Produced by Al Haines
[Transcriber's note: Extensive research found no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Cover art]
[Frontispiece: "AND WIN HE DID." _Boy Ranchers on Roaring River._]
THE
BOY RANCHERS
ON ROARING RIVER
OR
_Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers_
By
WILLARD F. BAKER
Author of
"The Boy Ranchers," "The Boy Ranchers in Camp," "The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek," "The Boy Ranchers in the Desert," etc.
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORK
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
THE BOY RANCHERS SERIES
By WILLARD F. BAKER
12mo. Cloth. Frontispiece
THE BOY RANCHERS Or Solving the Mystery at Diamond X
THE BOY RANCHERS IN CAMP Or the Water Fight at Diamond X
THE BOY RANCHERS ON THE TRAIL Or Diamond X after Cattle Rustlers
THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS Or Diamond X Trailing the Yaquis
THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK Or Diamond X Fighting the Sheep Herders
THE BOY RANCHERS IN THE DESERT Or Diamond X and the Lost Mine
THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER Or Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York
COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER
Printed in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I A DANGEROUS MISSION II A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE III A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR IV THE HIDDEN GUNMAN V ARRIVAL AT THE RANCH VI THE THREAT VII A SHEEPLESS SHEEP RANCH VIII CYCLONE IX DELTON RETURNS X BUD FINDS A NOTE XI JOE HAWKINS'S VISIT XII THE STORY OF SMUGGLING XIII TRAPPED XIV TO-MORROW NIGHT XV BILLEE DOBB'S STORY XVI BUD'S ESCAPE XVII A NIGHT OF WAITING XVIII SMUGGLING OPERATIONS XIX THE CHASE XX DOWN AND OUT XXI CLOSING IN XXII FLYING BULLETS XXIII A RING OF FIRE XXIV THE RATTLING BUCKBOARD XXV YELLIN' KID FINDS HIS BRONC
THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER
CHAPTER I
A DANGEROUS MISSION
"Hold up there, you pint o' peanuts! Hold up, I say! Well, for thelove of spread eagle! I suppose you boys are lookin' for a job; eh?"
The speaker, a typical, raw-boned cowboy, looked down from his pony atthree boys seated on a bench at the side of the cook-house.
"Whether we are or not, we've got it, Kid," answered one of the seatedtrio, a well set-up youth with light hair. "And the funny part of itis, we don't know what the job is."
"Huh! Got a job and you don't know what it is? Well, Nort, guess I'llhave to look into this," and the cowboy whom Nort addressed as"Kid"--or, to give him his full nick-name, "Yellin' Kid"--swung lightlyfrom his saddle. "Hold up there, you pony, you!" this as the Kid'smount started to prance about wildly. "Just got this here dust-raiser,and she ain't used to my ways yet," he chuckled. "Hy' ya', Dick, andBud! How's the boy, Nort? By golly, ranchin' is sure doin' youfellers good! You-all got some powerful grip!"
The three boys, Nort and Dick Shannon, and their cousin Bud Merkel,grinned widely. They were all of the same mold--clean-cut,straight-shooting lads, their faces bronzed from the prairie sun, andtheir eyes as clear as the blue sky above them.
"Yes, Kid, ranching has done us good--in more ways than one. In factit's done us up brown." And Bud laughed a little ruefully.
"What's the matter? Rustlers, or disease?" The Kid's face expressedinstant concern as he mentioned these two nightmares of the rancher'slife.
"No, not either--but something almost as bad. You tell him, Nort,"suggested Bud.
"You started it--you might as well finish out, Bud. You know as muchabout it as I do."
"Aw, get Dick to. He hasn't said a word yet."
"Well, for Pete's sake, _somebody_ tell me before I drop dead fromexcitement!" burst out Yellin' Kid.
"All right--I'll tell you, Kid," Dick started. "Last week we were todeliver a herd of longhorns to J. K. Jackson, over to Double-O ranch.Sold 'em at a good fat price, too, that would have put us on our feetfor the rest of the year. Well, we sent four of our men to ride 'emin. I went along with 'em. We started about sun-up, calculatin' toreach the Double-O before night, and everything was lovely. 'Longabout noon we reached the gorge near Galgo. I suggested we ride thecattle as far from the gorge as we could get, 'cause I know how easy aherd of long-horns are started. But no, nothin' would do Sam Holidaybut going as near to the big cut as possible, to save time. Sam's ournew foreman, you know, and I didn't want to assert myself over him. Sowe drove 'em close to the edge. I told Sam once or twice to keepaway--but oh, no! everything would be all right, and we'd have thecattle in by five o'clock. Well, we had 'em in by five o'clock allright. But not at the Double-O!
"Just as we were passing the deepest part of the cut we heard a mostawful Bang! and I knew in a minute what it was. Stump-blasting. Yes,I knew what it was--but the cattle didn't. And nobody had time to tellthem, either. The steers on the extreme right made a sudden lunge--andin three minutes it was all over. Nothin' left but an old cow whobroke her leg in the first rush. And the rest--every blessed one of'em--two hundred feet down, lyin' dead or dyin' in the bottom of thegorge!"
The Kid was the first to break in on the morose stillness Dick's speechhad invoked.
"Well now, say, boys, that's right sorrowful--yes, sir, that's what Icall right sorrowful! I sure am sorry for you-all! A whole herd ofcattle gone to the dogs! Well, well--that's sad. Say, is thereanything I can do to--you know, sort of help out--like, well, maybe----"
"No thanks, Kid," spoke up Dick quickly. His glance told the Kid thathe realized what the half-spoken offer meant. In the west one manunderstands his friend more by feeling than by words. "Real good ofyou to offer, though. No, I guess we'll make out all right. Can'thave easy riding all the time. I imagine Mr. Merkel has something forus to do. He sent for us to come over to his ranch. So here we are.That was the job I told you about."
"A blind job, hey? Well, I guess it's O. K. or the boss wouldn't bemixed up in it. Anyway, here's your chance to find out. Here comesMr. Merkel now."
A tall, pleasant-faced man, hair slightly grayed at the temples, strodeout of the ranchhouse toward the four waiting cowboys. His resemblanceto Bud--especially around the eyes--was easily noticeable.
"Hello, Nort and Dick! How are you, son? Say, boy, you're gettinghard as a rock! What have you men been feeding Bud--leather? He surelooks, as though it was coming through!" The kindly eyes of the olderman lighted with pride as he grasped the hand of his son.
"No, Dad--I guess hard luck toughened me up," said Bud, but his smilebelied the meaning of his words.
"Yes, I heard about your accident, boys--and that's partly why I sentfor you. I thought you might have time to do a little business for me."
"Well, I guess I'll step along, Mr. Merkel," the Kid said, as herealized he might be intruding on a private conversation. "I got thatfence fixed up all right."
"Did you? Good! No, Kid, you stay right here. You're in on this too.Where's Billee Dobb? I want him to hear what I have to say."
"He's 'round back, boss. I'll get him."
"Bring him in the house, Kid. My room. Come on, boys--we'll getsettled inside and wait for the Kid and Billee."
As the boys followed Mr. Merkel each one wondered what it was allabout. Dick voic
ed the thought of all as he whispered:
"Say, what's up? You know, Bud?"
"Nope! I'm as much in the dark as you are. Dad never said anything tome. We'll soon know, though."
By this time they had reached the ranchhouse. As soon as the Kidarrived with Old Billee Dobb--a grizzled product of ranching who hadbeen with the Diamond X from its start--Mr. Merkel motioned them to beseated and began:
"I reckon the first thing you men want to know is the reason for thisgathering. Well, it's nothing very mysterious. I bought a sheep ranchout near Roaring River, and I want you five to take hold of it for me.Now--just a minute. I know what you're going to say, Kid--that sheepnursing is no job for a cowman. But you haven't heard the rest of it.There's been some very funny things happening out near that ranch.I've had a letter from the government official over at Candelariaasking whether I intend to manage those sheep, myself, and if I dowould I let him know before I take charge. Now, I'm not going to sayjust what is the trouble, as I'm not actually sure myself. But I havea hunch. And that's the reason I want you five--men I can trust--totake charge there. Will you?"
His listeners looked at each other. In the eyes of each--with thepossible exception of Old Billee Dobb--the light of adventure wasshining. Whatever scruples the Kid had about "sheep nursing" hadvanished with the word "trouble." And he was the first to speak:
"Sure we will! What do you say, boys? Do we go out? How about it,Dick and Nort? What do you say, Bud? Billee here is just achin' forthe experience!" And the Kid laughed, for Billee Dobb's tendency topretend displeasure at every change of conditions was well known.
"Yes I am--not! Like as not we'll all get shot full of holes. But ifyou fellers want to go--guess I'll have to trail along to take care ofyou-all!"
"Listen to him--Just try to hold him back if there's any shootin' goin'on!"
"Then I take it you'll go?" Mr. Merkel asked.
"Yes, Dad--I'm sure we'll all be glad to take charge out there foryou," answered Bud. "I don't suppose you could tell us any more aboutthis government business now?"
"I'm afraid not, son--I want to be sure of my ground before I make anystatements. Well, I guess that's settled. You'll leave to-morrow."
Since this was the last night the Kid and Old Billee were to spend onthe Diamond X, it seemed fitting to the rest of the boys that thereshould be some sort of an entertainment. An entertainment to a cowboymeans principally music--so after supper the boys gathered around aroaring log fire and sang themselves hoarse. After Slim Degnan, theforeman, and Fat Milton, his chubby assistant, had rendered their duet,and Snake Purdee had given his famous imitation of a prima donnasinging "Bury Me Not," Bud, with Nort and Dick, decided to take astroll about the place to see if anything had changed. Their ownparticular ranch was several miles removed from Diamond X, owned by Mr.Merkel.
"See your Dad got a new building up," observed Dick, as they came to anewly-painted shack, clearly visible in the bright moonlight.
"So he has. Looks like a new bunk house. Perhaps he----"
"Listen! There's somebody inside! No one is supposed to be in thereat night. It isn't open yet." This from Nort, in a low tone.
"Let's find out who it is," Bud whispered.
Silently three boys crept toward the door. Two voices could be plainlyheard, and as they came closer they could distinguish words. One voicewas that of a foreigner--evidently a Mexican. The other spoke with atypical cowboy accent.
"You have got the money ready--yes?" the boys heard the Mexican say.
"Sure--as soon as you deliver the Chinks you get the money. But nodouble-crossin'--remember that!" and the speaker emphasized hisstatement by clicking his revolver ominously.
"Don' you worry--you get the Chinks all right. Shuss--there's someoneoutside!"
The boys knew they had been discovered, and made a sudden rush for thedoor of the shack, to see the two men who were inside. But the Mexicanand his companion were too quick for them. They ran through a backdoor, and all the three boys could see of them was two dark formsdisappearing in the bushes.
"They beat us to it," Dick said in a disappointed voice. "But if everI hear that Mexican accent again I'll sure remember it!"
"Me too!" asserted Bud, positively, if not grammatically. "No usehanging around here any longer. We've got to get started early in themorning, and it might be a good idea to get in a little bunk-fatigue.Let's hit the hay, boys!" And wondering and speculating on the meaningof what they had seen and heard, the three went to bed.
The next day dawned clear and cool, and the boys arose with the sun.On their way down to breakfast they met the Yellin' Kid. He wasevidently the bearer of startling tidings, as his face was more flushedthan usual, and his eyes were shining with excitement.
"Heard the news?" he burst out. Then, without waiting for an answer,he went on:
"The marshal at Roaring River has been shot by a gang of Chinksmugglers! They captured one, but the rest got away with an auto loadof Chinks! Roaring River, boys--that's where we're going!"
Chink smugglers! That conversation in the new bunk house lastnight--in a flash it all came back to the boys.
"Say, Dick, I'll bet that's what we heard the Mex talking about!" criedBud.