CHAPTER XVI.
AFTER THE RUSTLERS' RAID.
As the other herds came in the excitement grew intense. Cattle werelowing, men shouting and horses whinnying at such a rate that the twoboys changing their mind, had to make their way out to the corral tosee the last of the great drive by moonlight.
By degrees things quieted down, though there would be more or lessuneasiness manifested among the impounded cattle throughout the night.
The punchers were a noisy lot. Dozens of questions flowed in uponChunky, Dutch and the other two who managed to bring in the prize herd.This was after the news was circulated that the rustlers had been inthe act of making off with the cattle in Washout Coulie at the time theDouble Cross boys arrived on the scene.
There was much bitter lamentation heard among the unlucky ones, becausethey had been cheated out of all the fun. They could have a drive atany time, but a genuine encounter with the bold rustlers was somethingworth while.
Ned saw that Ally Sloper was playing his part as though he meant torehabilitate himself in the good graces of the owners of the ranchafter his recent unfortunate break. He even boasted of having woundedat least a couple of the cattle thieves with his fire; though Ned knewonly too well that this was untrue, since the other had shot too highfor any such damage to follow.
"He's got his nerve with him, seems like," Jimmy had remarked, ashaving been joined by Harry and Jack, he and Ned stood there watchingthe last of the cattle being driven into the big enclosure that wouldbe patrolled during the remainder of the night, so that nothing couldhappen to break the corral fence and scatter the inmates over the plain.
"That's more than Lefty Louie had then," remarked Jack.
"He went out with your crowd, didn't he?" Ned asked.
"Went out, yes, but he didn't come back with us," replied the otherscout.
"Huh! I just thought that sneak would beat it, given half a chance,"said Jimmie.
"One of the first things I did," Harry spoke up, "after getting in wasto hunt around to see if the other three came back; and not a sign canyou find of one of the bunch."
"You mean Coyote Smith, Bob Caruso and Tinplate George?" Ned inquired.
"All slipped away the first chance they got," Harry continued, in adisgusted voice. "I guess they must have seen that the game was up, andthought they might have to swing from some telegraph pole if thepunchers took a notion they'd played fast and loose."
"Can you blame them?" asked Ned.
"Well, perhaps not so much; and besides, it cleans out the sneakyelement among the punchers of the Double Cross outfit," Harry admitted."But Uncle Job will have a heap to hear when he gets back from hisjourney. You don't think those men will dare come close in here and tryto steal the cattle right out of the corral, do you, Ned?"
"I should say there wasn't one risk in a thousand that way," answeredthe scout leader, immediately; "they know that we'll be on guard, andchances are they've got too healthy a respect for the shootingabilities of these scrappy Double Cross punchers to want to get into aregular fight with them."
"But all the same Chunky means to keep on the watch; he'll have thestockade well guarded, won't he, Ned?" Harry continued.
"That has all been arranged for," Ned told him; "and you can make upyour mind there'll be nothing doing until morning. Fact is, I'm moresuspicious that Ally Sloper being up to some sly trick than that hisfriends will dare pounce down on the ranch in the night.
"I hope Chunky hasn't changed his mind about that snake!" Jimmyventured. "Just because he helped drive the herd, and goes aroundboasting how he did such great shakes in shooting up the rustler gang,isn't any proof that he's reformed."
"Chunky is on to his capers, never you fear, Jimmy," declared Jack,"and ten to one he means to have Sloper watched every minute of thetime till dawn. If he tries to slip away, he'll run up against a snagright off. It may be a piece of lead that stops his exit, or the loopof a lariat. You can count on seeing him among us when the call tobreakfast comes."
"Oh! I wish it was now!" Jimmy was heard to mutter, "all this workseems to have made me as hungry as a wolf; and it's been an _awful_long time since they flagged me to a meal."
"Cheer up, Jimmy," Ned told him, "because I've got some good news foryou."
"Did the lady tell Chin Chin Charley to give the boys some grub afterthey came in from the drive, Ned; is that the good news you want totell me?" Jimmy eagerly demanded, looking anxiously at his chum.
"There goes the big gong right now," interrupted Jack, "and the boysare trooping for the grub tent as if they know what to expect afterdoing night duty. So get a move on, Jimmy; if you don't want to findeverything cleared out and only a bare table left."
Jimmy was off like a flash. When the other scouts entered the placewhere meals were served, they discovered him busily at work.
"Saved you places alongside me!" he called out; "and say, there'splenty of chow for everybody. That Chink knows his business, and I'mgoin' to be great friends with him all the time we're here."
"It takes you to make up to the cook, Jimmy," laughed Jack.
"That's all right," replied the other, with a broad grin, "sure it's awise boy that knows which side of his bread is buttered. And Chin ChinCharley is the boss cook, let me tell you right now. I ain't much inthat line myself, but then I know a good thing when I run across it.And don't the rest of you get jealous if you see how thick me'n him areexpectin' to be; ain't we, Chin Chin?"
The slant-eyed Mongolian must have already taken quite a liking forjolly, good-natured Jimmy, for upon being thus appealed to he noddedhis head until his pigtail bobbed up and down, smiled affably, and washeard to murmur:
"Much good frien's, Jimmy, me; heap like Melicanboy; much eat; comeback more many times, alle samee!"
Apparently Jimmy was in for a good time while staying at the DoubleCross Ranch, and he believed in starting things right by making surethat the food supply would be unlimited.
After the midnight supper had been disposed Of the punchers strolledforth again. Ned and Chunky were in consultation, for the puncher,knowing that Mrs. Haines had somehow conceived the idea that the youngscout leader had a long head for a boy and could be depended on in anemergency, realized that it was the right thing to put certain thingsup to him. Of course, Chunky knew best what should be done, and Nedquickly told him to exercise his own judgment in the matter of guardingthe big stockade in which the cattle had been shut up.
The boys were all tired after such a long and arduous experience. EvenJack, who as a rule could stand for almost anything, admitted that hecould hardly put one foot in front of the other, he felt so stiff.
"That's because I'm not used to being so long in the saddle and playingthe game they have out here," he acknowledged, "but given a chance, andwe'll show our friends, the punchers, that scouts can ride prettydecently. I'm going to pick up all the kinks of the job while I'm onit; and before we leave here we ought to know how to throw a rope, dropa steer, use the branding iron on his flank, and ride the trickiestbroncho there is to a stand-still."
"That's me," asserted Jimmy, like a flash. "He's a spotted littledevil, too, and his name, sure it's Satan, or if it ain't it ought tobe. He beat me out in the first clash and run me all the way home, likea blue streak; but there's another day acomin', don't you forget it;and that score between Jimmy McGraw and Satan has got to be rubbed out.I'm on to his curves now and I'll sting him, or it's me chased to thetall timber. You hear me warble, boys!"
"Then we'll expect to have lots of fun out of the circus, Jimmy," saidHarry, "because they've been telling me that calico pony has got themeanest name around here. Some of the boys heard you boasting about howyou could manage any animal, and they just couldn't help running thatbeast in on you. But if Uncle Job had been here I don't think they'dhave dared to take the risk. You might have been killed."
"He didn't get me off and that's some comfort," muttered Jimmy, grimly,"I'm a good sticker, you see."
/>
"Yes, I noticed that it was hard work to get you away from that table,"Jack remarked, with a chuckle.
They had been given comfortable quarters on the ground floor, for theranch house really boasted of two stories in part. Cots took the placeof beds, but they seemed to be all that might be desired; and, as Jacksaid, were a thousand per cent better than the hard ground, or the hotsand of the desert, which had been their resting place ever since theyleft Los Angeles, in that ramshackle automobile that had played themfalse on the journey and had to be abandoned.
It was expected that the two owners of the ranch would possibly returnby the following afternoon, when the stirring news could be told. Untilthen Ned had considered that, perhaps, no action should be taken inconnection with Ally Sloper, except that the suspect must be kept undersurveillance, so that he might not damage the property in any way. TheColonel would know how to deal with him though in all probability adischarge would be the limit of his punishment.
The night passed without any alarm.
"Sure they had a lesson they won't forget for some time," Jimmydeclared in the morning, as the four scouts were talking matters over.
They had had considerable trouble in coaxing the said Jimmy to get outof his comfortable bed. He declared in a sleepy voice that he had beencheated out of much repose lately, and needed rest the worst kind.Argument and pleading seeming to have no effect, Ned finally solemnlyassured him that they would eat up every bit of breakfast, no matterhow they suffered afterwards for it, unless he immediately starteddressing. That did the business, for Jimmy believed Ned meant what hethreatened, and that there would be a famine in the land.
It was a fine morning and they enjoyed looking out at the scene fromthe wide and long verandah. The many buildings, the stockade now filledwith hundreds of the impounded stock, the horse corrals where theponies roamed when not in use, or out grazing on the range--all theseand more made up a pleasant picture that seemed to promise the boys amost enjoyable time while at Double Cross Ranch.
Of course, Harry had some important business to transact with his unclebut it was not going to interfere at all with their having a greattime. It seemed that they had interested Mr. Stevens in the ranch andits possibilities of enlargement, with greater capital; and thewell-to-do automobile maker of New York City had sent his son out tosee what he thought of the idea, depending wholly on Harry's report asto whether he went into the scheme or not.
This being the case it was plain to be seen that Harry was bound to betreated like a young prince while he and his chums were at the ranchand that nothing would be deemed too good for them.
As breakfast was not ready when the boys issued forth, much to thedisappointment of Jimmy, who acted as though he had not eaten for twodays, they started to look around a little.
"We might as well get acquainted with the lay of things," said Jack,"because it looks as if we were going to hang out here some little timenow. And I want to say, in the beginning, that I expect to be feelingright sore when the time comes to tip our hats to Double Cross Ranch."
Jimmy gave a grunt at hearing that.
"That's nothin'," he asserted, with a twinkle in his blue eyes, "seemsto me all of us are pretty much that way right now. And is it to bewondered at, when we took a twenty-five mile run last night withoutbein' seasoned to the saddle. But given time, and we'll get as tough asany puncher around. I think we've done right well for a pack ofgreenhorns."
"There, your mentioning that word pack makes me think of our burros andtheir loads," remarked Ned. "I wonder what became of them."
"I remember seeing one of the punchers leading the donkeys into thestable," Harry went on to say, "and p'raps we might find them there.Let's stroll in and see if Teddy'd know us again, the rascal."
And as the others were agreeable, they sauntered over to the stablewhere some of the cowboys' mounts were kept at times, and which usuallyhoused the saddles and other trappings of the puncher band belonging tothe ranch.
It just happened by accident that all of the scouts stopped talking asthey approached the long, low building, outside of which could be seenthe stout rail at which throughout the day ponies could be seenhitched, sometimes as many as a dozen or a score at a time.
Ned was in the van, and as he stepped into the doorway of the stable hecame to a sudden stop and held up his hand in a warning way that theothers instantly recognized as a signal for them to halt in theirtracks.
No one said a single word, only Jimmy, who was lagging along in therear, pushed forward as though anxious to get in line, so as to seewhat it was that had excited the attention of the scout master.
A number of ponies were in the stalls, as well as the donkeys that theboys had brought all the way from Death Valley, and which they hadpurchased from a party of dejected prospectors desirous of returninghome.
There was a man there also, whose back was turned toward them, but whomthey immediately recognized as Ally Sloper, the suspected ally of therustler gang. He had taken down the three packs that came with theburros and belonged to the scouts, and appeared to be eagerly searchingthe same, evidently bent on learning what they might contain.
It happened that just at the very moment the scouts stood there in theopen doorway, Sloper made a discovery that caused him to give vent to alow cry of anger and amazement.
When Ned saw what he held in his hand he did not wonder that the spywas shocked. It was nothing more nor less than the dead homing pigeonthe hawk had pounced on, and which with its fateful message hadafterwards fallen into the possession of the four scouts, thus puttingthem wise to the fact that there was treachery afloat at the cattleranch.
When Ally Sloper saw the nature of his find he understood how it camethat his clever game had gone against him so heavily, with the prizeherd saved from the rustlers' raid.