Chapter Eighteen
On A New Trail
Slim and Lightning sped through the darkness at a mad, headlong pacethat fairly devoured distance. They passed the end of Slim's patrol andentered Chuck's territory.
Slim pulled the sorrel up short and listened. From far behind him camethe pounding of hoofs, the other Box B and Double O riders coming to thealarm but ahead of him there was only a dismal silence. The sound of gunshots had long since died away and Slim progressed more slowly.
There was a chance that he might walk into a trap, but an even greaterchance that if he hurried he might pass Chuck in the dark.
It was nerve wracking to hold Lightning down to a walk, but Slim kept upthe steady pace as the sound of the riders behind him came nearer.
Pat Beals was the first to catch him.
"What's happened?" he shouted.
"I don't know," replied Slim. "I heard Chuck give the alarm and thenthere was a volley of shots. I haven't heard a thing since then andhaven't been able to find Chuck."
Other riders joined them and they spread out to hunt for the missingcowboy. The sky was graying before they found the first clue. Joe Hainesstumbled on the trail. His gun blazed three quick shots into the sky andthey rallied to him at a gallop.
Joe pointed to a broad trail before him.
"There goes one of our choice bunches of beef," he said bitterly. "Thatmeans Chuck stumbled on the rustlers on our range."
"Comb this section again," roared Nels angrily. "Maybe they left Chuckwounded some place just out of our sight. Get him first, then thecattle."
Again the riders, grimly silent, spread out and through the early hoursof the morning they rode in search of the missing Box B puncher. It wasmid forenoon before they gathered around the chuck wagon, weary andhungry from the all-night vigil and the search.
Squatting on their heels, with pans of piping hot food before them, theylistened as Joe Haines outlined the next step in their campaign againstthe rustlers.
"It's pretty evident that the rustlers captured Chuck and forced him togo with them," he said. "The thing to do now is to go after the cattle.The trail's fresh and even though they've a few hours start, we'll beable to overtake them."
"That trail's heading for the Diamond Dot," said Nels harshly.
"I know it. Look to your guns, boys. There'll be trouble before theday's over. If any of you want to pull out now, that's all right withus."
No man moved as though to leave and after the hearty breakfast, each oneexamined his guns.
With Nels and Joe in the lead, they swung into their saddles. It was anearnest, silent group of riders that trotted south along the Box B lineto pick up the trail of the missing cattle. They found the trail andturned east into Diamond Dot territory, with the rugged foothills of theCajons only a few miles ahead of them.
Al Bass leaned over and spoke to Slim.
"Once the rustlers get the cattle to the Cajons, it will be toughfinding them. They'll break up the herd and we'll have to comb everyvalley."
Slim nodded and gave voice to his thoughts.
"Aren't we likely to run into the Diamond Dot, going through their rangethis way?"
"I'm kind of hoping we will," shot back Al. "My own hunch is that theDiamond Dot is in thick with the rustlers. If they aren't actually doingthe rustling, they know who it is. Why, the Box B or the Double O wouldnever let rustlers drive a herd across their range."
It was shortly after noon and they were well into the Diamond Dotcountry when Slim, who was now in the lead, sighted a cloud of dustcoming toward them. A few minutes later a plodding herd of cattle wasvisible and behind it was ranged a cordon of riders.
The Box B and Double O punchers paused to survey the scene. Then Joeexploded.
"What nerve!" he roared. "Those are Box B cattle and that's a DiamondDot gang riding behind them."
His hands flashed to his side and his gun leaped up, ready for instantaction, but Nels reached out a huge hand and restrained him.
"Wait a minute, Joe. They're driving the cattle toward your range. Holdyour temper and we'll see what's up."
A lone rider broke away from the group behind the cattle and gallopedtoward the visitors. Slim recognized the powerful, squat figure of HackCook, owner of the Diamond Dot.
Cook pulled up sharp and his horse reared as he jerked savagely on thebit.
"What's the idea of invading my range?" asked Cook angrily, his heavyface flushing.
"What's the idea of driving our cattle around on your range?" counteredJoe.
"We're bringing them home. Found them here a couple of hours ago andstarted back with them. I don't want those scrubs eating up my grass."
"So you found them?" drawled Nels, his light blue eyes little more thanslits under his shaggy brows. "Well, mister, let me tell you, thosecattle were rustled last night off the Box B's east line and one oftheir riders is missing. Someone's going to have a lot of explaining todo."
"I'm not explaining anything," replied Cook. "We found the cattle thismorning. Go get 'em and take them home."
"Your horse looks about worn out, Hack," put in Joe. "Must have beendoing a lot of night riding."
"We don't ride our range at night," replied the Diamond Dot boss.
"Well, anyway, your horse is about worn out. Better get another or thisnag may collapse and you'd have to walk home, which would be just toobad."
Cook growled something under his breath, but wheeled and galloped backto join his own riders. They soon drew away from the Box B cattle,heading back for their ranch house.
The Box B and Double O riders circled the herd and started it again onthe journey back to the home range.
Joe scanned the cattle with practiced eye.
"Holy mackerel," he exclaimed. "We've been gyped right. There should beat least 250 head in this bunch and I can't count more than 185 or 188."
Slim and Nels checked the number in the herd. Joe was right. At mostthere were not more than 190 in the herd.
"Which means the rustlers skimmed the cream of the herd and turned therest back. It would be too easy to trail a bunch this size. Also,turning them back allays our suspicions," said Joe.
"Darned if I don't think it was the Diamond Dot that rustled the stufflast night, took what they wanted, and started back with the rest whenthey figured we'd be on the trail," said Al Bass.
"I think you're right," agreed Slim. "I want to know what's happened toChuck."
Nels looked at the Cajons with a critical eye. "I expect the answer'ssome place in the mountains, but it would take weeks to comb them and wecan't leave our own range unprotected that long. We'll just have to playalong and hope that we can get the rustlers and find your friend at thesame time."
But Slim was sick at heart for he knew what had happened to the othercattle detectives sent into the Creeping Shadows country. They haddisappeared, never to be heard from again and he was afraid that asimilar fate had befallen Chuck.
They herded the cattle back to the Box B range and then Slim drew Joe toone side.
"I'm riding alone for a while," he said. "If I get the breaks, I'll turnup some valuable clues on the rustlers and also find Chuck."
"Good luck, boy," said Joe.
Slim turned away from the other riders and headed straight back into theDiamond Dot range. There was at least three hours of daylight left andhe soon reached the place where they had met the Diamond Dot riders.Slim pressed on along the trail of the cattle, following it into thefirst of the Cajon foothills.
There he saw that the cattle, driven at a hard pace after being takenfrom the Box B range, had been watered and the bulk of the herd turnedback toward their home range. It was evident that the rest of the cattlehad been driven in small groups into the foothills. This, in itself, didnot interest Slim greatly, for he had been convinced of what hadhappened. He was seeking a clue that would lead him to the hideout wherehe hoped he would find Chuck.
Half a dozen trails led a
way from the water hole and Slim finallydecided on one which led toward the heart of the Cajons. It was soundreasoning that the hideout of the rustlers would be in some mountainfastness.
Slim followed the trail cautiously, wary lest he ride into a trap. Thetrail branched in several places, but Slim pressed deeper into themountain country, climbing higher and higher.
The trail was well worn and he knew that it had been used recently so hekept on. To his surprise, it followed a low pass through the mountainsand it was mid evening when he reached the summit.
Behind him spread the Creeping Shadows country while to the east andnorth the moon was coming over the horizon. Far away he saw the flash ofa locomotive headlight and he determined on a new course of action.Undoubtedly this trail, unknown to anyone on the Box B or the Double Oas far as he knew, led down to the railroad, perhaps even to Mopstick,the shipping point for cattle from the Creeping Shadows country.