The Mystery of the Wild West Bandit

  Jasper saw the children approaching. He waved them to sit in the empty chairs at his table. “Please, join me,” he said, smiling.

  “Maybe we can find out what he and Connie were talking about,” whispered Jessie. The children smiled and joined Jasper Beebe at the table.

  “Thank you for inviting us to join you,” said Henry. He introduced his brothers and sister.

  “Connie told me about you,” said Jasper. “She said your grandfather is an old friend of Bart and Nellie.”

  “That’s right,” said Henry. “Grandfather was friends with Nellie and Connie’s parents when they first built Wildcat Crossing.”

  “We’re here to help!” said Benny. “We’re having a cattle drive this afternoon.”

  “I wondered why those big longhorns were in the paddock by the parking lot,” Jasper said. “That will be, uh, interesting.”

  Violet noticed that Jasper looked nervous, like he had when he was close to Tricky Trigger.

  “Wildcat Crossing has sure come a long way,” said Jasper, wiping his brow. “I’ve been trying to convince Bart and Nellie that they can make money if they sell it.”

  Violet noticed Connie looking at them. She wondered if Connie could hear their conversation.

  Jasper looked over at Connie and she ducked into the kitchen.

  “I don’t think that Bart and Nellie want to sell Wildcat Crossing,” said Jessie.

  Jasper leaned close and whispered, “Connie really wants to sell it,” he said. “She told me so this afternoon. She is part owner!”

  “Bart doesn’t want the spirit of Wildcat Crossing to get lost,” said Benny.

  “Why would that happen?” asked Jasper.

  “Because it would be fake like a Hollywood set,” said Violet. “Wildcat Crossing honors the Old West.”

  “You children seem to know a lot about Wildcat Crossing,” said Jasper. “My buyer wants to honor the Old West, just as Bart and Nellie do,” he said.

  “That’s not what it sounds like to Bart,” said Henry. “He asked you to leave and said that he would never sell.”

  “Well, maybe you children can convince him,” said Jasper. “Please tell Bart and Nellie that my buyer is not like Dastardly Dallas.”

  “We’re just guests of Bart and Nellie,” said Jessie. “We don’t want to pry into their business.

  “That’s right,” said Henry. “But we would like to help find out who the bandit is that keeps making trouble for them.”

  “Do you know anything about that?” Jessie asked.

  “Why, yes,” said Jasper. “Connie told me about the trouble that’s been happening here.”

  “Bart and Nellie are very upset about it,” said Henry. “Especially the threat to steal Tricky Trigger!”

  “Oh my,” said Jasper. “I thought they were all just harmless pranks!”

  “The note said Trigger would disappear forever if they didn’t sell Wildcat Crossing!” Benny blurted.

  Jasper looked up sharply. “That is terrible,” he said. “Um, may I see the note?”

  Henry pulled the note from his pocket and unfolded it for Jasper.

  Jasper peered at it and looked troubled. “I know nothing about any of it.” He gathered up his empty sarsaparilla bottle and the paper from his sandwich. “It was very nice visiting with you,” he said. Jasper Beebe headed for the saloon door.

  “He acted like he knew something,” said Jessie.

  “He seemed upset about the threat to make Trigger disappear,” said Violet.

  Henry was thinking. “That’s true. He thought the mishaps were harmless pranks until Benny told him about the note.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Benny. “Was that supposed to be a secret?”

  “It’s okay,” said Jessie. “I’m glad you mentioned the note.”

  “He seemed to change when he saw the note,” said Henry.

  “He left really quickly after that,” said Violet.

  “What are you all so serious about?” Nellie came over and sat down in Jasper’s vacant chair. She had a barbeque sandwich and a bottle of sarsaparilla. “I noticed you were talking to that pest, Jasper Beebe.”

  “Yes,” said Violet. “He was very nice until we showed him the note about Tricky Trigger.”

  “That is interesting. I don’t trust that man,” said Nellie.

  Just then Connie screamed.

  “Oh, for pity’s sake, now what?” Nellie cried. She and the children raced to the kitchen.

  Connie was standing in the middle of the kitchen. “Oh shoot, I’m sorry,” she said. “There was one of those horned toads under the kitchen sink. It scared the spit out of me!”

  “You grew up around lizards and snakes,” said Nellie. “You used to have a horned toad for a pet! What is wrong with you lately?”

  “It’s nothing,” said Connie. “I’m sorry to scare everyone.”

  “Where is the horned toad?” asked Benny. “I’d like to see it!”

  Connie laughed. “I scared the poor thing back through the hole in the wall,” she said. “But you can spot them in the desert all the time if you look very carefully.”

  “Okay,” said Benny. “I’ll look for one!”

  Just then Dapper Dallas yelled from outside the saloon. “Clear the road, everyone! Cattle coming through.”

  “That’s our cue!” said Benny. The children said so long, raced back to their table, cleaned up their mess, and headed outside. It was time for the cattle run!

  CHAPTER 8

  The Round Up!

  The tourists gathered along the sidewalk as Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny ran to the stable. Wanda let Tricky Trigger entertain the crowd. Dallas busied himself riding up and down the street. He announced the upcoming cattle drive and waved. Violet noticed that he was wearing a new outfit. This one was a flashy black and yellow shirt and pants and a yellow ten-gallon hat. His boots were bright yellow.

  When the Aldens arrived at the stable, Jack McCoy was grumpier than usual. “I’ve been waiting for you kids,” he griped. “I had your horses saddled up thirty minutes ago. I couldn’t leave them.”

  “We’re very sorry,” said Henry. “Thank you for waiting for us!”

  “Get going so I can get back to my chores,” said Jack. He helped Benny and Violet get on Mutt and Jeff as Jessie and Henry mounted their horses.

  They thanked Jack again. Then they trotted their horses over to Wanda and Dallas.

  “Here we go!” yelled Dallas. He spurred Blackie and raced past the crowd. Wanda followed on Trigger, and the Aldens galloped their horses to keep up.

  “Yee hawwwww!” Dallas yelled. He whooped as they galloped up the road.

  But when they got to the paddock, the gate was open. The cattle were gone. Dallas circled Blackie around the fence. He shaded his eyes with his hand and looked around.

  “Looks like that bandit got our dogies!” he said.

  “Dogies?” asked Benny.

  “Sure, partner,” said Dallas, laughing. “Get along, little dogies!” He trotted Blackie to the big parking lot, looking around.

  “It’s another word for cows,” whispered Jessie.

  “This is bad,” said Wanda. “We borrowed ten Texas longhorn cattle just for the festival. They are worth a lot of money.”

  “We must find them!” said Jessie. “Bart and Nellie don’t need more trouble.”

  “Look,” said Violet. “There’s a piece of yellow paper taped to the fence.”

  “I’ll get it!” said Benny. He rode Jeff across the muddy paddock and grabbed the note. “It looks like the same purple handwriting as before,” he said. “But I need help to read it.” Benny rode over to Jessie and handed her the note.

  “It says, Sell Wildcat Crossing now or things will only get worse for you!” said Jessie. “The handwriting looks the same as the other note.”

  “The swirly r!” said Benny. “That’s what I saw too.”

  “Oh dear,” said Wanda. “These threats are getting more serious.”

/>   Just then Dallas reappeared. “I can’t find them anywhere. I’ll tell Bart and Nellie what happened. You all can look for the cattle.”

  Dallas raced back down the road without another word.

  “He was sure in a hurry,” said Henry. He put the note in his pocket.

  “He seemed almost happy that the cattle were missing,” said Violet.

  “Dallas loves drama,” said Wanda. “He thinks he’s an actor. Come on, let’s track down those cattle. Hopefully they were just set loose and not trucked away.”

  They noticed hoof prints coming out of the open gate and followed them up the road.

  “There are no tire tracks,” said Henry. “So maybe someone just opened the gate.”

  “Let’s hope so!” said Wanda. They rode their horses along the road, following the prints.

  “I think you’re all good actors,” said Benny. “The show was fun!”

  “You children did a great job,” said Wanda. “You got the audience involved.”

  “You seem to love Trigger,” said Violet.

  “Yes, he’s my buddy,” said Wanda. “I always look forward to working with him at the festival. The rest of my life is not that exciting!” She laughed.

  “What does everyone do when they aren’t working at Wildcat Crossing?” asked Jessie.

  “Jack is a construction foreman, which might be why he’s so bossy,” said Wanda. The children giggled. “Dallas is an aspiring actor who plays in his community theater. Otherwise he works at a tire store. Me, I drive a city bus.”

  The cattle tracks turned down the same dirt lane that led to the old barn. Wanda and the Aldens steered their horses to the lane.

  “So you see, we have a lot of fun doing this in our free time each year. It’s exciting and different.”

  “Connie says she is stuck here,” said Violet.

  “That’s right,” said Wanda. “She lives and works here all year, managing the museum, souvenir shop, and restaurant with Bart and Nellie. She wants to pursue her music career but can’t do that from this faraway place.”

  “That’s sad,” said Violet.

  “Hey, look,” said Benny. “Are those our cows?” He pointed at some cattle grazing in the distance.

  “They are cows, that’s for sure,” said Wanda. “Let’s get a closer look.”

  They guided their horses closer. “Yep, I see the star brand and those telltale long horns.”

  “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…” Benny counted. “…Nine, ten!” he said. “That’s all of them!”

  * * *

  The tourists applauded as Wanda and the Alden children herded the cattle into town.

  Dallas appeared on Blackie. “Okay, everyone, let’s continue with the show,” he said.

  “We’re ready,” said Wanda.

  The children all nodded. They took their places around the ten cows, keeping them still.

  “You can see how the famous Texas longhorn cow gets its name,” he announced. “These amazing creatures are related to the first cattle ever brought to the United States.”

  The audience admired the huge twisted horns on the cattle.

  “Now Miss Wanda and Trigger will show you how we cut a cow away from the herd,” said Dallas.

  Wanda and Trigger separated one of the cows from the group. Then she let Trigger’s reins go. Trigger leaned left and then raced right as the cow tried to rejoin its herd.

  “As you can see,” continued Dallas, “Tricky Trigger is also a mighty fine cutting horse!”

  The audience applauded as Wanda and Trigger herded the cow down the road. The cow stopped and Trigger kept it from running back. Finally Wanda pulled up Trigger’s reins, allowing the cow to rejoin its family. The cow raced back, mooing and shaking its head.

  “That cow is glad to be back with its friends,” said Benny.

  “She sure is,” said Jessie.

  “We cut a cow for different reasons,” said Dallas, “like when it needs medical attention. It’s all part of the cattle drive.” He nodded to Wanda as she rejoined the group. She nodded back.

  “Driving cattle is an Old West tradition,” said Wanda. “Cowboys on horseback moved huge herds of cattle from their pasture to the market.”

  Dallas walked toward the little herd as Wanda talked. The children divided up on either side of the herd. Benny stayed behind with Dallas. The longhorns looked around and started walking.

  “Millions of them were herded for hundreds of miles,” Wanda said. “They only walked a short distance each day. They didn’t want the cattle to lose weight. So a cattle drive could take a very long time!”

  The Aldens and Dallas slowly circled the little herd back up the road to where the audience stood.

  “That’s right, Wanda,” said Dallas. “The famous Chisholm Trail was almost a thousand miles long. It took the cowboys over two months to make the trip.”

  “So, children, are you ready to drive these cattle?” asked Wanda, smiling.

  “We’re ready!” said Benny. Wanda and Dallas stood back as Henry, Violet, Jessie, and Benny coaxed the little group of cattle back up the road. The audience applauded and cheered.

  “Dallas sure takes his acting seriously,” said Jessie.

  “Yes, he seems to enjoy the many roles he plays,” said Henry.

  They saw Jack McCoy standing at the gate of the paddock. “Bart says we better lock them up until we know who’s messing up things around here,” he said. He kicked at a pile of fresh hay nearby. The cattle went rushing into the paddock, splashing mud and dirt. Jack shut and locked the gate with a chain and padlock.

  “Nice job,” he said, brushing his muddy jeans. “I’m going to town for some supplies. Do you remember how to put away your horses?”

  “Yes,” said Henry. “We’ll take care of them, don’t worry.”

  Jack snorted as he stomped over to a truck in the parking lot. The children watched as he drove away. They noticed that Jasper Beebe’s car was gone. They walked their horses back to the stable.

  “He said nice job,” said Jessie. “We’ve never heard him say anything that kind.”

  “And he trusted us with the horses,” said Violet. “I don’t think Jack McCoy is a bandit.”

  “He’s just a grump,” said Benny.

  “I’m not sure,” said Henry. “Jack had time to hide Trigger and mess up the costumes. And he may have put salt in the water tower. We weren’t here for that.”

  “But we also saw him take Tricky Trigger to the stable after the show,” said Jessie. “Jasper said that he saw the cattle when he got there just as the show started.”

  “Jack had to saddle up our horses and then stay with them until we got there,” said Henry.

  “Plus he had to open and close the curtains during the play and take care of Trigger,” said Violet. “He was too busy to be the bandit!”

  “I don’t think Jack is the bandit,” said Henry.

  “Jack is just a grumpy man who loves horses,” said Violet. She smiled.

  “We still have other possible bandits,” said Jessie. “I just hope we can find out who it is before things get worse.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Fancy Handwriting

  The children passed a few visitors heading back to their cars. The people were smiling and talking. Several waved as the children rode by. “Nice job! Thank you!” said one man. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny waved and smiled.

  “We had a wonderful time in Wildcat Crossing,” said a woman. She held hands with two little children. They all smiled and waved at the Aldens.

  “Not everything went wrong today,” said Jessie.

  “We had lots of fun!” said Benny.

  “If we can figure out who the bandit is, then it will be a perfect day,” said Henry. “We still have work to do.”

  Back at the stable, the children removed saddles and bridles from their horses. They put the items into the tack room. Then they carefully groomed their horses. They spotted Trigger nodding from his sta
ll. Wanda had already come and gone.

  “Who is the possible bandit now?” Jessie asked. “We decided that Jack isn’t the bandit.”

  “I’m glad that the bandit isn’t Jack,” said Violet. “And I like Calamity Connie too.”

  “Connie wants to sell Wildcat Crossing,” said Henry. “She doesn’t like being stuck here.”

  “She could have moved Trigger,” said Jessie. “Remember how she was out of breath?”

  “That’s true,” said Violet. “And she likes purple. The notes were written in purple ink.” Violet sighed.

  Jessie slowly brushed her horse and thought. Suddenly she remembered something. “Connie was on stage, in the audience, or in the saloon all day. We saw her,” she said. “She was never muddy or dusty. Whoever let loose the cattle would have gotten dirty.”

  “That paddock is awfully muddy,” agreed Henry. “But Connie could have slipped backstage and changed her clothes,” said Henry.

  “And messed up the costumes at the same time,” said Jessie.

  Violet thought of something. “Wait! Do you know who changes clothes quickly?”

  Her siblings looked at her, confused.

  Then Jessie nodded. “Dapper Dallas!” she said.

  “Yes!” said Violet. “He disappears and reappears in a new outfit very fast!”

  “That is interesting,” said Henry. “We didn’t think Dapper Dallas was the bandit. He wasn’t wearing cowboy boots when Trigger was taken.”

  “But he changes clothes very quickly,” said Jessie.

  “And shoes,” said Violet.

  “But it doesn’t make sense,” said Jessie. “Why would Dallas want to sell the town to a Hollywood producer? He seems to love his job here.” She brushed her horse’s mane as she talked. “I think Jasper Beebe could be our bandit. He showed up right after Trigger was taken.”

  “He keeps showing up whenever there is trouble,” said Henry. “That’s what Nellie and Bart said.”

  “And he was here when the costumes were messed up,” said Violet. “We saw him.”

  “His suit was very clean,” said Jessie. “I don’t think he let the cattle out or he would be muddy.”