Chapter XVIII
PREMONITION
The Adventure Girls, with their companions, rode along briskly throughthe bright sunshine. They were all anxious to reach the spot where theoutlaws had been as soon as possible so they did not dawdle along theway.
"Gale and Val don't know what they're missing," Janet declared as theyjogged along. "It's not every day you can join in a chase for bandits."
"But just think of them lounging around eating big chunks of fudge,"Carol said mischievously.
Janet frowned on her. "Must you give voice to such disturbing thoughts?If they don't save me a piece, I'll never forgive them," she addeddarkly.
"What's the matter with you?" Virginia asked Phyllis as the latter rodealong between Virginia and Tom.
"I?" Phyllis laughed, "I've got a funny feeling that I'd like to runback to the ranch. Call it a premonition or----"
"A hunch," supplied Tom. "Well, it's about time we called a halt. I'mthirsty," he declared, sliding from his saddle and approaching thelittle stream beside which the party had halted.
The afternoon was wearing fast away and long shadows were appearingunder the trees.
"Say, Sheriff, when do you reckon we'll find these fellows?" Tom wantedto know.
"'Bout two, three hours yet," the Sheriff replied.
"That means we'll be riding back to the ranch in the moonlight," put inMadge.
"For which three cheers," added Janet. "I like night riding."
When they remounted, Phyllis declared her intention of returning to theranch house. It took a bit of determination to persuade the others toleave her, but she was firm about it and finally watched them ride offwithout her. Then she turned her horse and headed back to the K Bar O.She was in no hurry now, so she let her pony proceed at a leisurelywalk.
It was strange, this feeling she had, that she should go back to herfriends. She could not tell why she should feel so. There was certainlynothing that could happen to them at the ranch. Yet she had that queerfeeling that there was something doing, something in which she shouldhave a part.
She looked up at the setting sun. It would be dark before she reachedthe ranch house and, she plotted mischievously, she would surprise Galeand Valerie. Pounce on them all unaware. Behind her sounded the beat ofhoofs and Tom rode into sight.
"Hi, there!" he called. "Wait up for a pal."
"Going home, too?" she demanded.
"Yep," he nodded, reining his horse in beside hers. "I thought you mightget lost, so I'll be your guide."
"Was it me or was it Val's fudge," Phyllis asked suspiciously, "thatmade you decide to come along?"
"Well now," Tom drawled, a twinkle in his eye, "I reckon the fudge wasan added inducement."
"I thought so," laughed Phyllis.
"That hunch of yours must have been strong to take you back to theranch," Tom declared after a while.
"It's strange," Phyllis frowned. "I can't account for it."
"Hunches are funny things," Tom agreed. "Sometimes they're right andsometimes--well, sometimes they're not so good."
"Do you get them?" Phyllis asked.
"Lots of times," he agreed. "I remember once a couple years ago, I wasout night riding with the herd. I made up my mind to return to the ranchin the middle of the night. I came to a fork in the trail and a hunchtold me to take the trail to the right, so I did. Well, all of a suddenmy horse balked and refused to budge another step. He was right stubbornabout it too. I reckon I called him everything I could think of and usedmy whip a lot, too. But he just set back on his haunches and refused togo on.
"It was so dark I couldn't see a thing of what was ahead an' thoughtmaybe Dusty was afraid of something. Usually he was the best-behavedhorse on the K Bar O."
"What did you do?" Phyllis asked interestedly.
"I got down and took out my flashlight. I got a habit of carryin' alight with me, and turned it ahead of us. Did my hair stand on end! HereI had been trying to drive him off a sixty-foot cliff. All he would havehad to take was one step to land us both in kingdom come."
"He had good reason to be stubborn," Phyllis murmured in awe. "I didn'tknow horses had such sense!"
"Yep, you can trust a horse's judgment in preference to a man'ssometimes," Tom said. "Especially in the country out here."
They rode along, chatting amiably, while the sun sank farther andfarther out of sight.
"Boy, am I hungry!" Tom declared. "I hope Loo Wong has supper ready."
"But he doesn't know we're coming," Phyllis reminded him.
"Surely Gale and Val intend to eat," Tom said. "There will be enough forus, too."
When they rode into the ranch yard it was dark and the windows of thebunkhouse and the ranch house were gleaming yellow. Three horses stoodsaddled by the corral. When Phyllis and Tom rode up and dismounted, Tomwent across and examined the horses curiously. He was back at Phyllis'side in a moment.
"Something funny going on here," he said in a low undertone. "The placeis too quiet to be natural."
"My hunch was right," Phyllis murmured in return. "But what is it? Don'tyou know those three horses?"
"No, never saw 'em before," he answered. "Let's go to the bunkhouse andsee if we can find Loo Wong."
Cautiously they crossed the ranch yard and peered in the bunkhousewindow. Phyllis involuntarily caught her breath at what they saw.
Loo Wong was seated against the wall and directly in front of him,across the table, his back to the window and door, sat another man, adirty, unkempt individual. The latter had his feet propped on the tableand a rifle aimed squarely at Loo Wong's head. Loo Wong was glaringfruitlessly at his enemy. The situation was highly injurious to hisoriental pride and this disgusting individual was keeping him from hisduties in the kitchen. Wong was properly angry, but he had no desire toresort to violence and perhaps end up with a bullet in him from theother's gun, so he submitted impassively.
"What can we do?" Phyllis demanded of Tom.
Neither of the two was armed, but it was imperative that they rescue LooWong and determine what, if anything, had happened to Gale and Valerie.Tom pulled his hat, the usual ten gallon size, farther down on hisforehead and grinned maliciously.
"You stay here," he directed in a tone that brooked no argument.
Around by the door was piled firewood. Loo Wong was negligent incarrying his wood into the kitchen and usually commissioned one of thecowboys to do it, but today no one had bothered. Tom chose a piece thatwould be admirable as a club and approached the door.
Not by a glance or a sound did Loo Wong betray himself when he saw thedoor slowly open and the face of the young boss appear. He kept hisalmond eyes fixed on the man opposite him, hands hidden in hisenveloping sleeves, face perfectly impassive. What was going on in hismind it was impossible to tell.
Phyllis, watching at the window, wondered how in the world he managed tosit so perfectly still. She, herself, was almost dancing in impatience.She expected to see the outlaw whirl about and shoot at Tom any minute.It was impossible that he could be wholly ignorant of Tom's presence.She held her breath as Tom shut the door behind him and approachedcatlike to his prey. She saw the man suddenly straighten in his chairand stand up. He turned and at the same time Tom hurled himself forward.The man fired his rifle and Phyllis instinctively ducked. It wasfortunate that she did, for the bullet crashed through the glass overher head. When she cautiously raised her eyes to the window again, theoutlaw was on the floor and Loo Wong was grinning at Tom.
Phyllis left the window and ran to the door. She wanted to get up to theranch house and see if Gale and Val were safe and sound, but she wantedcompany, for something told her she might run into trouble. Ever sinceshe had seen that man guarding Loo Wong, she had a secret convictionthat the girls were in trouble. If they were, it was up to her, Tom, andLoo Wong, to get them out of it. The Sheriff and the others wouldn't beback for hours yet.
"That'll hold him for a while," Tom declared as she app
eared. He dustedhis hands and turned to the Chinese cook. "What happened, Wong?"
Laboriously and in his funny English, Loo Wong proceeded to acquaint theothers with the details of how the man had surprised him at work andheld him prisoner at the point of a gun. Of the two girls in the ranchhouse, he knew nothing. He had not known the man who accosted him hadhad companions.
"When did he come, Loo Wong?" Tom asked.
"Mebbe one, almost one hour," the Chinaman said with a shrug of hisshoulders. "Time flies."
"Don't you think we better go up to the house?" Phyllis asked Tomworriedly.
"Yes, come along, Wong!" Tom said turning to the door.
"One moment, please," the Chinaman said and disappeared into thekitchen.
"What do you suppose he is after?" Phyllis asked impatiently.
"I don't know," Tom said with a half smile. "He has a funny idea in hishead, I suppose."
He was as anxious as Phyllis to get to the ranch house. He believed,now, that the hunt the Sheriff and the others had gone on was a hoax.For some reason the outlaws had come here to the ranch, of that he wascertain, and he thanked his stars he had decided to return to the K BarO with Phyllis. He knew the men, on the day the Sheriff had arrestedthem, had sworn to get even with the two girls who were responsible fortheir capture, but he had not dreamed that they would attemptanything--above all, here at the ranch. He tried not to seem worried infront of Phyllis, but he was.
Loo Wong appeared from the kitchen brandishing his meat cleaver. Thewide, sharp blade gleamed dully in the lamplight.
"Don't aim that thing at me," Tom laughed. "What are you going to dowith it?"
"Show blandits tlwo, thlee thing," Loo Wong said gravely.
"You'll show them two or three stars if you hit them with that," Phyllisdeclared. "Let's go, Tom."
The three stepped from the bunkhouse and started across the yard. Fromthe house ahead of them came a crash and the light in the front roomwent out. A shout arose, then another.
"Stay here, Phyllis," Tom said, starting forward at a run. "Come along,Wong."
"Velly fast!" responded the Chinaman, his cleaver clasped tightly in hishand, ready to smash the first thing that accosted him.