Produced by Roger Frank and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book wasproduced from images made available by the HathiTrustDigital Library.)
The weird old Zuni Witch Doctor whirled around, lookedat Billie, raised his hand and made a threatening gesture.]
THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER
or
The Hidden Treasure of the Zuni Medicine Man
By Frank Fowler
Author of
"The Broncho Rider Boys On the Wyoming Trail," "The Broncho Rider Boys at Keystone Ranch," "The Broncho Rider Boys Down in Arizona"
A. L. BURT COMPANY
NEW YORK.
Copyright, 1914
by A. L. Burt Company
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.--THE THREE RANCH PARDS. CHAPTER II.--BILLIE HAS A CLOSE CALL. CHAPTER III.--ON THE TRAIL TO THE ZUNI VILLAGE. CHAPTER IV.--THE STRANGE SHOT. CHAPTER V.--RIVAL DEER HUNTERS. CHAPTER VI.--A LIVELY SCRIMMAGE. CHAPTER VII.--THE WITCH DOCTOR. CHAPTER VIII.--THE MAN WHO VANISHED. CHAPTER IX.--THE POISONED SPRING. CHAPTER X.--LOST IN THE SAND STORM. CHAPTER XI.--AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. CHAPTER XII.--THE LONG NIGHT. CHAPTER XIII.--THE PANGS OF STARVATION. CHAPTER XIV.--THE ZUNI SNAKE CATCHER. CHAPTER XV.--A MEETING WITH THE MEDICINE MAN. CHAPTER XVI.--THE BLANK WALL. CHAPTER XVII.--A SECRET OF THE SACRED MOUNTAIN. CHAPTER XVIII.--THE STRANGE HABITATIONS OF THE ZUNIS. CHAPTER XIX.--WHERE LADDERS WERE STAIRS. CHAPTER XX.--BILLIE AND THE SHOWMAN. CHAPTER XXI.--A TREMENDOUS SCHEME. CHAPTER XXII.--ANOTHER WARNING. CHAPTER XXIII.--THE STEALING OF THE SACRED BELT. CHAPTER XXIV.--A DESPERATE SITUATION. CHAPTER XXV.--THE COMING OF DONALD. CHAPTER XXVI.--THE RATTLESNAKE DANCE. CHAPTER XXVII.--HOMEWARD BOUND. CHAPTER XXVIII.--AT THE END OF THE ROPE. CHAPTER XXIX.--THE MEDICINE MAN'S SECRET. CHAPTER XXX.--BILLIE MAKES A DISCOVERY--CONCLUSION.
THE BRONCHO RIDER BOYS ALONG THE BORDER
CHAPTER I.
THE THREE RANCH PARDS.
"We'll never get another chance like it, fellows!"
"No more we won't, Billie."
"And so I say let's stay around this section till we see all there is."
"That's what Adrian remarked, Billie, before you put your oar in."
"Oh! well if it's a unanimous vote, why, I reckon the whole thing mightbe called settled then, eh, Donald?"
"We'll stay for a while, anyhow. You know our saddle chum, Adrian, isgetting just wild to take a run away up into that Northern range countryin Wyoming, where in times gone by they used to have big cattleranches."
"Yes, I've heard him say he was uneasy about that ranch he owns upthere, but hasn't seen for so long. It's being run by an uncle namedFred Comstock, and our pard has a sorter idea that it's more profitableto Uncle Fred than to him. So he thinks he'd better take a jaunt up thatway unbeknown to all parties, and see for himself. And Donald, when hestarts there'll be _three_ of us in the bunch, won't there?"
"Sure thing, Billie. You don't think we'd go and let our right-handbower trail away off like that alone. Look at him smile when he hears mesay that. Adrian knows we'll stick as close to him as a burr, don't younow, old fellow?"
"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear you talk that way, boys," replied thethird member of the little group standing on a rocky height, from whicha very fine view could be had of that mountainous mining section ofArizona; and the presence of three spirited cow ponies near by told justhow the boys, who were in range costume, must have come there.
For the benefit of those who have not had the pleasure of making theacquaintance of these wide-awake lads in previous stories of thisSeries, a minute or two might profitably be taken up here and now intelling a little about them, so that something of their character andaims may be understood.
Donald Mackay was the son of a ranchman who not only owned a vast tractof land in the Far Southwest range country, but had interests in minesas well. Adrian Sherwood was his chum, and had been for a long timeback; while the fat chap, whose rosy and freckled face seemed bubblingwith good humor most of the time, had not been out in this wild regionmany moons.
In fact, being Donald's cousin, and a Southern boy by birth, though hisfolks now lived in the North, Billie had been sent down on a year'svisit to the cattle country for the sake of his health!
To look at him no one would suspect that this was in any degreeimperiled; for he was terribly stout, and at times fairly waddled; butthat was the trouble; and it was hoped that the free life of the range,with all sorts of hard riding, and kindred sports, would not only reducehis girth, but harden his flabby muscles.
Already Billie was another boy. He had lost twenty pounds, so heclaimed, and called himself as "hard as nails," whatever that mightmean. Certain it was that he could ride in a manner that astonishedthose who were liable to secretly sneer at his clumsy appearance; and asfor pluck and endurance, why Billie was as stubborn as an army mule,once he set out to accomplish anything.
At first he had ridden a demure old nag named Maudie, that was alwaystrailing so far behind those mounts of his comrades Wireless and TenSpot, when they rode forth, that Billie just made up his mind he wouldnever stand for it. So he had Mr. Mackay give him an unruly cow ponycalled Jupiter, that few of the punchers cared to ride; and for weeks inand weeks out Billie had his regular daily stunt with that raging beast.
How many times he went over its head no one knew, for they had lost allcount; but somehow the fat boy seemed to bear a charmed life, for hishurts were all of a minor character. And in the end he won out, just asthe others knew he would; for given time running water can wear away astone. And now Jupiter was under perfect control, save for an occasionallittle spasm, when his old ugly nature tried to show itself for achange.
These three lads had seen considerable excitement around Keystone Ranch,as the home place was called; and later on Donald had been sent downinto Arizona when his father, being disabled, could not come; in orderto settle some troubles that had arisen in connection with a rich coppermine, in which he and some others were heavily interested.
An unscrupulous syndicate of capitalists, headed by one Colonel Deering,a close neighbor of the Mackays, but who had always been on bad termswith the other ranch-owners, had secured a footing in the copper mine,knowing of a very rich lode that had just been discovered; and tried byevery means in their power to freeze out the other stockholders, evenengineering a serious strike that threatened to be the ruination of thewhole property.
But Donald, assisted by his two chums, had skillfully managed to alterthe complexion of affairs during their visit, as related in the secondbook of the Series; making friends with the leader of the strikers in away that was at once wonderful and lucky; so that in the end those whohad been trying to foment trouble had to throw up their job and decamp,for the miners all came flocking over to the side of Donald, and gladlysigned contracts to work for his father for a term of years, under thenew and favorable terms.
Of course Billie had another name, and perhaps it would be as well tomention all there is to say in that connection right here and now, sothat agony will be over with.
He had been christened William Stonewall Jackson Winkle, for, as can beseen, his father or grandfather must have at one time fought under themost beloved general known to the Southern Lost Cause. Some of his boyfriends delighted to call him "Little Billie" and "Wee Willie Winkle,"just because he was anything but small. But when he got out there in thecattle country, the cowboys of the ranch, seeing his natural clumsiness,in a spirit of fun quickly dubbed him "Broncho Billie," never dreamingthat the fat boy would show such grit as to conquer that terror of thecorral, Jupiter Pluvius. And nowadays no
one ever thought of calling himby any other name.
Billie had done considerable reading when at home, and one day whilethey were still roaming all around the wild rocky region that surroundedthe Red Spar mine he had asked a lot of questions about the ZuniIndians, saying that he had always longed to see for himself if half thequeer stories he had heard and read in connection with these quaintpeople of the rock houses could be true.
He knew that they were not more than three days' ride right then andthere from a Zuni village, and every little while he had pestered thelife out of his chums, hinting at the great and glorious opportunitythat was right then knocking at their doors, and which might never comeagain.
And now that Donald had admitted, under severe cross-questioning, thatboth he and Adrian had long ago decided to see all there was to beobserved while in that section of Arizona, of course Billie was fairlyoverjoyed.
Billie was the best natured bungler any one ever knew. No matter what amess he made of things, when one of his chums started in to take him totask, his blue eyes would take on such a reproachful expression, whilehis jolly broad face was apt to expand in such a smile that made itimpossible for them to feel in the least degree angry; and so it alwaysended in a general laugh all around, and Billie solemnly promising neverto do it again--until the next time.
These three lads were seen so much on their ponies that they had come tobe known all through the section of country where Donald's father hadhis ranch as the "Broncho Rider Boys;" and they took considerable pridein living up to their reputation as good horsemen.
Having come out from the mine on this particular day to investigate aplace that Corse Tibbals, the superintendent at the Red Spar Mine hadtold them was worth seeing on account of the view, as well as the factthat it had more venomous reptiles to the square foot than any othersection of the State, they had prowled around, and used the glassesAdrian carried, until tired.
Then Donald and Adrian had thrown themselves down, saying they wouldtake it easy for another half hour, when it would be time to make astart on the return trip, if they wished to reach the mine before nightset in.
Broncho Billie kept on "rooting," for he always loved to "browse around"as he called it, in every old place he could find, looking for curiousthings to add to the collection he was making of strange objectscalculated to astonish his boy friends at home in the East, when hereturned there later on.
"I've heard a heap about that blessed Gila Monster," he had told theothers on several occasions since starting out on this day's gallop andclimb; "and perhaps now we might run across a single specimen, wherethere are so many venomous toads and rattlesnakes and such. Oh! don'tshake your wise old heads, and look at me in that way. Just you makesure I ain't going to touch anything like _that_! I've been duly warnedby Si Ketcham the ranch foreman, and also Harris over here at the RedSpar Mine, to keep my distance. But if I could only get a specimen, andstuff it, I'd be a happy Broncho Billie."
Ten minutes afterward the two who were resting heard him calling tothem.
"Oh! just come over here and see the rattlesnake cage I've struck,fellows! Must be a regular nest of the varmints, dozens and dozensasunning themselves down in this rocky pit."
"Hold on there, be careful, Billie, what you do!" called Donald, as heand his chum scrambled to their feet; but it was only to hear a wildscreech from the fat boy; and then followed a terribly significantrattling of shale that struck them with a cold chill.