CHAPTER VIII
THROWING THE ROPE
Silence followed this greeting and question, and then the two boyranchers, and their cowboy friends, waited for Bud to speak, hebeing, in a sense, the head of the new organization. Though Dickand Nort held equal shares, purchased for them by their father,the two lads who had lived so long in the east deferred to theboy of the west in this matter, thinking, naturally, that hewould better be able to handle it.
"Looking for a place?" asked Bud, genially enough, as he surveyedthe newcomer, from the top of his broad-brimmed range hat to thepawing hoofs of his black steed, for the horse was impatientlydigging in the dirt.
"Yep!" was the answer. "I'm looking for a place." The voice waspleasant, and there was none of that clipping off of the final"g" in his words, so common a practice among most of the cowboys.Perhaps they didn't have time to use the proper endings. "I'mdead anxious to ride for some outfit," went on "Four Eyes," as hehad been dubbed and as he came to be called, as long as heremained with Diamond X Second. "Your father sent me over here,"he added.
"My father!" exclaimed Bud. "Do you know him? I don't know you!"he added quickly, for he sensed that the stranger, in somemanner, had managed to pick him from all the others as the son ofthe proprietor of Diamond X.
"I don't claim to know your father, only having met him once,when I rode up, yesterday, to ask for a job," went on Four Eyes."I slept out last night--back there," he added with a wave of 'isquirt in the direction of Diamond X. "Had supper with the boys atyour father's ranch, and he told me you might be needing someone. If you don't----" He paused suggestively, evidently ready toride on and try his luck elsewhere if there was no chance in thevalley.
"I may need some one," Bud said. In fact, he was in need of anadditional hand, and since this latest action on the part ofrustlers he wanted help more than ever, for he was about to putinto execution a plan for getting on the trail of thesemarauders. "But how'd you know who I was?" he asked, anxious toascertain how the stranger had picked him out, as distinguishedfrom Nort or Dick.
"Oh, your father looks like you," was the easy answer, given witha laugh, in which Snake, Yellin' Kid and the boy ranchers joined."When he said he didn't need any riders, adding that perhaps youmight, I decided to take a chance."
"All right. I can use another hand--or, rather, _we_ can,"and Bud waved his hand toward his cousins. "You can turn yourpony into the corral," he added, "and we'll give you something toeat--unless you've had breakfast?" he questioned.
"Not so much but what I can eat more. Thanks! My name's HenryMellon. I've ridden some for Curly Q and Long L if you want anyreferences."
"I reckon my dad sized you up all right," spoke Bud.
"I reckon he did!" laughed Henry Mellon, or Four Eyes, as I shallcall him, following the custom of the others on the ranch. "Iwouldn't want to try to put anything over on him."
"It isn't exactly healthy," agreed Bud, for his father bore anenviable reputation for finding out the truth about matters inthat "cow country."
"Ever ride for Double Z?" asked Yellin' Kid, and the loud tone'sof his voice appeared to startle the newcomer.
"Why, no," was the answer. "I can't say that I have. One of Mr.Merkel's ranches?" he asked.
"No. It's Hank Fisher's place," spoke Snake. "Glad to meet upwith you," he added, riding forward and extending his hand."That's quite a hoss you got there. Beckon he can go some!"
"Well, he doesn't take dust from many," was the cautiousadmission, as the new cowboy shook hands all around. "He'll beglad of a rest, though, for I've ridden hard lately. I suppose Ican use another?" he asked Bud.
"Sure," was the answer. "Snake here, or Yellin' Kid, will showyou which ones you can add to your string. See you later,fellows," Bud called to his cowboy helpers, as he motioned toNort and Dick to follow him to their own private tent.
"What do you think of it, Bud?" asked Nort, when they were alone,and the new cowboy was being made to feel at home by Snake,Yellin' Kid, and Old Billee, who had by this time ridden in. Thesmell of cooking arose from the tent that Buck Tooth had turnedinto a kitchen.
"You mean him?" and Bud nodded toward where the cowboys werecongregated in friendly talk.
"No, I mean about the rustlers."
"Oh, they're bad! No question about it--they're _bad!_"declared Bud. "As soon as we get a chance we'll ride over andtake a look at the place. It doesn't seem reasonable that theycan drive a bunch of cattle off down the valley, and then haveall traces of 'em disappear as if they'd gone up in an airship."
"That's right!" chimed in Dick. "Do you s'pose this Four Eyes sawthe rustlers?"
"He didn't come from that direction," declared the western lad.
"He _says_ he didn't," spoke Nort. And when Nort accentedthat one word Bud looked at his cousin quickly.
"Don't you believe what he says?" Bud asked.
"All the same I'd call up your father," went on Nort.
Bud hesitated a moment and then said:
"I will! No use taking chances. He may be all right, but it won'tdo any harm to know it. I like his looks, though we don't oftenget a cowboy with glasses. I'll call dad!"
Which he did, on the telephone, learning from his father that Mr.Merkel knew nothing about the stranger, though he "sized him up,"as being all right.
But Mr. Merkel had done more than this. He had called, on thetelephone, or had been in communication, otherwise, with the lateemployers of Henry Mellon, and the cowboy was well spoken of. Hewas a reliable hand, it was said.
"So we don't have to worry about _him_," Bud told hiscousins. "But we do have to take some action about theserustlers! Hang 'em! I wish they were all bottled up in thetunnel!"
"That's right!" chimed in Dick.
"Are we going on their trail?" asked Nort.
"If we can pick it up," agreed Bud. "Anyhow, we'll take a rideover that way. What with cattle missing, and queer shots beingfired behind your back, we're likely to be in for as lively atime as when we had the water fight!"
"Or locating a Triceratops!" added Nort with a laugh.
After breakfast, and the finishing of the usual "chores" aboutcamp, the boy ranchers prepared to ride over and look at theplace where the raid had been made. "What cattle had not beentaken--and it was only a small part of the herd that had beendriven off--were now nearer the camp headquarters, having beenhazed over by Snake and Yellin' Kid. Mr. Merkel had been told ofthe theft, and had advised prompt action on the part of his sonand nephews.
"Four Eyes seems to be making himself right at home," remarkedDick, as the three boys started toward the corral, intending tosaddle their ponies and ride over to the scene of thecattle-rustling operations.
"Yes," agreed Bud.
Henry Mellon was in the midst of Old Billee, Buck Tooth, Snakeand Yellin' Kid, and, as the boy ranchers watched, they saw NFour Eyes twirling his lariat above his head.
"What's he doing?" asked Dick.
"Oh, just showing 'em some fancy roping," Bud answered.
"Let's go over," suggested Nort. "I'd like to get on to a fewtricks, myself."
They found Four Eyes attempting some of the more difficult featsof rope throwing. After twirling his lasso about his head, therope forming a perfect circle, he changed the direction fromhorizontal to perpendicular, and nimbly leaped backward andforward through the swiftly circling lariat.
Snake tried this, but his spurs caught and there was a queermix-up of man and rope. Snake could equal the newcomer's feat intwirling the rope around his head horizontally, but failed, asdid Yellin' Kid, in the other trick.
"It's just a knack," said Four Eyes, modestly enough. "I had alot of spare time, and I practiced some of these fancy twists. Ican rope four horses at once."
"Yes you can--not!" challenged Snake.
"I'll prove it--of course they have to be going in the samedirection," stipulated the new cowboy.
"Even with that I doubt it," went on Snake. "I've heard of that,but I never saw it done."
"If you fel
lows will ride past me I'll rope you all," and FourEyes indicated Snake, Yellin' Kid, Old Billee and Buck Tooth.They mounted horses, and as Bud, Nort and Dick watched, thenewcomer prepared for the test.