present, with the wounds on his shoulder and arm still showing -plainly and dressed in a soggy suit of underwear. He burst into a -loud laugh. - -“Come, take a snapshot!” he exclaimed. “Having a wonderful time! -Wish you were here! The bathing is great!” - -“Roy!” - -He turned his face alight with expectation. - -“Roy! Oh, golly, it’s Roy!” - -From the bushes leaped three figures--three happy, excited, capering -figures. - -“Teddy! And Pop and Bug Eye! The reception committee! The lost -mariners! Well, you old marmadukes!” - -Tears stood in Teddy’s eyes as he clasped his brother’s hand. Frank, -honest tears, and Teddy was not ashamed of them. - -“Roy--” he said brokenly, “we thought you were--” - -“We thought you was lost!” Bug Eye finished, with a side glance at -Pop. “Snakes, we been lookin’ all over creation for yuh!” - -“Son,” Pop said simply, holding out his hand, “I’m glad to see yuh. -Mighty glad. We been worried.” - -“You’re hurt, Roy!” Teddy exclaimed, as he noticed for the first -time the cuts on the boy’s arm and shoulder. “How did you get -those?” - -“It’s a long story, me lad,” Roy answered, smiling. He threw his arm -about his brother’s shoulders. “But first, if you don’t mind, I’ll -eat! The last meal I had was roast porcupine!” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -Afloat Again - - -Back to camp tramped these two brothers, the one in a torn suit of -underwear, the other fully dressed, but both wearing wide grins. - -They were both happy--recklessly so. All things dwindled into -insignificance except the fact that they were together -again--together, after a night of terror. The cattle of Whirlpool -River Ranch--The Pup--the reported landslide--all these were for the -moment forgotten. They would return later, with their -responsibilities. But now, for Teddy and Roy, there was happiness -where they had feared to find sorrow. - -Their tremendous relief was not the sort that is communicated by -words. A firm handclasp, an arm thrown carelessly around the -shoulders, speaks louder than any well-turned sentence. Thus it was -that on that journey back to their camp there was little said -besides Pop’s interminable: “Snakes!” and Roy’s: “I’ll tell a -maverick!” whenever Teddy made a statement. - -Roy’s story was soon told. Pop marveled much and examined the boy’s -wounds with care, treating them with the antiseptic they had brought -along. When Roy’s tale was finished, Teddy sprang his bit of news. - -“We found the canoe!” - -Roy’s eyes opened wide. - -“You mean to say there is anything left of it?” - -“Sure, there is!” Bug Eye exclaimed. “We can fix her up in no time! -She’s got quite a hole in her, but Pop can mend that. Hey, Pop?” - -“Betcher boots,” the veteran rancher replied, as he grinned. “I am -one grand little fixer. Let’s take another look at it.” - -Roy, clothed “in assembled finery,” as Bug Eye said, was delighted -when he saw that the craft was not irreparably damaged. It had been -washed ashore a short distance below the rock, and, aside from the -hole in the stern, it was as good as ever. - -“Guess dad’ll be at Jake Trummer’s by now,” Teddy declared. “But -we’ll soon have the old boat on the way. Give your orders, Pop! You -can be the boss carpenter. What do we do first?” - -“Get out that strip of canvas,” Pop suggested. “Where’s yore knife, -Roy? Snakes, you ain’t washed it yet!” He took it from the boy and -looked at it silently. Darkening the blades was dried blood--the -blood of the eagle. Sticking to the blade were a few tiny, grey -feathers. Pop held it in the palm of his hand and nodded his head -slowly. - -“There’s not many knives that can say they killed an eagle,” he said -musingly. “This’ll make a great token, Roy.” Then his voice took on -a businesslike tone again. The incident was over. The chapter -closed. Pop bent down, inserted the blade in the canvas, and drew it -along with a ripping sound. - -Soon all four were deep in their task. The hole had to be well -mended, as the rapids were still ahead of them and the rocks would -search hungrily for a weak spot on which to fasten their needle-like -fingers. Pop went about the job slowly and deliberately, and it was -afternoon before it was finished to his satisfaction. - -“Might as well eat,” Bug Eye said as he straightened up and threw -his shoulders back to get the kinks out. “Somehow I never did get -over that there habit. So you had roast porcupine this morning, Roy? -Well, we can’t promise you that, but we have got some pork an’ beans -left unless Pop eat ’em all. You feel all right now, Roy?” - -“Sure I do!” The boy flexed his muscles. “Those cuts have stiffened -up a little, but they’ll soon work out. Yea, Bug Eye, I feel great! -I’m mighty hungry, though.” - -“You can do the paddlin’,” Teddy remarked with a grin. “And if you -see a rock, duck!” - -Unconsciously the boy’s healthy mind was bringing to the fore the -events of that fear-ridden night just passed, and instead of hiding -them deep in the recesses of the subconscious, later to emerge as -tangled emotions, Teddy was baring them and destroying their power -to haunt. Of course he did not realize all this. He knew only that -an unpleasant experience cannot be forcibly forgotten--that it must -be aired, shaken, and dry-cleaned. - -But now, his eyes seemed still to hold some of the terror of last -night when he had thought that his brother was killed. Roy had had -other emotions to occupy his mind--pain, amazement, and -self-preservation. Teddy had had nothing--nothing but an -overpowering dread that increased hourly until, when dawn had come, -it seemed to permeate his whole being, sickening him. - -When he had seen Roy wading ashore, happiness caught him a sudden -blow, and he had staggered for a moment. Then he had rushed forward, -unable to do more than cry: “Roy--Roy!” in a voice that was a hoarse -whisper. His brother had returned. The world had lurched, hesitated, -and then had gone on spinning merrily. They were together again. - -Now the repairs on the canoe were finished. Pop yawned, stretched, -and pulled out his pipe. Then he followed Bug Eye to camp and spent -the next fifteen minutes in disputing Teddy’s mastery over -bean-eating. At length their appetites were satisfied. The pans were -washed by the simple method of rubbing sand on them and rinsing them -in the river. Blankets were folded. Then, having carried their -possessions to the craft, they were ready to start once more. - -“Remember those old books in our school library?” Teddy asked Roy, -as he stood with his hand on the stern, ready to launch the canoe. -“The Amazon Adventurers, or something like that. Where the heroes -always come bobbing up from tornadoes, volcanoes, or what have you, -with a smile on their faces ready to stop a revolution single -handed. Remember the verse Spike Murphy wrote--you know, he played -tackle our second year at Hopper. Like this, I think: - - “‘The Amazon Adventurers are always to the mus-tard. - They cut an elephant in half as if he was a cus-tard!’ - -“And a lot more, but I forget the rest. Spike used to walk around -the campus singing it. Well, the point of this is that that’s the -way I feel now. It’s a good thing there aren’t any elephants around. -But something tells me I’ll have my work-out yet. There is still -much to be done, as the cook said, turning the whale steak he was -roasting. I’ll bet--” - -“You’ll bet nothing!” Roy interrupted, with a laugh. “What is this, -a political speech? You’ve been talking an hour by the clock. Grab -hold, and shove. Ready, Pop and Bug Eye? Then let’s go!” - -All four bent down and seized the gunwales. There was a straining of -backs, and the canoe slid noiselessly into the river with scarcely a -splash. - -“No leakee!” Teddy shouted, capering around the bank. “No leakee, no -shirtee! Watch it, boys. I’ll bet two bits she don’t leak!” - -“Doesn’t,” Bug Eye corrected, a certain page of his English book -before his mind. “A plural predicate takes the nominative singular. -Or something. Anyway, ‘don’t’ ain’t nowheres near right.” - -“Did you say singular?” Teddy asked, grinning. “It is that, at -least! But tell me, boys--I’m afraid to look. Does she leak?” - -“Nary leak!” Pop exclaimed, leaning close. “Guess I qualify for an -expert boat-maker, don’t I? All right, Teddy, stop yore solo an’ hop -in.” - -“_Après vous, m’sieu_,” Teddy smirked, and bowed low. “I assure you -I crave to see you get wet first.” - -“Don’t mind him, Pop,” Roy laughed. “That’s French, and not what you -think it means. He just said: ‘after you!’ so don’t get sore. Come -on, Teddy, you tomato! Get in there before I toss you in!” - -“_Now_ you said something!” the boy ejaculated. “I obey with -pleasure--but I’ll be back--oh, I’ll be ba-a-a-a-ak!” and he waved a -hand vigorously as he settled himself in the bottom of the canoe. - -“You’ll be back before you’re gone,” Roy remarked. “You paddle, my -young gentleman of leisure. Oh, yes, there’s more than one. Bug Eye -found the one that wasn’t broken, and this stick will do for the bow -paddle. Here. On your horse, cowboy!” - -Teddy took the flat board Roy held out to him and looked at it -wonderingly. - -“I am to paddle with _this_?” he said in a shocked voice. “Roy, my -social position! I could never forgive myself--paddling Whirlpool -River with a flat board! Dear, dear, what will Mrs. Percy Van Pelt -say when she hears about this? I shall never, _never_ hear the last -of it!” - -“We’ll try to keep it out of the papers,” Roy replied, laughing -loudly. “Pipe down now, and go to work. Just forget Mrs. Percy Van -Pelt and remember me sitting back of you here with a strong paddle -and a good reach.” - -“I desire an objection noted,” Teddy murmured, as he took the stick -and shifted to the bow seat. “I obey, but under protest. All right, -cap’in, whenever you say! I’m all set.” - -“Everything in?” Roy asked, looking about him. “Rifles in the -bottom? Yep. We’re off, boys. The Amazon Adventurers!” - -The canoe shot for the middle of the river, propelled by Teddy and -Roy. The stream was again placid, as it had been before the storm. A -gentle current bore them along. - -As they left their camping site, Roy turned his head and looked -back. Many things had happened in the space of twenty-four hours, -since they had first lit their fire. They had heard thieves planning -to rustle the cattle on the Whirlpool River range. Then the pursuit -and the rock ahead. The crash, and the roaring flood. Then his life -had hung in the balance. How close it had come to being taken, he -probably would never know. How had he gotten ashore? Why hadn’t he -been drowned? Why-- - -Roy shook his head slowly. - -“Mother must have been on the job then,” he said to himself, and -smiled. “She said she’d put in a good word, and I guess she did! -Surely, something besides me kept my head above water!” - -Then another thought came to him. They were approaching the rapids -with a mended canoe. The cattle were beyond, and rustlers were bent -on taking them, if they had not already done so. There was the -possible landslide that the stranger had reported. - -“There’s plenty to worry about yet, I reckon,” Roy thought grimly. -“But what good is worry? Answer--none! We’ll get those cattle, and -we won’t come back till we do! Hey, Teddy!” he exclaimed aloud. -“Snap to it! All right, boy--ho, ho ho, ho! _Stick_ in there!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -The Whirlpool - - -Yes, there was still plenty to worry about, if one was in a worrying -mood. The Manley boys and their companions were faced with the -prospect of having their whole journey, with its dangers and -hardships, go for nothing, if the rustlers reached the cattle first. -There was a bare chance that Mr. Manley and his party had gotten to -the Whirlpool River range in time to prevent the theft; but even -Teddy admitted that this chance was a slim one. The overland route -was long and tedious, and could not be accomplished in less than -four days at the minimum. - -“Guess we’d better resign ourselves to a long chase after those -rustlers,” Roy said regretfully. “That is if they go through with -their plan, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t. It sounded -fool-proof to me. Certainly if the cattle were gone when dad got -there, he would naturally suspect Jake Trummer of carrying out his -threat and driving them into the river. Suppose we hadn’t heard the -thieves talking that night? We would have gone on and probably -backed dad up in saying Trummer had drowned the cows. When you think -of it, we were pretty lucky after all.” - -“But what good is our luck going to do us if we get there after the -cattle are stolen?” Teddy asked, as he shifted his “paddle” to get a -better grip on it. - -“Seems to me I heered tell of a couple of fellers chasin’ some -rustlers an’ makin’ out pretty well,” Pop drawled. “Could it have -been you an’ Roy, Teddy?” - -“Oh, that was different,” Teddy objected. “We got right on their -trail then and rounded them up before they had a chance to escape. -But now we won’t even know which way to start. They may take the -cattle any place.” - -“Can’t take ’em in the river an’ get much good out of ’em,” Bug Eye -snickered. “They won’t drive ’em back toward X Bar X, ’cause you -said they knew about yore dad comin’ along that trail. And as I -remember it, there’s mountains back of Whirlpool River range that -’ud make travelin’ with a herd of dogies pretty risky--especially if -the dirt on them hills is tearin’ loose. So it looks like there’s -only one way they could go, Teddy--an’ that’s straight ahead.” - -“That’s one way too many,” Pop remarked, bending over to see if the -patch he had put in place was still firm. It was, and he leaned back -again. “There’s a straight trail through to the Border, branchin’ -left from the river,” he continued. “They’ll head for that, sure as -shootin’. Course I ain’t sayin’ they’ll make it, but they’ll try -to.” - -“No such word as ‘ain’t,’” Bug Eye said absently. “But Pop, how far -is it to the Border? Good eight days’ ride, ain’t it--isn’t it?” - -“All of that. But what’s eight days? I been in saddle longer than -that many a time. I remember, back in ’97--stop that splashin’, Bug -Eye! I had my bath!” - -“Back in ’97?” Bug Eye grinned. - -Pop became absorbed in the shore line and refused to answer. Bug Eye -winked, and, resting his head on his arm, started to snore loudly. A -sharp dig in the ribs from Pop convinced him of the error of his -ways, and he sat up, an innocent look on his face. - -“Me, I’m tired!” he proclaimed. “When do we hit those rapids you -been talkin’ so much about, Pop? Last time I came over here they was -nothin’ but a few waves. I craves excitement, I do.” - -“You’ll get it,” Pop said laconically. “They’ll be more than a few -waves this time. An’ that reminds me. Roy, you an’ Teddy been -workin’ long enough. What say you give me an’ Bug Eye a crack at it? -The rapids are just below here, an’ I want to do the steerin’ as we -hit ’em. I been over ’em many times, an’ I think I can put us -through all right.” - -“Yo’re a great thinker,” Bug Eye murmured, as he changed places with -Teddy and received the board he was to use as a paddle. “Pop, what -am I supposed to do with this here barrel stave, or whatever it is? -Cheer you, or somethin’?” - -“When I say left, you paddle on the left. When I say right, you -shift. That’s all.” - -“An’ when you say ‘here she goes,’ I take my little bath,” Bug Eye -snickered. “All right, Pop. O.K.! Me an’ my flat board is ready.” - -“Are ready,” grinned Pop. “Yuh forget yore plural nominative, Bug -Eye. Well, let’s see you work now!” - -Roy, who had given up his place and paddle to Pop and was seated in -the bottom facing front, saw ahead of him that the banks of the -stream were coming together--closing in. It had been long since he -and Teddy had come over this route, and the landmarks were -unfamiliar. But he knew that just below the point where the shores -converged were the rapids. - -The river seemed to take on new strength now. The soft purr was -developing into a roar, and Teddy, remembering the last time they -had heard that, hunched his shoulders. But this sound was different, -somehow, from the boiling of the stream after the storm. That had -been an unwholesome noise, as though the river had suddenly taken -upon itself an evil accomplishment, whereas the deep thunder that -came to Teddy’s ears from the rapids below was the voice of a giant -who is proud of his strength and who gives fair warning to any one -who contests his supremacy. - -“Feel it pull?” Pop Burns asked excitedly, as they came nearer and -nearer the rapids. “Wait till we hit the worst part! You’ll know -yo’re in somethin’ then, let me tell yuh!” - -Teddy and Roy were too absorbed in the spectacle to answer. Directly -before them a curtain of spray arose like a white cloud, pierced now -and then by a jet of water that leaped upward like a silver fish. A -cold haze hung over the boat--penetrating, knife-like--that sent the -blood tingling through the veins. All four were leaning forward now, -waiting, ready. - -“Left!” Pop yelled, and Bug Eye shifted his paddle swiftly. -“Steady--steady--_Take it!_” - -The canoe plunged into the maelstrom. About them the waters tumbled -and tossed in an agony of movement. The craft shot forward like an -arrow from a bow. - -“Yay!” Teddy yelled, his eyes alight with a fierce joy. “Let’s go!” - -Roy was too fascinated to exclaim. He sat perfectly still, gripping -the sides of the boat, his head thrown back, his lips smiling. -_This_ was life! - -A deep whirlpool lay directly in their path. Teddy saw that it was -spinning with incredible rapidity, and thought that if they hit it -destruction was certain. He turned to Pop to sound a warning. - -But the veteran had seen it. Not an inch did he swerve from his -course. For a moment the boat hung on the edge, poised for a dive. -Then it leaped. - -Straight into the heart of that silver-lined, foaming vortex it -shot. - -“Right” Pop yelled, and Bug Eye shifted again. - -There was a space of time, seemingly interminable, when the boat -appeared to stand still while the waters whirled beneath it. Then a -quick lurch--and the whirlpool was left behind. - -Stunned by the suddenness of it, Teddy jerked his head around. The -whirlpool was far in the rear. They had been in and out in less than -a second. - -“Pop!” the boy called above the roaring, “what happened?” - -“Nothin’ much,” Pop chuckled. “We just took it at the right time, -that’s all. It tossed us out. Like it?” - -“Certainly did!” Teddy cried enthusiastically. “Hit ’em again, Pop!” - -They came now to a place where the stream undulated like a huge -white snake. There were hills and valleys of water; smooth, shining -water. It seemed that the rocks over which the river was flowing -were just beneath the surface--that they must surely crush them to -pieces. Teddy saw that Pop’s face lost none of its calmness, so he -settled himself once more with an attempt at serenity which deceived -no one. Just what in thunder _was_ keeping them from all going to -the bottom? - -The craft was tossing like a ship on the ocean. First the bow would -almost bury itself in a smother of foam, then it would lift until it -seemed that it must turn over backward. Bug Eye wrapped his legs -firmly about the seat. - -“Roller coaster!” he shouted, and went down again, nearly out of -sight. - -“My Fishmobile--” he began when once more he rose straight in the -air, but at that moment they came to an especially deep pool and the -words froze on his lips. Teddy watched him with amusement and saw -that when he was level again Bug Eye had a wild look about him. - -“I’ll stick to crazy steers after this!” the cowboy yelled. “They -stay on the ground, anyway!” - -But the worst of it was over. The water resumed a more normal flow -and the banks widened. They still shot downstream at an alarming -rate, but the canoe kept on a fairly level keel. - -Bug Eye drew a breath of relief and rested his paddle across the -gunwales. - -“I’m cured,” he declared solemnly. “I wanted to be a sailor when I -was young. But never again! That was some circus! What made it like -that, Pop? I’ve been over here before. But snakes, that was a -millpond compared to to-day. What happened?” - -“The storm,” Pop grinned. “I kinda thought it would be pretty bad. -But we’re through now. And Jake Trummer’s place is just ahead. One -more bend and we’re there.” - -Eagerly the boys waited until they should come in sight of Whirlpool -River Ranch. The end of their trip was at hand. Would they find -their cattle grazing peacefully, waiting to be driven home? Would -their father be there yet? They sat tense, leaning forward. - -They rounded the bend. A broad vista of land lay before them, green, -rolling range land. Back of the grazing fields mountains rose -sublimely, fleecy clouds capping their summits. The late afternoon -sun turned the scene into a picture of pastoral beauty. - -But on the range was not a hair, hide, or hoof of a single -shorthorn. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -Burying the Hatchet - - -There was tender grass to be munched. There was warm sun to bask in. -There was the placid river to drink from. Yet of cattle there was -none, nor any sign of them. - -“Just in time to be late!” Bug Eye groaned, and rested on his -paddle. - -“They may be further on,” Teddy remarked hopefully. “Beyond the -rise, there.” - -“Much beyond,” Roy said bitterly. “If they were there, some would -wander off to this range. Yet we’ll look.” - -Once more the canoe went forward, this time slowly, dispiritedly. -Their journey had been in vain. Their cattle were gone. - -As Roy had feared, once past the rise in the land, they saw that -surely the herd had departed. Pop said nothing, but sat and smoked -in silence, his paddle dragging. Bug Eye made a few remarks under -his breath. - -“We’ll have to land and find Jake Trummer,” Teddy declared. “That -gang we heard on the river at night has been here before us.” - -“They rustled ’em, hey?” Bug Eye asked inanely. - -“Exactly,” Teddy replied. “How far away they’ve gotten with them, -there’s no telling. We’re worse than useless without broncs. We’ll -have to wait for dad.” - -“You’ll not have to do much waitin’,” Pop remarked suddenly. “I seen -General just over that hill.” - -“With dad on him?” Teddy questioned eagerly. - -“Nope. Guess he’s up at the ranch house talkin’ to Trummer. -General’s been turned out to grass. We’ll beach, an’ walk over.” - -“How far?” Bug Eye wanted to know. - -“Four miles. Do you good. We can leave the stuff here. Be all right. -Trummer is the only man I know who’s got his range in his back -yard.” - -The canoe was driven ashore, and Teddy leaped out. - -“If we hadn’t hit that rock,” he said bitterly, “we could have been -here before the rustlers and saved the cows.” - -“Mebby,” Pop said laconically. “There’s lots of things to be -considered. We’ll see yore dad first, an’ talk later.” - -The four set off across country, after having pulled the canoe up -out of reach of the water. As they walked, they turned frequently, -as though they expected to find the missing cattle. The way was -long, but evening brought coolness, and they were not tired when -they came in sight of the ranch house. - -Jake Trummer’s place was like a hundred others in the state. The -low, broad building where the “boss” and his family lived, the -high-fenced corral; the bunk-house; and, separated a little from it, -the cook house. A few horses were in the corral, and among them -Teddy recognized the bronc Nat Raymond usually rode. - -“All here but General,” Roy murmured. “You said you saw him out on -the range, Pop. Then dad must be inside.” - -Coming nearer the ranch house, a mutter of voices reached them. Loud -above the others, sounded Jake Trummer’s, with his repeated: - -“You hear me, now--you hear me!” - -“Hot times,” Bug Eye remarked. - -Then they reached the side steps, and another speaker interrupted. -The voice was low, but vibrant. - -“That’s dad,” Roy said tensely. “He’s good and mad about something.” - -“Jake Trummer,” Mr. Manley was saying, “I’ve known you for a long -time. An’ I never thought you’d pull a low-down trick like this.” - -“Bardwell Manley, you go careful! I kin only stand so much! You’re -at my house, my guest, an’ as such I respect you. But you hear me -when I tell you I didn’t touch your dogies, an’ I mean it. An’ if -you’re wantin’ to call me a liar to my face, start now!” - -“But, Jake you tole me you’d drive ’em into the river, an’ when I -get here they’re gone! What would you say in a case like that? Don’t -it _look_ as if you’d done it?” - -“But I tell you I didn’t! They was there last night. To-day they was -gone. That’s all I know about ’em.” - -“Well--” Mr. Manley shook his head, and at that moment Roy bounded -up the steps. - -“Dad! We’re here at last. Had a tough time of it.” - -“Roy! Teddy! Glad to see you, boys. I was beginnin’ to worry, but I -figured you might have been delayed on account of the storm. And now -you’re here--” he spread his hands expressively--“we might as well -turn around an’ go home. The cows are gone. Trummer--” - -“Wait, Dad,” Teddy said quickly. “You’re wrong. Mr. Trummer had -nothing to do with the cattle being stolen.” - -“Stolen! How do you know that? Who stole ’em? Jake Trummer--” - -“Give the boy a chance, Bardwell!” Mr. Trummer interrupted testily. -“He knows more about it than you do. Let him speak.” - -“It’s just this,” Teddy went on, with a look at the others. “Two -nights ago we camped by the stream, because the storm came up, and -we couldn’t see our way clear to taking a chance on keeping afloat. -Late at night--at least it seemed late--Roy and I walked down to the -river, leavin’ Pop an’ Bug Eye by the fire. That right, Pop?” - -The veteran nodded. - -“Yuh tell it, Teddy. Yuh know more about it than what I do.” - -“We headed for the river,” the boy went on, “and when we got there -we heard some men talking. They were in a boat on the stream. Some -one they called Denver--” - -“Denver!” Jake Trummer broke in. “That’s--But go ahead, son. I’ll -have my say later,” he added, with a glance at Mr. Manley. - -“This Denver had a plan to rustle our cattle that had strayed over -here, an’ he aimed to let you think Mr. Trummer did as he had -threatened,” Teddy went on swiftly. “They’d found out, somehow, -about the whole business; maybe from The Pup, though he didn’t -appear to be with them. They were going to drive the cows off at -night, and, by golly, that’s what they did!” - -For a moment there was silence. Mr. Manley looked at Jake Trummer, -his face a deep red. Then he threw back his head and thrust out his -hand. - -“Jake,” he said falteringly, “I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ now. I’ve done -all my talkin’--a sight too much, I reckon. I’ll stay dumb for the -rest of my life. But if you can forgive an old fool--” - -With a grin, Jake Trummer clasped the hand offered him, and gripped -hard. - -“We all make mistakes,” he said softly. “I made the first one. All -the forgivin’ to be done ain’t on my side. I come to you like a bag -o’ wind an’ shot my mouth off when I shouldn’t. Some hand of yourn -told one of my men that the orders were to let the cattle stray as -far as they wanted, on my range if possible, because the grazin’ was -good an’ they needed fattenin’. I was a fool to believe it.” - -“The Pup!” Teddy and Roy exclaimed in the same breath. - -“Was he tall, Mr. Trummer?” Teddy asked. “Dark?” - -“Never saw him,” Mr. Trummer answered, releasing Mr. Manley’s hand. -“He told one of my men. Well, Bardwell, we’ll forget it. We were -both wrong, I, mebby, more than you. Now let’s get this thing -straight. First I want to ask yore boy: Did that man you said they -called Denver have a high-pitched, cracked voice?” - -“I’ll tell a maverick he did!” Roy replied excitedly. “High as a -girl’s, almost. Why?” - -“That was Denver Smith,” Mr. Trummer declared. “They’re the last of -the old gangs, an’ the sooner they go the better. They make their -headquarters on the banks of Whirlpool River an’ try to pick up tips -they can use in their business, which is everything from -high-jackin’ to rustlin’. I pity the man that rides that river road -alone an’ with money in his pocket. They’d get him sure. Yep, boys, -it was Denver Smith an’ his bunch fer a sure bet. What did they say, -again?” - -“They were planning to steal our cattle and let you take the blame,” -Roy replied. “They knew you’d had an argument with dad up on our -ranch, though I don’t know how.” - -“It’ll be the last one we’ll have, eh, Bardwell?” Mr. Trummer said, -and grinned. “As fer them findin’ out, they have ways an’ means. But -that’s not the point. Yore cattle’s gone, Bardwell. What you aimin’ -to do?” - -“Get ’em back!” Mr. Manley said grimly. “I hate to ask it, Jake; but -if you can spare a few horses for the boys, here--” - -“Spare a few horses?” Mr. Trummer ejaculated. “What kind of a game -is this, Bardwell?” - -“I’m sorry,” Mr. Manley muttered, and turned away. “I kind of -thought--” - -“Spare a few _horses_! By cripes, you got nerve! An’ what about me? -Think I’ll stay here? We’ll ride together, like we done before, -Bardwell! You can have all the horses yuh want; but yuh got to take -me with ’em! We’ll get them rustlers, an’ every one of yore cows! -Spare a few _horses_! Huh! I’ll spare more than that! You hear me?” - -Mr. Manley grinned. He clapped his friend on the back, and then -laughed. - -“For a minute yuh had me scared, Jake. But I might o’ known--I might -o’ known. We ride together, then. Tell yore cook to throw some -victuals together. Boys, I’m sure glad you showed up! We’ll clean up -Denver Smith an’ his gang--an’ dry-clean ’em at that! Saddle what -broncs Jake wants to give you, an’ we’ll eat an’ get!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -The Chase - - -The meal was soon concluded, and Roy and Teddy told of their -adventures on the river. - -Inwardly Mr. Manley was much concerned over their mishaps, but he -only nodded and smiled. He wanted to let his boys know that he -expected nothing less from them. - -At the same time his face flushed with a glow of pride when Roy -told, modestly enough, of his fight with the eagle. He looked at the -knife with which his son had slain the bird, and silently put the -weapon in his pocket. By this the boy knew he was really affected by -the story. The knife would remain a relic, a proof of his son’s -bravery. With the exception of Roy, Pop was the only one who -realized this. The others thought he had absent-mindedly put it in -his own pocket instead of returning it to Roy. - -For a while Roy hesitated to tell his father of the payroll robbery -and Teddy knew he was holding off purposely, so he said nothing. But -when they were walking toward the corral, Roy decided it would be -best for his father to know the whole story, even if it did add to -his worry, so he told him. - -Mr. Manley took it silently, only shaking his head sorrowfully. The -loss of the money affected him not so much as realizing that The Pup -was a thief. He had never liked the man, but a horse-thief and -payroll bandit--that was different from “plain orneriness.” - -“Guess I made a mistake in Marino,” he declared. “Got in the house -an’ stole my four hundred, did he! Well, maybe it was partly my -fault for lettin’ it lay around like that, so open. But none of the -boys I ever had would steal a cent. Gus, now--” he stopped, and bit -his lip. Gus was a topic that bothered him. “You don’t think Gus--” - -“No, Dad, Gus had nothing to do with it,” Teddy said positively. -“I’m sure of that, Dad!” - -“That’s good,” Mr. Manley sighed. “I didn’t think Gus was that kind. -Pshaw, I knew he wasn’t! Wonder if we’ll see him again? Well--” and -he shrugged his shoulders. “But this is no time for wonderin’. We -got to be on our way. So The Pup stole--right from the house! Stole -my payroll!” He shook his head again, slowly, and walked off -muttering. - -“Dad would rather have that money taken twice than to think Gus was -mixed up in it,” Teddy said to Roy in a low voice. “He’s sorry The -Pup did it, too. He may have disliked Marino, as I guess we all did, -but dad hates to think any one is a thief.” - -The horses, saddled and ready, were waiting for them. Those who had -come with Mr. Manley had, of course, their own broncos, and Jake -Trummer supplied Teddy, Roy, Pop Burns and Bug Eye with other -mounts. They took with them food, and each saddle packed a rifle and -a blanket. The chase, even if it was successful, might take several -days to conclude. They had one big advantage--the rustlers did not -know they were being trailed. Thus they would take their time, and -Mr. Manley counted largely on this. - -“Guess we’re all set,” the boss of the X Bar X stated, as he looked -about him. The men were mounted, waiting for the word to start. - -“Whenever you say, Bardwell,” Jake Trummer suggested. - -“Then let’s go!” - -The riders filed out of the yard and headed once more for the river. -Mr. Trummer had left word with one of his men on the ranch that the -canoe and its contents were to be taken care of, so there was no -need to return to the place where they had left it. Instead, the -riders cut diagonally across the range and headed away from the -direction the boys had come. - -“Dad, what about that landslide?” Roy remarked, spurring his mount -up closer to his father. “Nick arrived all fagged out and told us a -stranger gave you a wild tale about an avalanche.” - -“It _was_ a wild tale,” Mr. Manley declared. “Jake said no such -thing occurred. Didn’t you, Jake? But it had me worried, all the -same. By golly, if it’s not one thing it’s another!” - -“I’ll tell a maverick,” Roy muttered, and then rode forward -silently. He was thinking of The Pup and Gus. Where had The Pup fled -to? They had seen him at the edge of the stream on the horse he had -stolen. Did he follow the river? Or did he branch out? Was there a -chance of catching him, as well as the cattle rustlers? - -“Pipe dreams,” the boy muttered. “We’ve seen all we ever shall of -Joe Marino.” - -“Roy, quit that mumbling and speak up!” Teddy exclaimed. “What’s on -your mind?” - -“The Pup, for one thing,” Roy answered grimly. “He’s got a horse of -ours, and four hundred dollars. I hate to let him get away with a -raw thing like that without an effort to catch him.” - -“We’ll make more than an effort, Roy, when we get this cattle -business finished,” Mr. Manley called back. “We’ll have every -sheriff in the state on his trail, and maybe we’ll take a hand in it -ourselves. He was the man who put Gus on the bum. I can’t forget -that.” - -“There’s another little item that sticks in my mind,” Teddy remarked -in a low voice. “It happened near the corral the night the horse and -the money were stolen. Guess you know what I mean, Roy. Though I’d -rather have it sticking in my mind than in my chest,” he added -significantly. - -“The knife with J. K. on it,” Roy returned. “Sure, I know, Teddy. -But the sooner we forget The Pup the better. He’s gone. If we catch -him, fine! If not--well, charge it up to profit and loss.” - -“That’s the right idea, Roy,” Mr. Manley agreed. “We’ve got enough -on our hands now. If we get our cattle back I’ll be satisfied.” - -“I suppose I ought to be--and maybe I’ll have to be; but it sure -sticks in my craw to let a thing like that get by me!” muttered -Teddy. - -The gloom of evening was at hand, and the men rode in close -formation, talking in subdued tones. Pop and Bug Eye were ahead, -leading. Roy and Teddy brought up the rear, their father riding just -ahead of them. They had planned to cover as much distance as -possible before dark, so that when morning came they would be near -enough to the rustlers to seize them before they had a chance to -escape. - -They soon came to the lowlands just beyond the range of Whirlpool -River Ranch. The air here was damp and chill, due to the moisture -from the river which had settled in the depressions. To add to this, -the night promised to be cloudy, with no moon showing. Already the -dull, gray canopy was curtaining the evening sky, cutting off, in -the fullness of its glory, the western sunset. - -“This is the first real touch of fall we’ve had,” Roy remarked, -buttoning his shirt collar higher. Then, raising his voice: “Where -are you figuring to stop, Dad? Going to ride part of the night?” - -Mr. Manley, the better to reply, wheeled his pony and circled back -toward his son. - -“Nope,” he answered. “Soon as we top this rise ahead we’ll call a -halt. We sure don’t want to camp in this place. Golly, it’s damp!” -and he shivered slightly. - -The leaders of the column quickened their pace, so that they might -leave the lowlands as quickly as possible. Pop, like most old -ranchmen, had his pet superstitions, and one of them was that it was -unlucky to stay long in such a place. - -“Things happen,” he declared vaguely. “The mountains are all -right--don’t care how high they are. Open range is all right. But -every time I ride through land that sets low, I get a feelin’ that -somethin’ is goin’ to turn up. Don’t know why, but I do.” - -“Ever hear that dampness was bad for rheumatism?” Teddy chuckled. -“That might have something to do with it, Pop.” - -“No sir,” and Pop shook his head obstinately. “It’s got nothin’ to -do with rheumatism. Even Nat Raymond’s pony knows what I mean. Look -at the way he’s actin’.” - -In truth, the bronco Nat rode, which had come from the home ranch -with him, was acting queerly. The pony would come to a dead stop, -lift its head, whinny, and proceed. This performance was repeated -several times. - -Mr. Manley observed the horse with interest. - -“What makes him do that, Nat?” he asked. “You pullin’ him up?” - -“Not any, boss.” Nat answered sincerely. “He’s doin’ it himself. -Like Pop said, I guess, he don’t like lowlands.” - -“Seems to me as though he sensed a stranger around,” Teddy said to -Roy in a low tone. “I’ve seen Nat’s bronco do that before, when a -new man came into the yard of the X Bar X. It’s got nothing to do -with the place we’re in now.” - -“Well, there’s enough men with us he never saw before,” Roy -countered. He motioned toward Jake Trummer and his followers. “Think -they’re the reason, Teddy?” - -“No, I don’t and I’ll tell you why. Because I noticed that it’s only -a man that comes alone who effects the bronc like that. Nat,” he -called, “did you ever see your horse act like that before?” - -“Well, he does get kind of nervous when a stranger comes around,” -Nat admitted. “But usually it’s only if the stranger rides alone. I -can’t figure why the bronc should do it here unless Pop’s right -about him bein’ leary of lowlands.” - -Teddy shook his head, but said nothing in reply. - -Darkness was nearly upon them, and Mr. Manley held up his hand for a -halt. - -“Stick close now, men,” he ordered. “Jake, you want to show us the -way out of here? Guess you know it better than I do. We want to camp -as soon as possible.” - -“Right, Bardwell!” Jake agreed. “All set, men? Follow me. Don’t get -too far apart. We don’t want no stragglers.” - -He rode forward again, and the others strung along behind him. Just -as he reached a knoll, which marked the end of the lowland, those -following heard him give an exclamation of surprise. Mr. Manley -spurred his horse forward. - -“What is it, Jake?” he asked. - -“Look!” Jake answered shortly. “There’s a horse without a rider. -Maybe that’s why Nat’s bronc was actin’ up. He’s got a saddle on, -too.” - -Ahead of them, half concealed by the settling dusk, stood a pinto. -On his back was a saddle, but no rider. When the animal saw the -group in front of him, it ran toward them. - -“Jimminy!” Teddy breathed. “His right foreleg is hurt. Notice how -he’s limping? What does he remind you of, Roy?” - -“He doesn’t _remind_ me of anything; he _is_!” Roy answered -forcibly. The horse came closer. “Teddy, that’s the pony The Pup -stole, or I’m a ring-tailed doodle bird!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -The Man at the Fire - - -“Our pony!” - -Mr. Manley almost shouted it. - -“Do you mean to say that’s the bronc that Marino stole?” - -“Look at him yourself, Dad!” Teddy cried excitedly. “Wait, I’ll see -if I can get him. He knows me--I broke him. Stay here.” - -The boy rode rapidly forward. The horse did not turn and run, but -stood, waiting. In a moment Teddy had hold of his bridle rein and -was leading him back. - -“See? Isn’t he?” - -Mr. Manley looked closer. - -“He certainly is, Teddy! Well, for the love of Pete! how’d _he_ get -here--an’ where’s The Pup?” - -“Can’t tell you that, Dad,” Teddy replied. He turned to Roy. “Now -are you so sure that we’ll never see Marino again? He’s around here -somewhere, I’ll bet a plugged nickel! Maybe he got thrown. If it -wasn’t so dark we could have a look for him.” - -“By golly, it’s the pinto!” Pop exclaimed, riding up. “Where’d he -come from, Teddy? I saw that horse out yonder, but I didn’t pay no -attention to him. Thought he had a man with him. The pinto! The Pup -must have followed up the river from the time we saw him! Snakes! -wonder if he’s around?” - -“That bronc of yours is a good watch dog,” Roy declared to Nat. “It -was this horse he sensed, and the lowlands had nothin’ to do with -it. Pop, you’re all twisted. Nat’s pony was calling in this pinto.” - -“Meybe,” Pop agreed doubtfully. “I ain’t sayin’ nothin’. Well, boss, -do we camp? We can picket this hoss and come back for him later. -He’ll stand, I reckon.” - -“Won’t do much wanderin’ with his leg like that,” Bug Eye remarked. -It was practically the first sentence he had uttered since they had -left Jake Trummer’s place. “He’s got a sore there that seems as if -it might have been made some time ago.” - -“It was,” Teddy remarked laconically. “I brought Roy in to look at -it the night he was stolen. That’s how I found he was gone. Wherever -The Pup is, he’s on foot. Unless he got thrown, and is lying hurt -somewhere.” - -“And alone,” added Roy, with a note of pity in his voice. - -The uselessness of attempting to find Marino in the dark was -apparent to all, and, leaving the knoll on which he stood, Mr. -Manley rode forward until he and Jake Trummer came to a spot which -bordered on a group of trees. - -“We can pitch camp here,” Mr. Trummer suggested. “There’s a spring -in them trees, good an’ cold. In the mornin’ we can start at sun-up, -and then, by golly, we’ll run them rustlers to earth. They don’t -know we’re comin’, but they’ll learn soon enough. Tryin’ to lay the -blame on me fer the cattle bein’ gone! Huh, I’m kinda anxious to -meet Denver Smith an’ his gang!” - -The horses were picketed some distance from the camping spot, a fire -was built and blankets were unrolled. The night was cold, and the -men huddled as closely as possible to the blaze, wrapped tightly in -their thick coverings. The heavens were entirely obscured by clouds, -and beyond the fire a blackness, like heavy velvet, covered the -land. - -Supper was soon concluded, for the party was “traveling light.” But -three men had been told to carry rations, and, consequently, there -was hardly enough from which to make a feast. But beans and bacon -are filling, and no one went actually hungry. - -There was little talk after supper. The finding of The Pup’s pony -was commented upon, and guesses were hazarded concerning the -whereabouts of Marino, but that was all. The men were tired, and -tired men waste no time in idle talk. Definitely and directly they -go to sleep. - -Within an hour the only sounds to be heard were the uneasy neighings -of the horses and the crackling of the fire as it burned brightly -and then sank down again. Each man had his rifle by his side, in -case he was awakened by a curious beast sniffing at his ear, but no -one actually anticipated having to use the firearm. - -Certainly they expected no human visitor. The rustlers, even if they -were in the neighborhood, would avoid them studiously. True, each -man there hoped that the ground they had covered brought them nearer -their quarry, for a herd of cattle moves slowly. The only direction -the thieves could have taken was the one in which they were -traveling. Sooner or later they would come upon the missing cows, -and, they hoped, also the beasts’ self-constituted guards. - -The rustlers had certainly hoped to gain a long start on possible -pursuers, because of the delay occasioned by reason of Jake -Trummer’s being blamed for the disappearance of the Durhams. But -their plans had miscarried, and this they did not know. Their -conversation on the river had betrayed them. - -Teddy’s sleep was troubled with dreams--dreams of cattle and huge -bales of money and long knives with queer initials burned in the -handle. Then he saw Gus, alone, weary, staggering over the prairie, -shouting his name. So vivid was the impression that some one was -calling him that he sat suddenly upright, with the word “Teddy!” -still ringing clearly in his ears. - -Then, as one aroused from a sleep gradually realizes the true state -of affairs, the boy grinned, and once more lay down on the soft -earth and pulled his blanket about him. Dreams are funny things, he -thought. Sometimes they’re so real the rest of life seems unreal, -and a dream itself. - -“Getting poetical,” he muttered, and composed himself to rest, “just -like old Roy.” The fire was still going, the embers glowing -brightly. - -Try as he would, Teddy could not sink again into slumber. He shut -his eyes tightly and counted innumerable sheep, but sheep reminded -him of cattle, and cattle brought a host of thoughts that were most -disturbing. At last the boy sat up and threw his blanket from him. - -“Guess I’ll chuck a few pieces of wood on the fire,” he said to -himself. His mind formed clear sentences before him, describing his -every movement, as is often the case of one who finds himself the -victim of insomnia. As the boy made his way carefully from between -the sleeping forms lying near, he murmured: - -“Easy, now--mustn’t wake the others. Golly, it’s dark--cold, too! -Glad the fire’s not out. I’m hungry. Listen to those horses whinny! -Why don’t they go to sleep? I wonder where Gus is to-night? Funny -how we came across The Pup’s horse and not The Pup. Here’s a stick -that’ll do fine.” He threw it on the fire. “There, that’s better. -Warmer! That Pop snoring? Must be. Sounds like a saw mill. Funny old -geezer, Pop. Wish I could sleep like that.” - -Small, unconnected thoughts kept buzzing through his brain. He -walked around the fire, then seated himself near it, his knees drawn -up, his chin resting on his hands. His dream came back to him, and -he recalled that he had awakened with his own name ringing in his -ears. - -“Sure sounded as though some one was calling me,” he muttered, -kicking a piece of wood further in to the heart of the flames. -“Wonder what time it is? Must be after midnight. Snakes, there’s not -a star out!” - -He raised his head and stared vacantly up into the blackness. For a -long moment he stayed in this position, then closed his eyes. He -came to himself with a start. - -“Well!” and he grinned. “Almost went to sleep sitting up. Guess I’ll -seek my downy bed once more.” - -He arose, and stretched. He stood there, his arms outstretched, -staring at a dark form looming up on the opposite side of the -fire--a strange, staggering form. - -Teddy’s right hand leaped down to his belt and closed over the butt -of his gun. But he did not draw, for at that moment the form of a -man pitched headlong at his feet and lay still! - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -Boss and Bandit - - -Teddy, hand resting on the gun, eyes wide, stared at the prostrate -intruder. Something about the man seemed familiar. As he lay there, -his arms thrown wide, head turned to one side, he appeared to have -been dropped from a great height and pressed into the earth from the -force of descent. The fingers weakly opened and closed, but aside -from that the figure was motionless, silent. - -Teddy dropped on one knee, and laid a hand on the man’s shoulder. A -shudder ran through the body. - -“Here!” Teddy said sharply. “What’s the matter? Can you speak?” - -“Tired,” the man mumbled. “Hungry. Let me be.” - -Roy, who was lying near by, awoke and sat up, blinking. When he saw -his brother bending over the man he thought at first that Teddy was -trying to rouse one of the sleepers. - -“Shake him, Teddy,” he advised in a drowsy voice. “What’s the -matter--did he steal your blanket?” - -“Roy, come here,” Teddy said quickly. “I think this is some one you -know.” - -“Some one I--” Then the meaning of Teddy’s sentence penetrated his -brother’s half-awakened mind, and he struggled to his feet. By this -time the others were stirring, asking questions in sleepy tones and -rolling about to see the cause of the disturbance. - -Roy hastened to his brother’s side. Together, the two boys turned -the man over, so that he faced the fire. As the glare of the newly -fed flames glinted in his face, he made a feeble gesture of protest -and covered his eyes with his hand. Then letting the arm drop like a -dead thing, he sighed painfully. - -Teddy, seeing the face, started back. - -“The Pup!” he exclaimed, and turned at a touch on his shoulder. His -father was peering down at their visitor. - -“It’s Marino, all right,” Mr. Manley agreed grimly, staring at the -dust-streaked face. “Is he hurt? What’s the matter?” - -Teddy shook the man gently. - -“Are you hurt, Joe?” the boy asked loudly. “Can’t you talk?” - -“Talk all right--too tired,” The Pup mumbled. “Not -hurt--tired--hungry.” Then for the first time he seemed to realize -that he was surrounded by a ring of inquiring, puzzled faces. He -pulled himself together and glared haggardly at Teddy, then shifted -his gaze to Roy, and finally to Mr. Manley. Suddenly the light of -fear came into his eyes, and he leaped to his feet, trembling. - -“Don’t--don’t shoot me,” he begged piteously. “I’ll go! But don’t -shoot me!” - -“No one’s going to shoot you,” Mr. Manley said soothingly. “Here, -sit down. Take this blanket. Man, you’re shiverin’ like a leaf. Get -closer to the fire--that’s it! Pop rustle up some beans for this -feller, will you? He looks half starved.” - -“Half starved!” the man gasped, querulously, and sank within -himself. “Worse’n that. Three days without food--lost--horse gone--” - -Pop Burns brought some cold beans to him, and, hungrily, ravenously, -the man reached for them. They watched him while he ate, more like a -wild beast than a human being, and later Pop brought him a cup of -steaming coffee. When he had finished this he sighed with relief and -wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His voice, when again he -spoke, was stronger. - -“Boss,” he said, turning to Mr. Manley, “I don’t deserve this. By -rights you should have thrown me out on my neck. Instead you--” he -hesitated, and waved his arm in an expressive gesture--“you treat me -like a man instead of like a--a mangy dog.” He gulped, and his -listeners shifted uneasily. “I ain’t worth it. I’m a thief--a hoss -thief an’ a common robber. Once I-- But we’ll let that go. I ain’t -got yore money, boss,” he said suddenly, and looked up appealingly. -“I ain’t got a cent of it left.” - -“You spent it?” Mr. Manley asked sharply. - -“I been robbed,” The Pup continued, and gulped again. “Been robbed -of everything I had except the hoss, an’ he ran away. For three days -I been walkin’--tryin’ to find some one--any one--tryin’ to find -food--” - -“Who robbed you?” - -“Denver Smith an’ his bunch.” - -“Denver Smith!” Jake Trummer ejaculated, and bent over The Pup. -“When did yuh see them? Where are they? Have they got--” - -“Give the man a chance, Jake,” Mr. Manley advised gently. “He’s all -in. Listen Marino,” he said in a louder tone, “do you know where -Denver Smith is now?” - -“Said he was goin’ to rustle your cattle an’ follow the river to the -Border,” The Pup whispered weakly. “Wanted me to go in it with him, -but I figured I’d done enough to you. Then Denver hit me--hit me -with somethin’--” stupidly he put his hand to his head. “Hit me, an’ -took the four hundred dollars, an’ when I woke up my hoss was gone -an’ I was lyin’ near some trees. The four hundred bucks--I was -hopin’ to make Togas an’ find my sister--an’ I was goin’ to -work--buy a store, maybe--an’ send the money back to you, -boss--honest I was--every cent--” - -“And buy a few more knives with some one else’s initials burned in -the handle,” Teddy interrupted bitterly. “The story listens fine, -Marino!” - -“I ain’t lyin’!” Marino almost screamed. “It’s the truth! I wanted -to start clean! I been a long time livin’ down--what I used to be. -Then, that night--I must have been crazy, I guess. I’d been drinkin’ -too much an’ I thought I could turn a trick just once more an’ go -back home an’ live straight. My mother--I killed her, I guess, -’cause she died when she found out what I was. It was then I -promised my sister I’d give up--that stuff. Oh, you might as well -know it all,” he burst out, his words tumbling over one another as -if in agony to escape before being called back. “I was a -bandit--that knife was marked with my initials, Teddy. My real -name’s Jules Kolto--” - -“You--Jules Kolto?” Pop cried incredulously. “I heard lots about you -years ago! Then yuh are a Mex, after all!” - -“Yep, I’m Mex,” Kolto went on bitterly. “A Mex, a hoss thief, an’ a -bandit. Now you know. If yuh want to string me up, go ahead!” he -exclaimed defiantly. “I ain’t any good to nobody, least of all to -myself! So do what you want with me--an’ I won’t do no cryin’, -neither!” He took a deep breath, then a sudden tremor shook his -frame. - -“Take it easy, son,” Mr. Manley said kindly. “You ain’t in no fit -condition to be hung. What you want is rest an’ food. Hangin’ -wouldn’t make you feel a bit better. Guess you’ve learned yore -lesson. Jules Kolto! Well, well! And you been straight for so many -years only to backslide an’ have the money you stole taken from you -by another thief! The longer we live the queerer things we see,” and -Mr. Manley smiled grimly. “Yore hoss--or, rather, the one you -stole--is picketed over yonder. We found him. You took a mighty poor -way to start straight. No good ever comes of stolen money. An’ while -I ain’t a preacher, I’m preachin’ now. - -“You wanted to get to Mexico an’ see yore sister, maybe live there -the rest of yore life, an’ to do that you undid all the work of ten -years in one grand spree. Suppose you had gotten away with it? What -would yore sister have said to you? Think she’d have anything to do -with stolen money when she’d made you promise to quit? An’ what else -was that you said--that yore mother died when she found out that you -was a bandit? Then you went ahead and stole again! Humans are funny -animals,” and Mr. Manley shook his head. “I can’t figure ’em. - -“Now listen, Jules Kolto. I’ll give you another chance. You help us -find Denver Smith an’ his gang an’ get our cattle back. Then you -come home with me an’ work--work until that four hundred is paid. -Then you can find yore sister an’ she won’t be ashamed to see you. -Jules Kolto, I’m offerin’ you a chance to go straight. Will yuh take -it?” - -Jules stood up. He threw back his head and the gleam from the fire -shone on the face of a man with his jaw set firmly and with the -light of a new purpose in his eyes. - -“Boss,” he said huskily, “I’m for you! I can’t say much,--but I’ll -do whatever you want me to--barrin’ nothin’. I’ll trail Denver Smith -till we get the cattle back if I drop in my tracks doin’ it. I’ll -work my fingers off for you. Boss--will you shake?” - -There was a tense silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire, -as the hands of boss and bandit met in a firm clasp. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -Flying Bullets - - -A rosy dawn broke over the prairie. It shone on a group of men -moving quickly about. Near them the smoke from a campfire arose. A -few pans, containing the remains of a range breakfast, lay near it -on the ground. Horses were being saddled, blankets rolled, rifles -were being wiped dry from the morning dew. But there was an -orderliness about this activity, a purpose in every movement of the -figures. Every man knew exactly what he had to do, and was doing it, -swiftly and definitely. - -Teddy was tightening a cinch-strap, and he looked up as Roy called -to him: - -“Need any help? I’m all set.” - -“No thanks, Roy. I’ll make it.” The strap was quickly adjusted, and -Teddy vaulted into the saddle. - -The others were mounting now, and the party soon started to move -forward. Mr. Manley and Jake Trummer were leading, while Teddy, Roy -and Jules Kolto, the latter seeming like a new man after his sleep, -followed directly behind. The rest rode along in the rear. Kolto was -astride the pinto he had stolen, but now he sat with his head held -firmly and his chin thrust forward. He was a hunted thief no longer, -but a man. - -Down toward the river the line of riders swept. They came fast and -silently. In the crook of each right arm rested a rifle. On every -face was a look of fixed determination. - -The sun was high when the leaders held up cautioning hands, and the -column of horsemen stopped suddenly. - -“There’s a bunch of cows just ahead,” Mr. Manley said tensely. -“Can’t tell yet if they’re ours, but I think they are. Now ride slow -an’ easy. We’ll come up careful an’ have a look.” - -Once more the riders started forward, this time spread further -apart, so that they came upon the cattle from different directions. -Pop was the first to single out a cow and look at her brand. Then he -rode swiftly toward Teddy and Roy, who were nearest. - -“They’re ours, boys!” he yelled. “I spotted the ole X Bar X brand in -a minute! When I invented that, long ago, I figgered it would be -easy to see at a distance! Yep, boys, they’re here!” - -“Tell dad!” Roy called. “Teddy, we’ll ride around them and see where -his dis-honor, Denver Smith, is!” - -Spurring their ponies forward, the two boys flashed over the ground, -making a wide circle around the milling cattle. - -“Looks like the cows are all safe!” Teddy yelled as he sped along. -“Now for Denver Smith!” - -Behind Teddy and Roy came Bug Eye and Nat Raymond, bending low in -their saddles, holding their rifles in readiness. Their pistols were -loose in the holsters, should close range fighting hamper the use of -the longer barreled rifles. - -The four punchers dashed over the ground. Now they came to the head -of the cattle herd. - -“They ought to be near here!” Teddy shouted, referring to the -rustlers, “unless they got scared an’ beat it!” - -But he saw almost immediately that this latter was not so. From the -opposite side of the herd four men came riding, their guns out, -their horses in a lather of foam. - -“Spread!” Roy yelled. “Get apart! And fire low--they’ll kill us if -they can!” - -As the approaching rustlers came closer, their guns began to bark. -Bullets whined overhead, and Teddy answered with a shot from his -rifle. But this weapon was useless on the back of a rearing bronco. -The boy thrust it into his saddle holster and drew his six-gun. - -The four rustlers were bunched together and coming like a flying -wedge. Teddy realized the wisdom of Roy’s shouted advice to “spread” -when he took quick aim at the group and fired. One of the rustlers -gave a wild yell and clapped his hand to his side. - -“Hope that was Denver,” Teddy said to himself grimly. “Let ’em have -it, Roy!” he yelled. “Pepper ’em!” - -Roy was doing that very thing. The bullets of the rustlers were -coming uncomfortably close, and when they swept past, Roy saw one of -them take deliberate aim at Pop Burns and pull the trigger. The -veteran lurched, recovered himself, and, wheeling his pony about, -followed the outlaws. - -“Hurt bad, Pop?” Roy called, his face white. - -“Nope! Shoulder--left!” Pop shouted back. “All right. Go get ’em!” - -Greatly relieved at Pop’s answer, Roy sped onward. He thought that -the rustlers would seek to escape, but this did not now appear to be -their plan. They had worked hard to drive the cattle thus far, and -were not going to give them up without a struggle. - -However, they changed their minds when Mr. Manley, Jake Trummer, and -the others came into sight from beyond a rise. - -The boss of the X Bar X had ridden in from the south side, trying to -see if the cattle were indeed his, but the two men and their -companions had whirled about as soon as they heard the firing. Now, -with guns out, they rode for the rustlers. - -Leading the attackers who were in the reserves, was Jules Kolto. The -pinto he was on had outdistanced the others, and, before he knew it, -he was face to face with the four cattle thieves. - -“Denver!” Teddy heard Kolto yell, “I want you!” - -There was a reply from the group of thieves, but it was -unintelligible to Teddy. Then a single shot snapped and Kolto swayed -in the saddle. Releasing his hold, he fell heavily to the ground, -while his pony, mad with fright, raced on without him. - -Teddy and Roy reached his side at the same instant and leaped from -their horses. The rustlers were in full flight now, so there was no -danger that they would attack the boys on foot. - -As Roy leaned over the former bandit, Kolto grinned faintly. - -“Got me--at last,” he gasped. “Denver--shot me. That’s poetical -justice--or somethin’--ain’t it? One bandit shoots another!” - -“Where did you get it?” Teddy asked quickly. - -“Chest--” and Kolto went into a fit of coughing. When it subsided he -asked: - -“Where’s Denver?” - -Roy pointed silently, and, pushing himself up on one elbow, Kolto -stared over the prairie. In the distance four horsemen were burning -up the ground. They were beaten--they had failed. Two of them had -bullet holes in their skins. The score was even. - -“Good riddance,” Kolto whispered. “Say, where’s yore dad?” - -Mr. Manley rode up at the moment. He had ordered the chase -discontinued, as useless. They had got their cattle back. What good -would it do to kill the rustlers? - -Mr. Manley had seen Kolto fall, but he knew Teddy and Roy were -nearer than he, so he had continued to gallop after Denver Smith. -But now the fight was over. Mr. Manley rode up to where Jules Kolto -lay and quickly dismounted. - -“What’s the trouble, son?” he asked solicitously. He bent over and -ripped Kolto’s shirt open. There was a small wound in the right -shoulder. He turned the man over gently, and found a corresponding -hole at the back. The bullet had passed completely through. - -“Whoever used a bullet like that is a mighty poor judge of -firearms,” Mr. Manley said grimly. “You’re lucky, Kolto. Not a -chance of your passin’ out. The bullet hit your collar bone and -knocked you off your horse. You got a nice hole in you--but that’s -all it’ll amount to.” - -“I--I won’t die?” Kolto asked, sitting up and looking uncertainly -about. - -“Nary die! You got to work fer me, young feller! No, don’t get up -yet. We’ll bandage you first to stop the bleedin’. Where’s that -other cripple? Pop, come over here! What do you mean ridin’ around -with a forty-five bullet bouncin’ around inside you? Get off that -bronc--an’ quick! You bald-headed ole hoss-wrangler!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -Meet the Wife - - -Into the ranch yard of the X Bar X rode ten men--ten tired, dusty, -but triumphant men. Their job had been done. Every Durham had been -driven all the way from Whirlpool River Ranch to their own range, -and once more safely enclosed within their own fences. The long -journey was completed. They were home again. - -The whole ranch turned out to welcome them. Mrs. Manley, her eyes -shining with happiness, walked down the steps of the porch. A moment -later the front door opened again, and Belle Ada, Ethel and Nell -came rushing out. - -“Hello, Dad!” Belle called shrilly. “Hello, Roy! Climb down off that -bronco and give your sister a kiss, Teddy!” - -“I’ll think it over,” Teddy laughed, and slid off his pony. “Hello, -Mother! Back again as good as new!” - -Ethel Carew and Nell Willis were frankly delighted to see the boys -again. They demanded the story of the trip “with complete details,” -as Ethel said, and sat with wide-eyed fascination as the story was -related. - -Teddy insisted on telling of Roy’s fight with the eagle, though he -had not seen it, because he said “Roy was too modest.” It lost none -of its excitement by his recital. - -Mrs. Manley was anxious to learn if any one was injured, but her -husband, with a wink at the boys, asked her if she ever heard of any -one getting hurt at a picnic. - -“Of course, sometimes they fall into the brook an’ get wet,” he -added, with a grin, “so Teddy an’ Roy had to do that, too. But we’re -all home now, an’ hungry. Think we can stop this gab-fest long -enough to eat?” - -It was then three o’clock in the afternoon, so Mrs. Manley decided -to have an early supper. She went to help Mrs. Moore, the -housekeeper, and her daughter Norine prepare the meal, while Teddy -and Roy continued the tale of their adventures at the urgent request -of Nell and of Curly. - -By five o’clock all was in readiness for the adventurers’ first meal -since their arrival home. When they entered the long dining room, -they saw that the table had been enlarged by the addition of many -leaves and that there were places set for every one of the punchers. - -“Celebration,” Mrs. Manley said, as she smiled. “Teddy, go and tell -the boys to come in. And don’t forget Sing Lung. We want everybody! -Tell every man on the place to come!” - -“You bet I will, Mom!” Teddy shouted, and made for the door. In a -few minutes he was back, followed by a crowd of grinning, jostling -cowboys. Jules Kolto had recovered sufficiently to return with them, -and he, of course, was included in the invitation, although he -protested that “he wasn’t fit to eat with honest folks.” - -Pop Burns was there, with his shoulder conspicuously bandaged. He -was accorded the place of honor--next to the boss. Sing Lung, -chatting like a parrot, was placed near Jules. Teddy and Roy sat on -either side of their mother, while Belle, Ethel, and Nell were -distributed about “to keep the boys from scrappin’ over the -chicken,” Mr. Manley laughingly insisted. - -The punchers were a bit bashful at first to be eating in “the big -house,” but this soon wore off. There are few punchers who stay -bashful in the presence of roast chicken and cranberry sauce. There -was but one fly in the ointment. Gus Tripp was not there. Holding in -his hand a glass of water, Mr. Manley arose. - -“Boys,” he said, “I want to propose a toast--that right, Mother?--I -want to propose a toast to an absent member. Fellers, here’s to Gus -Tripp--may he some day come back to us!” - -Nick Looker, who was sitting next to Teddy, jumped to his feet. - -“Wait, boss!” he exclaimed. “Don’t drink it yet! I been waitin’ fer -this! Hang on to yore seats a minute!” and he ran out of the door -toward the yard. Roy and Teddy looked at each other with surprised -faces. What was Nick up to, for Pete’s sake? - -They saw in a moment. The door flew open, and on the threshold stood -Gus, not alone, but holding by the hand a blushing girl! - -“Boss,” he said, “meet the wife!” - -Jules Kolto started. He staggered to his feet, trembling. - -“Sister!” he cried, and opened his arms to the girl. - -“Jules!” She rushed to him, sobbing and laughing at the same time. -“Jules! You here? Oh, Jules, I thought I’d never see you again!” - -Gus stood as though turned to stone. - -“What--what--” he stammered. - -“Oh, Gus, this is my brother!” the blushing young wife cried, and -running to him pulled him forward by the hand. “My brother, Gus! -Don’t you understand?” - -“Well, not very good--” Gus muttered, then his face cleared and he -thrust out his hand. “Joe,” he said, “I don’t know what this is all -about, but if she’s yore sister, shake! We’re brother-in-laws.” - -“Brothers-in-law,” Bug Eye corrected. “The plural here takes the -possessive case.” - -“Gus,” Mr. Manley said haltingly, “so yore back? Son, I’m glad! Put -’er there! I’m sorry I--” - -“Boss!” Gus interrupted, “you needn’t be sorry for nothin’. It was -all my fault--the whole blame thing. But, boss, see what it got -me--ain’t she a beauty?” And he looked at his wife proudly. - -“She sure is, Gus! Now let’s get this thing straight. Nick -Looker--where is that bowlegged wild man? Where’d you find Gus, -Nick?” - -“He wandered back two days after Teddy an’ Roy left,” Nick chuckled. -“He’d been all the way to Togas, Mexico, an’ got married--You tell -it, Gus!” - -“Well, boss, it was this way,” Gus began, as he gripped an arm of -Teddy and Roy affectionately. “You know I was worried about not -gettin’ no letters from the lady here--I mean my wife,” and he -blushed. “You know, Teddy--I told you about it. Gee, ain’t it funny -to have a wife? Well, she didn’t write for a long time, so I got -worried, an’ started to--do some things I shouldn’t. I thought she’d -threw me down.” - -“But, Gus, I did write, every day!” his wife interrupted. - -“Sure she did!” Nick burst out. “Gus, that dumb postmaster down at -Eagles mislaid the letters! I got ’em now in my bunk--a whole raft -of ’em!” - -“You have? Well, I’m a ring-tailed doodle bird!” Gus said slowly, -and sat down. “An’ I went an’ got sick, almost, with worry, an’ let -the cattle stray ’cause I went to town an’ got drunk, an’ all this -happened because the postmaster lost my letters! -Can--you--beat--that?” - -“Golly, Teddy, he’s right!” Roy exclaimed. “Snakes, it’s just like a -story! We went up Whirlpool River--got tipped over--found The -Pup--had the fight with the rustlers--everything--all on account of -some missing letters! Golly, that’s funny! If Gus had gotten those -letters he never would have neglected the cattle, would you, Gus?” - -“Nope, not me! I hardly knew what I was doin’, I was so worried. I -thought you was dead, or somethin’,” and he felt bashfully for his -wife’s hand. When he caught it, after not much trouble, he went on: - -“An’ that’s the way it was. So I heads fer Togas, after the boss -lets me out, an’ goes straight fer the little girl here. So we gets -hitched an’ come home!” - -“You did come _home_, Gus,” Mr. Manley murmured. “This is your home -from now on!” - -“Oh, Dad, isn’t this too romantic for words!” Belle Ada burst out. -“And all this happened because the letters Mrs. Tripp sent were -mislaid! But, Gus, didn’t you know your wife was Joe Marino’s -sister?” she asked, her eyes wide. - -“Nope! That’s one too many for me, even now. His name’s Marino, an’ -hers is--I mean was--Kolto. I don’t see--” - -“Gus, if you do any more thinkin’ you’ll get a headache!” Mr. Manley -exclaimed, laughing loudly. Then he clapped his re-engaged cowboy on -the back. “Pull up that chair an’ dive into this here roast chicken! -Now, boys, I’ll drink that toast I started--here’s to Mr. and Mrs. -Tripp. May they live long an’ happy an’ never have more than one -scrap a day!” - -“Bardwell!” Mrs. Manley chided, and smiled. “I’m sure Gus and his -wife won’t have one single dispute as long as they’re married!” - -“Well, I don’t reckon we will either; hey, honey?” Gus exclaimed, -and glanced at his wife lovingly. “Boss, you ought to see this -little girl ride. I want to match her with Teddy some day. Honestly, -boss, she--” - -“Gus, sit down!” his wife, her face pink, pulled his arm. “They -don’t want to hear all that.” - -“Sure we do!” Roy declared. “Jules, you sit over next to your -sister. I guess Sing Lung won’t mind if you leave him. Will you, -Sing?” - -“Me no min’ anyt’ing! Me happy--Me likee loast chickee velly, velly -much! You glandflather--him do too,” and he proceeded to test the -capacity of his mouth. - -“He means so does your old man--an’ he’s right, at that!” Mr. Manley -laughed. “Sing Lung, you’re not gettin’ ahead of the boss at chicken -eatin’!” - -Jules Kolto, a happy smile on his face, took the place Roy had -indicated. He had forgotten entirely about his wound, and with good -reason. This was his sister--the girl he had stolen for--the girl he -had traveled many weary, long miles for, only to have the money, for -which he had sacrificed so much, taken from him and himself left to -wander three days without food, until he had found Mr. Manley. This -was the girl--here, sitting beside him! No wonder he held his head -high, no wonder his eyes sparkled! - -Gus, pulling his chair close to his wife, obeyed the instruction of -the boss to “dive in.” But his eating ability was somewhat hampered -by the fact that he used only one hand. The other was elsewhere -engaged--as was his wife’s. - -All these friends we shall meet again in the next volume, to be -called “The X Bar X Boys on Big Bison Trail.” - -Of course Teddy and Roy will be there--in fact, very much in -evidence. But now watch them at the table, surrounded by the boys -who had been their companions in many adventures. Teddy is holding -up a drum-stick from which the meat has been cleanly picked and -waving it around his head. - -“As our friend Shakespeare said,” he exclaimed, “the world is a -stage--an’ I’m glad I got a ring-side seat!” - -“_I’ve_ got,” came from Bug Eye. “The plural takes the possessive -case.” - -“Sink him! He’s got that Fishmobile of his on the brain, an’ he’s -seein’ double!” Pop Burns called out. “Roy, you get him to race his -Fishmobile against Star--an’ I’ll bet your bronc wins; hey?” - -Roy looked around at him and grinned. Then he took a deep breath, -reached for a chicken wing, and said: - -“I’ll tell a maverick!” - - THE END - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - - This Isn’t All! - -Would you like to know what became of the good friends you have -made in this book? - -Would you like to read other stories continuing their adventures -and experiences, or other books quite as entertaining by the same -author? - -On the _reverse side_ of the wrapper which comes with this book, -you will find a wonderful list of stories which you can buy at the -same store where you got this book. - - Don’t throw away the Wrapper - -Use it as a handy catalog of the books you want some day to have. -But in case you do mislay it, write to the Publishers for a -complete catalog. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -THE TOM SWIFT SERIES - -By VICTOR APPLETON - -Uniform Style of Binding. Individual Colored Wrappers. - -Every Volume Complete in Itself. - -Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. Tom Swift is a -bright, ingenious boy and his inventions and adventures make the -most interesting kind of reading. - - TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP - TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE - TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS - TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE - TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER - TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON - TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP - TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL - TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS - TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH - TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS - TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE - TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT - TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER - TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS - TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS - -Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -THE DON STURDY SERIES - -By VICTOR APPLETON - -Individual Colored Wrappers and Text - -Illustrations by WALTER S. ROGERS - -Every Volume Complete in Itself - -In company with his uncles, one a mighty hunter and the other a -noted scientist, Don Sturdy travels far and wide, gaining much -useful knowledge and meeting many thrilling adventures. - - DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF MYSTERY; - - An engrossing tale of the Sahara Desert, of encounters with - wild animals and crafty Arabs. - - DON STURDY WITH THE BIG SNAKE HUNTERS; - - Don’s uncle, the hunter, took an order for some of the biggest - snakes to be found in South America--to be delivered alive! - - DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD; - - A fascinating tale of exploration and adventure in the Valley - of Kings in Egypt. - - DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE; - - A great polar blizzard nearly wrecks the airship of the - explorers. - - DON STURDY IN THE LAND OF VOLCANOES; - - An absorbing tale of adventures among the volcanoes of Alaska. - - DON STURDY IN THE PORT OF LOST SHIPS; - - This story is just full of exciting and fearful experiences on - the sea. - - DON STURDY AMONG THE GORILLAS; - - A thrilling story of adventure in darkest Africa. Don is - carried over a mighty waterfall into the heart of gorilla land. - -Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - -THE RADIO BOYS SERIES - -(Trademark Registered) - -By ALLEN CHAPMAN - -Author of the “Railroad Series,” Etc. - -Individual Colored Wrappers. Illustrated. - -Every Volume Complete in Itself. - -A new series for boys giving full details of radio work, both in -sending and receiving--telling how small and large amateur sets can -be made and operated, and how some boys got a lot of fun and -adventure out of what they did. 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