CHAPTER XXVI--MORNING AT RODNEY'S RANCH
Boo-oo-oo-ng!
"Horn ob Gabrul! what am dat?"
Toots gasped the words, as he sat up and stared about him in thesemi-darkness.
Boo-oo-oo-ng! boo-oo-oo-ng!
"Wek up, chilluns!" gurgled the colored boy. "De crack ob doom hab come,an' ole Gabrul am tootin' ob his horn fo' suah!"
"Shimminy Gristmas!" grunted Hans, as he sat up. "Vos dot a Dexascyclones vot you hear?"
"Gol darned if it don't saound like a kaow bellein'!" said EphraimGallup; "only a heap laouder."
"Is it a stameboat we're on, Oi dunno!" murmured Barney, sleepily. "It'sth' foghorn Oi hear."
Rap! rap! rap! Rapp-er-ty-bang!
Some one was hammering on the door, and a voice called:
"Turn out--turn out for breakfast!"
"That was the breakfast horn, boys!" laughed Frank. "We must get ahustle on, for this is the day of the great tournament on Rodney'sRanch, and we are here for sport. Ye have been promised dead loads offun. Up, fellows--up!"
The boys scrambled to their feet. None of them had fully undressed, andthey had been sleeping in blankets spread on the floor of a large roomin the ranch house.
Through the open window, which was on the eastern side of the house, apink glow could be seen in the sky. In a moment, as it seemed, the rimof the sun came into view, and morning had dawned with startlingsuddenness.
"Oh, thunder!" grumbled Bruce. "The night was not half long enough. I'dlike to sleep about five hours longer."
"That's natural with you," chuckled Harry, as he drew on his shoes. "Youare always tired."
"Can't help it," admitted the big fellow. "I was born that way. Thissporting tour is killing me. How'd we happen to know anything about thiscowboy racket, anyway?"
"Oh, I'm onto all that's going," smiled Frank.
"That's right enough," agreed Bruce; "but you didn't know a thing aboutit at noon yesterday, and we were on our way eastward over the Texas andPacific. None of us expected to stop short of Fort Worth, but, of asudden, you yank us off the train at Stanton and run us out here to thisranch, without a word of explanation. When we arrive here we arereceived with open arms and made to feel as if we had been expected.I'll acknowledge that I don't understand it."
"Your eyes were not sharp, old fellow," said Frank. "Had they been, youwould have seen that we were invited here."
"By whom?"
"The daughter of the man who owns this ranch."
"Not the girl Miss Burrage met on the train?"
"Yes."
"How did Miss Burrage happen to know her?"
"The rancher's daughter went abroad last winter, and they becameacquainted in Italy."
"And so she invited Inza here when they met by accident on the train. Isthat the way of it?"
"Sure. Inza told her she and Miss Gale were traveling with us, and MissRodney made the invitation include the whole of us. I was glad enough toaccept it when I learned there was to be a regular cowboy tournamenthere to-day, to end to-night with a dance."
"That's all right," said Bruce, "if you'll let us be spectators. I don'tsee any sense in getting out and trying to beat the punchers at theirown tricks."
"Don't let that worry you. I am not chump enough to try to do any trickwe'll not have an even show at. We'll see a bit of cowboy sport here,and our tour eastward would not have been complete without it."
"That's so! That's so!"
The others of the party were very enthusiastic over the prospect of aday of sport on a Texas cattle ranch.
"All right," grunted Bruce. "You fellows may hoe in and have all thesport you like. I'll keep still and look on."
It did not take the boys long to dress and prepare for breakfast.
Bill Rodney, the rancher, greeted the boys heartily, his free and easymanner making them feel that they were quite welcome.
"Sorry I had to stow you chaps the way I did, but every room in the oldranch was filled," he said. "If I'd known in advance that you werecomin', I'd had better accommerdations for yer."
"We couldn't have asked for anything better," declared Frank,pleasantly. "I didn't know but you might think it an imposition for usto come the way we did, as----"
"My little gal asked ye, didn't she? Well, that settled it. What Sadiedoes goes on this ranch, you bet! If she invited the whole of Texashere, I'd do my best to entertain 'em. There'll be a few people herebefore night, and I want you chaps to sail right in and have the besttime you can. Come on to breakfast."
They entered the big, low dining-room, trooping in after their host.
There were seats at the long table for twelve persons, and Toots hadasked the privilege of showing them how a real "cullud ge'man" couldwait on the party. This privilege had been granted, and he haddisappeared to the kitchen.
Inza and Miss Abigail Gale were on hand to greet the boys, and then, oneby one, the lads were introduced to a very pretty girl in a morninggown.
This was Sadie Rodney, the rancher's daughter, with whom Inza had becomeacquainted in Italy.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Miss Abigail; "what a crowd of men! It reallymakes me feel timid!"
She did not look at all timid, for she had a face that was almostmasculine in its sternness, and she never seemed flustered.
The rancher sat at the head of the table, with Miss Rodney at the foot,having Miss Abigail and Inza on either hand.
Frank had a seat near Inza, while Hans was placed beside the spinster.
Then Toots appeared in a white apron, and breakfast began, with themorning sunshine streaming into the windows and lighting a pleasantscene.
"Now I want you to make yourselves right at home," said the rancher,sincerely. "We ain't able to put on so much style here as my gal hasbeen accustomed to away at boarding school and travelin' abroad, but wehave fodder that's fit to eat. Now, don't blush and shake your head atme, Sadie. It's all right. The boys don't expect me to put on frills,and I'd make a mess of it if I did."
He laughed heartily, and the girl blushed all the more.
"Oh, father!" she exclaimed, reprovingly.
"Ha! ha!" laughed Rodney, in his rough, hearty manner. "I know it's rudeof me, but it's hard to learn an old dog new tricks."
Then he leaned over to Diamond, who sat near him, and whispered loudenough for every one present to hear him:
"Don't you think I've a mighty fine gal? She's cost me a heap of money,but I don't care. I'd spend all I've got on her. Look at her! Have yougot any handsomer gals than that in the East?"
"If so I have not had the pleasure of seeing them," said Jack,gallantly.
Quite naturally, this confused the girl still more, and Frank hastenedto crack a joke and tell a bit of a story to turn attention from her.
Merry saw that she was really ladylike and refined, for all of herhonest father's good-natured coarseness, and her position had distressedher not a little.
Hans tried to be very attentive to Miss Abigail, but she repulsed him,so that he was very crestfallen after that, not a little to theamusement of the others.
The breakfast progressed merrily.
While it was going on a horseman came dashing up to the house, walked upto the dining-room window, leaned on the sill, and looked in.
"Howdy, Rodney," he said, in a familiar manner.
Then he lifted the broad-brimmed hat from his dark curls and bowed toSadie. After that he held the hat under his arm while he stood by thewindow.
He was a handsome fellow in his way, having a drooping black mustacheand an imperial, while his dark eyes were keen and piercing. There wasabout his face a devil-may-care look, as if he feared nothing thatwalked on the face of the earth.
He was puffing carelessly at a Spanish cigarette, held by his full redlips, which showed beneath the mustache.
"Morning Charlie," said the rancher. "Glad to see you on hand so early.Are the boys from the Lone Star comin' up?"
"The whole of Concho Valley will be here to-day," returned the ma
n atthe window. "It is bound to be a big time, Rodney."
"That's whatever. Bill Rodney don't do anything by halves. When did yestart?"
"Midnight."
"Wal, it's a right smart ride. Give yer horse to Kemble and come in tobreakfast. You can have my chance here."
"Thank you; but I'll wait till you are through."
Then he strolled away, his handsome horse following him like awell-trained dog.
"Who is he?" asked Frank.
"That's Indian Charlie, foreman of the Lone Star Ranch," answeredRodney. "He's the best shot and roper in Texas, and the most recklessrider I ever saw. He was born in the East, and went to college, butskipped after shootin' another chap in a duel over a girl. Lucky forCharlie, t'other chap didn't die; but Charlie never went back, and nowhe has the most remarkable aversion for all tenderfeet of any man I eversaw. You all want to be right careful not to git him r'iled, for he isworse than a wild steer on the rampage when he's mad. He has a way ofshootin' first and talkin' it over afterward."
"Such a fellow as that needs to be taught a lesson," said Frank. "Someone should take the trouble to teach him, too."
"No one who knows him dares take the trouble to try."
"That's strange. I had an idea cowboys were not afraid of anything."
"It is plain you do not understand what a dangerous man Indian Charlieis, Mr. Merriwell," said the rancher's daughter. "You must be sure tokeep away from him, as you cannot be sure he will not take offense atsome trivial thing and force you to apologize."
"Indeed!" smiled Merriwell, lifting his eyebrows. "This man grows moreand more interesting to me."
"Yaw, he peen very inderestin mit me," broke in Hans. "I vos goin' tokept meinself a goot vays near off from him."
"Miss Rodney," said Harry, "you have said just enough to arouse FrankMerriwell's curiosity, and now he will not be able to keep away fromthis Indian Charlie. He is certain to do something to stir Charlie up atthe first opportunity."
The girl turned pale.
"Don't do it, Mr. Merriwell, I beg of you!" she cried. "You will simplyhumiliate yourself, for you will be forced to apologize to save yourselffrom being shot."
Frank laughed.
"Don't let that worry you, Miss Rodney," he said. "I assure you there isno cause of alarm. I am not going to chase him with a chip on myshoulder."
But those who knew Frank best were certain he would not seek to avoidtrouble with the foreman of the Lone Star, and they felt a foreboding ofcoming trouble.