CHAPTER VI.
TO STAND BY A CHUM.
"Why, ain't that your brand, Adrian?" gasped Billie, who was not veryquick to catch on to things, as a rule.
"Just what it is," replied the other, between his set teeth.
"Then this steer belonged to the Bar-S herd, didn't it?" the fat boycontinued, gradually approaching the point of full comprehension aboutas one might circle around and around in a whirlpool, getting nearer thecenter all the while.
"No doubt of it, Billie," Donald took the trouble to say.
"And chances were, that whole drove that was stampeded right under youreyes as it were, must a been the Bar-S herd of cattle. Gee whiz! nowwhat d'ye think of that for a warm reception? Must a been a committeeappointed to meet up with Adrian Sherwood, and let him know that thingswere moving lively up here, all right."
The idea was so vast that Billie seemed to fall into a reflective mood;just as if he needed time to grasp its full significance.
Donald turned to the other chum.
At least he was not in need of further explanations in order tounderstand just what that strange panic among the cattle stood for.
"It was a stampede with an object ahead of it, Adrian!" he exclaimed,gritting his teeth savagely together as he spoke.
Adrian simply nodded his head. He seemed almost too full for words; butapparently the other understood his feelings, for he went right on,driving in his points very much as a woodchopper might his wedge whensplitting a log.
"Those punchers were not trying to head off the herd, but shouting tokeep the long-horns running in a mad bunch," he said, positively, andgetting another affirmative nod from the other he continued: "they hadstarted the stampede themselves, and just had to keep it up until theyaccomplished their object, which it's easy to guess had the stealing ofthe beef as the chief thing."
"No wonder I've been getting such poor returns from the ranch the lastyear, if this sort of thing has been going on long," muttered Adrian.
"If it happened down near the Keystone, the ranchers would get together,and soon hunt the rustlers to the end of their trail," added Donald.
"But this is away up in Wyoming, and seems like they do thingsdifferently here," Billie woke up in time to say, wisely.
"Yes, and only because a lot of bad men have banded together, and heldthe ranch owners under their thumbs," Adrian said, bitterly. "Rememberwhat that puncher told us about these Walkers, and how they ran thingsabout as they pleased up around here, getting bolder and bolder all thewhile. But time was when they would have had my fire-eater of an uncleafter them with a hot stick, for he was noted because of his beingafraid of nothing--in those good old days before my father died."
Billie was heard from again at this juncture.
"Huh! that was before he took to himself a wife, and she one of thissame Walker breed," he remarked.
Donald chuckled, while Adrian sighed.
"It's almost impossible for me to believe such a terrible change hastaken place in Uncle Fred," the latter went on to say, shaking his headsadly; and then as if his anger began to get the better of all otherfeelings he continued: "but there's going to be a change take place inother ways too, or else my name isn't Adrian Sherwood. This wholesalestealing from the Bar-S Ranch has got to stop, even if I have to fireUncle Fred and his new wife out of the management."
"It's my opinion," remarked Donald, "that these Walkers are takingadvantage of the fact that one of their bunch is installed in the ranchhouse at your place, to just do about as they please. When they runacross a fine herd with your brand on the same, they wait around for acertain night to come along, run them off like it was common rustlersdoing the job, round them up somewhere, change the brand to one of theirown, and inside of forty-eight hours your cattle are feeding on theirrange with all signs blotted out. And I just about reckon Mrs. Fred isfixing things so her dear hubby don't dare lift a hand to prevent thisrobbery! Blood is thicker than water, they say."
Adrian ground his teeth savagely.
"That's the bitterest pill I ever had to swallow in all my life!" hedeclared. "To think of me squatting here and watching those cowardlythieves run off with a big bunch of my best cattle, and not able to lifta hand to prevent the raid! It makes me mad to the core."
"I should say it might," Billie asserted. "Why, even my blood is boilingwith indignation; and I ain't near so hot-tempered as you, Adrian. Can'tsomething be done about it?"
"Oh! what wouldn't I give to have some of the bully Keystone boys aroundright now," said Donald; "suppose we could just run across Si Ketcham,Cooney, Alkali, Magpie, Bunch and the rest, wouldn't I yell with joythough; and say, what we'd do to these onery rustlers would be acaution."
"But we're only three boys after all!" sighed Billie, sadly.
"Three boys though, who have been used to taking care of themselves thislong while, don't forget to add, Billie," Adrian burst forth; "and rightnow I'm wondering whether it would be such a very mad scheme for us totrail after those punchers to try and get my cattle back! What d'yethink of that, boys? Have we got the nerve to make a try?"
"Oh! my stars!" ejaculated Billie, rather overwhelmed by the merethought; but the prairie boy did not seem to be staggered at all.
"Adrian, if you say the word I'm itching to give you my hand on that,and go you!" Donald exclaimed with thrilling emphasis.
"Do you really mean it?" demanded the other, eagerly.
For answer the Mackay boy did thrust out his hand, and it was instantlyclasped in a savage clutch, showing how thoroughly aroused both ladswere.
"And say, whatever's doing, don't you dare forget to count me in," pipedup Billie, who was immediately afraid lest they might set out to arrangeplans that would leave him in the lurch, perhaps to 'tend camp whilethey rode off; and he was determined to rebel against such anignominious discard.
"Could we overtake the cattle, do you think, Donald?" asked Adrian.
"I reckon that wouldn't take us so very long," came the reply.
"They would soon tire out," suggested the young owner of the Bar-SRanch.
"When they passed here they showed signs of it; and if the punchers hadlet 'em, they'd soon quiet down. Reckon, Ad, they won't go many milesfurther before they just slow up, and then come to a full stop."
"Mebbe them rustlers was adriving the bunch right at some place wherethey're in the habit of changing the brands?" suggested Billie,determined to have some say in the matter, to prove that he waswide-awake, and on the job.
"Sure they must have been, Billie, and that remark shows that you've gotyour wits about you!" declared Donald; and then turning again to thethird member of the little group he went on: "if you mean it, Ad, andsay the word, why we'll pull out of these diggings in a rush, and chaseafter the herd."
"It wouldn't be very long before we'd hear the rumble again, if we keptright on the way they were heading when they passed here," observedAdrian, thoughtfully.
"That's right," Donald assured him.
"Then the only question is, could we manage the bad men who are runningoff the Bar-S stock. At a guess now, Donald, how many of them do youreckon there might have been chasing after the stampeding herd?"
Donald seemed to study for a few seconds.
"I paid particular attention to their yelling," he presently remarked;"and noticed where the shouts came from. Now, I couldn't be dead sure,Ad, but as near as I can say I'd put it down as about four punchers."
"Whee! they made a heap of noise then, for just that many," remarkedBillie.
"That's right," agreed Donald, instantly; "but when you come to knowpunchers as well as I do, Billie, you'll understand that four livelyboys when they're slapping their chaps with quirts and hats, and howlinglike mad to frighten stock, can make a racket equal to a dozen otherfellows. There may have been one or two more, but still I think four'dcover the bill, Adrian."
"That settles it!" declared the other, briskly.
"We go, do we?" demanded Billie, all of a quiver with sudden excitemen
t.
"Adrian says so," Donald told him, just as though they must look to theowner of the Bar-S outfit for guidance on this campaign, since he was inhis own country now, and his chums had accompanied him simply to carryout his wishes.
"Well, things are looking brighter already," remarked Billie; "becausethere's the old moon apeeping out, like she wanted to give us a helpinghand. Now, I ain't much on signs and such things, fellows, as you know;but seems to me like that same was a lucky omen."
"It'll give us some light to travel by, and that counts a heap,"declared Donald always practical, and not given so much to sentiment asthe fat chum, who had been a great reader of Marryatt and Cooper beforecoming out West, so that he had filled his mind with the romantic sideof open air life.
"Then the sooner we get busy the better," Adrian went on to say; andthen turning on Donald he continued: "if you're dead sure you meantthat, when I mentioned wanting to chase after these rascals."
"Let me tell you that I was just going to say the same thing myself, butthought you ought to have first chance," the other boy assured him. "Youknow me from the ground up, Ad. And why shouldn't I want to lend you ahelping hand? Ain't you my good chum; and tell me, didn't you and Billiestand by me like bricks down there in the mountains of Arizona when itlooked like Calvin Peets, the agent of the combine that was trying tosteal the Red Spar Copper Mine away from my dad and his associates,backed up by that anarchist, Laidlaw? Huh! turn about is only fair play,and it's come my chance now to stand back of my chum. Why, I'm thatcrazy to go after these rustlers that even if you held back I'd bewanting to take up the job by myself."
Adrian gave a laugh as though his last lingering doubt had been removed.
"After hearing you talk that way I'd be a silly fool to doubt anylonger," he went on to declare; "and so let's get back to our camp,start packing our duffel in a big hurry, and then make a start afterthat runaway herd with the brand of the Bar-S on their flanks!"
With which words he led the way back among the trees to the spot wheretheir blankets, saddles, cooking utensils and other things were lying.