CHAPTER IV
A NEW ARRIVAL
The few remaining days of June passed swiftly and it was nearing thetime set for the annual games at the ranch, which were to be held onthe Fourth of July. Mason had received word that his car had arrived,and starting out early one morning for Trader's Post with Scotty andBuck Miller, he drove the machine back to the ranch, giving Scotty theride of his life.
Buck Miller was left behind with orders to bring the horses in, a jobhe accepted with relief when he saw Mason and Scotty flash by him atexpress speed.
"Don't want to ride in any contraption like that," he growled tohimself as he watched the car disappear in a cloud of dust.
There still remained two days for the men to get ready for the varioussports, and they were hard at it when Mason drove his racer into themidst of them with Scotty clinging on for dear life.
Mason said afterwards that he left his finger prints on the car door.The boys crowded about the machine, making various comments andkidding Scotty who was trying to catch his breath.
"Well, boys, what do you think of her?" queried Mason as he stood offand looked his racer over.
"A hoss is plenty good enough for me," spoke up Joe Turner with adrawl. "What do you think about it?"
He turned to Scotty with a grin.
"That's not a fair question for Scotty to answer on his first ride."Mason interposed, with a hearty laugh. "We burned the wind some ingetting here and Scotty was up in the air most of the time."
Josephine and her father had now joined the group and Mason noticedthe eyes of the girl sparkle as she stood close and admired the trimlines of the racer.
He had not found a chance to talk with her since the Trader's Postincident. It appeared to him that she had deliberately tried to avoidhim, a fact which puzzled him not a little bit.
He had learned on inquiry that the incident at the Post had beensettled by the ranch owner. He had learned the particulars from hisforeman and was for discharging the halfbreed on the spot, butJosephine had interceded with such good results that her father hadrelented and promised to give the roan another chance. The ranch ownerhad warned him to go straight in the future or he would be kicked offthe ranch.
The girl's manner was a puzzle to Mason and he determined to meet hercoolness with unconcern. He had befriended the Spanish girl as any manwould have done under similar circumstances.
He was turning these thoughts over in his mind when he happened tolook up and saw the girl smiling at him. His resolution vanished inthin air when she requested him to show her the fine points of theracer.
Josephine proved an apt pupil and was listening eagerly to hisexplanation of the workings of the car when they were interrupted byan exclamation from Tex.
"Here comes Buck riding like he was mad," he was saying, as he gavehis belt an extra hitch and shaded his eyes with his hand.
Mason looked up and made out a horseman coming towards them leadingtwo horses. It was Buck Miller, and as Tex said, he had been ridinghis horse until it was almost winded. He seemed to be in a surly moodand it was some time before he answered the ranch owner's question asto why he had ridden so fast.
"Well, I've just come from the Post, and had a run-in with thedamnedest freak of a man that it's ever been my misfortune to see," heexploded at last.
The ranch owner breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't see why thatreason should call for a cowboy to run his horse to death and toldBuck as much in plain words.
"Must have been some man to get you riled up that way," Scotty cut in,smiling broadly.
Buck silenced him with a withering glance.
"Wait until I tell you how I come to meet up with this nut," Buckretorted, addressing the ranch owner. "And see if you wouldn't havegot all het up same as I did."
The boys gathered around him and at a nod from the ranch owner hecontinued.
"After Mr. Mason and Scotty left in the machine, I figured I would gointo the hotel, have a few drinks and play a game of pool.
"I had the drinks all right and had lit a cigar and was waiting forsome one to turn up that could play pool, when the door opened and thefreshest duck in loud clothes I had ever set eyes on came strollingin, walked up to me, calmly took my cigar out of my mouth, lit a cheapstogie with it, and in a voice like a girl, said:
"'Lovely morning, isn't it?'
"I don't know why I didn't kill him on the spot. He plumb took mybreath away. When I got my wind back I pulled my gun and covered him.
"'Stranger,' I said in a hard voice, 'I've killed men for less thanthat.'
"'Oh, but these are not worth it, you know. I buy them in thousandlots,' he said in his woman's voice, referring to his stogie andsmiling at me sweetly.
"Then, before I could answer, he asked me if I knew where the Bar Xranch was located, said he was coming out to Mr. Walters' ranch for along stay as his health was bad.
"I answered him by saying his health wouldn't survive his nerve if Ihad anything to do with it. He wanted me to show him the way out here,and I told him to find his own way.
"As I left, he called after me that I could expect him out here assoon as he could find a horse.
"He's crazy, or I'm a fool," growled Buck in conclusion, wiping thesweat from his forehead.
The ranch owner's face wore an amused smile as he listened to theexpressions of indignation that arose from the men at Buck's recital.Some were for giving the stranger a warm reception when he arrived,while others insisted that he was probably a harmless lunatic.
"Well, boys," said the ranch owner, breaking in on their conversation,"we won't worry about Buck's _find_ until he gets here, and whenhe comes I want you men to refer him to me before you start any roughwork. You may knock off training for the day."
This advice was taken as a command by the men and they silently madetheir way to the corral. Mason drove his racer to the shed where heintended to give the engine a general inspection.
That night he had a long talk with Bud Anderson. He gave the latter aminute description of his encounter with the hunchback at the Rickerranch. He also told him of the hunchback's revelation that Ricker hadknown Mason's father in the past and harbored a deadly hatred for hisson. When Mason came to this part of his narrative, Bud whistled andlooked keenly at him.
"So, Ricker has got you mixed up in his crooked designs, too," he saidat last, a steely look coming into his gray eyes. "What do you make ofit?"
"I don't know what to make of it," Mason confessed.
"I wrote home to father telling him of the incident, and expect ananswer soon, which I hope will clear the mystery up. I didn't knowthat my father had an enemy in the world."
"All big and successful men have," Bud replied kindly, as he noticed atroubled look in the other's face, "cheer up, Jack, and we'll run thisthing to earth together."
The two men shook hands in sincere friendship and talked far into thenight. Mason told Bud of the rich trimmings of cowboy paraphernalia hehad discovered at the Ricker ranch and his own impressions of thegeneral air of mystery that surrounded the place. The news threw Budinto a deep study. Mason was more than ever impressed with the strongpersonality of the foreman and sheriff.
The day set for the games broke bright and cheerful. A group ofcowboys had gathered around the corral. They were laughing andjesting, and it seemed to Mason they were just like a lot ofschoolboys, all good-natured and jolly. He had taken a position closeto the corral with Josephine and her father where they were waitingfor the first event of the day to be pulled off. It was to be a horserace between Red Sullivan and Scotty. It promised be an excitingcontest, and they were exchanging good-natured raillery while they satin their saddles waiting for the signal to start.
Bud Anderson was master of ceremonies and raising his gun in the air,sang out:
"Ready! Go!"
The words and the report blended together and the racers were off.
Mason witnessed some of the finest riding it had ever been his fortuneto see. The men were to race over a given c
ourse, picking up objectsoff the ground tied up in handkerchiefs, wheel, and continue their runto the corral.
The yelling of the cowboys broke into a roar as it was seen that RedSullivan had taken the lead. Mason's blood tingled with excitement asthe men cheered their respective favorites. The ranch owner's face waswreathed in smiles while Josephine was clapping her hands and cheeringfor Scotty, as he had always been a favorite of hers.
As the riders made the turn and started on the home stretch it wasseen that Scotty had pulled slightly into the lead. It was a straightrace now with nothing to pick up, and the riders urged their mounts tothe limit, with both horses again running neck and neck.
When almost to the goal, Scotty threw his horse forward in a lastheroic effort, flashing by the judge, the winner by a few feet.
A cheer went up from the cowboys as they crowded around Scotty toshake his hand.
"Guess I win that Stetson hat, don't I, Red?" he called out to hislate opponent, his eyes twinkling.
"You sure do," answered Red, his manner a trifle piqued, "but thisthing ain't settled for good. I mean to have another go with you andit won't be so close next time."
"Any time or place will suit me," answered Scotty cheerfully.
The next contest was to be a roping duel between Buck Miller and PeteCarlo the halfbreed. Buck had protested against having anything to dowith the greaser, as he had named him in contempt, but Bud's reasoninghad prevailed and Buck finally agreed to go on with him.
Bud Anderson, acting as the judge, was explaining the rules for theexpert ropers to observe, when a commotion was heard from some of thecowboys at the far end of the corral.
"Here comes Buck's friend," yelled a cowboy from this group.
All looked, and sure enough, it was the stranger that Buck had toldthem about. Buck muttered something suspiciously like an oath, andglanced at Mason. The latter was intently watching the newcomer. Allsport came to a standstill, and eyes were turned towards the stranger.He was near enough for them to see that he rode a small horse, or elsehe was a very tall man for his feet just cleared the ground. He wasriding at a snail's pace and fanning himself with a wide rimmed hat. Asuit that fairly groaned with loud checks graced his tall and angularform.
Silence fell upon the group of cowboys as they watched the apparitiondismount in front of them.
Dismount is not the word, for he simply stuck his feet on the groundand let the horse walk out from under him, after which he turned andfaced the cowboys.
"Somebody dead?" he questioned, gazing solemnly at the group, andbowing blandly to each one.
"I take it, this is the Bar X ranch," he rattled on, before anyonecould speak.
"Yes, you've hit it," came quietly from the ranch owner. He was tryingto figure out if this stranger was a freak or a fool.
"Met one of your men the other day, nice pleasant fellow," the freakbegan again, in his small piping voice.
He smiled serenely at Buck Miller. That worthy's face turned blackwith anger.
"My name is Ed. MacNutt, at your service," the stranger rambled on. "Iinquired at the hotel for a good place to recruit up, as the doctorsays one of my lungs is affected. From the hotel man's description, Itake it you're the proprietor of this outfit, and I ask you to let meput up here until I feel strong again."
The request seemed fair enough, and after a short talk with his wifethe ranch owner told MacNutt he could stay with them, after firstwarning him against the fresh way he talked to the cowboys.
It was arranged for him to have quarters at the bunk house. On accountof the delay caused by MacNutt, the match was called off between thehalfbreed and Buck Miller, much to the latter's satisfaction.
The next event was to be a wrestling match. Tom Powers, the man thatMason disliked, was one of the contestants. He soon proved himself asuperior wrestler, throwing all his opponents in rapid succession, andboasting loudly that he could throw any three men on the range withinan hour's time.
Mason had been observing Powers' methods closely, and remarked to Bud,who stood close by, that the wrestler appeared muscle bound.
He had spoken in a low voice, but Powers overheard him and a sneercame into his face.
"Perhaps the dude would like to try me out!" he said insolently,motioning towards Mason, the sneer curling the corners of his mouth.
Mason felt the hot blood rush to his face. Quickly throwing off alight sweater which he wore, he stepped towards Powers. Anderson andthe ranch owner caught him by the arm, telling him it would be madnessto wrestle Powers, as he was regarded as the champion for milesaround.
"Oh, let him come on, and I'll show him up," sneered Powers.
Mason laughed in his face.
"I'll go on with him," he said briskly to Anderson.
Walking up to Powers he said, "I am going to warn you, Powers, thatI've wrestled before, so be on your guard. I don't wish to take anyunfair advantage of you."
"Bluff," sneered Powers, glaring at him.
MacNutt was apparently enjoying himself to the fullest extent. He washere, there, and all over, talking to each and every person as if hehad known them all his life. Ambling up to Josephine, he whispered:
"Young feller's got it all over the other guy," pointing to Powers.
The girl nodded. She wasn't sure if she liked this stranger or not,and just now, she was worried for fear the Easterner would get hurt.
The wrestlers were circling about each other looking for an opening.Suddenly they came together with Mason underneath. Powers triedseveral holds which he broke with ease. There were surprised remarksfrom the men, who had expected to see the Easterner crushed. The girlwas staring with wide open eyes expecting every minute the life wouldbe crushed from his body.
"Didn't I tell you?" said a voice in her ear, and turning she beheldthe stranger again.
"Oh," she cried with a shudder. "Do you really think the young fellowhas a chance?"
"Sure thing," he answered in his high pitched voice. "The young lad ismerely playing with him."
The girl rewarded his assurance with a grateful smile and turned herattention again to the two men. Mason had broken every hold hisopponent had tried and had the fellow pretty nearly winded.
Baffled at every turn, Powers resorted to dirty work. He fouled Masonagain and again, until the latter worked to his feet and cautioned himagainst fouling. As he was protesting, Powers rushed in and securing abody hold, lifted Mason off his feet. As he felt himself falling hetwisted his body in the air, bringing Powers underneath him and pinnedboth his shoulders to the ground, scoring a clean fall.
There was a burst of applause from the men, the girl joining in, herface radiant with smiles.
All present had thought sure that Mason would lose the first fall whenthey had seen him lifted off his feet. This was scientific wrestling,and the men began to appreciate it. Powers was furious over his defeatand swore the fall was a trick. The black nature of the man had Masonfighting mad by this time, and when the next bout was called, hedarted in on Powers.
What followed brought a cry of wonder from the crowd. Powers' heelshad described an arc in the air; and he fell with such force that helay stunned. Mason had secured a hold called _the flying mare_and had used it with telling effect.