CHAPTER V
THE VOICE OF THE MOUNTAIN
"Hey! take care there, Bob!" shouted Frank, starting up from beside hislittle cooking fire in something of a panic; for that alarm signal isapt to send the blood bounding through the veins like mad, wheneverheard.
"Don't bother!" came the reassuring reply of the unseen Bob, from apoint near by; "I think I've got the beggar located, all right. Say,don't he sing though, to beat all creation? He's mad clean through,all right. I'm looking for a stick, so as to knock him on the head."
"Go slow, and keep your eye out for a second one," advised Frank,uneasily; "because they generally hunt in couples. That isn't a measlylittle prairie rattler either; but a fellow that's come down fromThunder Mountain."
"Nice warm reception for visitors, I should remark," laughed Bob,immediately adding: "there, I've found just the stick I want. Now, oldchap, look out for yourself! I'm going to have that rattle of yours totake home, unless you give me the slip."
"No danger of that," remarked Frank; "because a rattler seldom runsaway, once he shakes his old box, and gives warning. Hit him just backof the head, and let it be a good smart blow too, so that you break hisneck."
Then came a swishing sound, twice repeated. The thrilling rattleimmediately subsided.
"Get him?" demanded Frank, ready to take up his task once more, uponreceiving a favorable reply from his friend.
"He's squirming some, but helpless," returned Bob, composedly. "I'llcut his head off, so that he can't turn around and jab me while I'mgetting that rattle box of his."
Two minutes later he came back into camp, carrying the coffee pot,which he proceeded to place upon the fire Frank had started. Thelatter noticed that his chum was trembling a little, and could give ashrewd guess that Bob had been more startled than he had thus faradmitted.
"Perhaps I'll get used to it in time," Bob remarked, presently; "but itsure does give a fellow a nasty shock to hear that sound burst outclose by your feet, knowing as you do what a bite from those fangsmeans."
"Then it was a narrow squeak, was it?" asked Frank.
"I guess I never want to be closer to a diamond-back than that," Bobadmitted, with a shake of his head.
Soon a delightful aroma began to steal through the air in the immediatevicinity of the little camp near the foot of the towering, mysteriousmountain; as some bacon sizzled in the pan, and the crushed berry fromJava boiled and bubbled most cheerily.
Besides, upon some splinters of wood Frank had thrust small pieces ofvenison, the last fresh meat they had brought from the ranch. As theheat from the red coals began to turn these to a crisp brown, Bobsniffed the added fragrance in the air after the manner of a hungryrange-rider, or a boy with a healthy appetite.
"Seems to be plenty of game around here," he remarked. "I jumped tworabbits near the spring, and they went up the rise, as usual."
"Yes," remarked the cook, "the place looks good for game, and you'dwonder why those Injuns passed it by, only I happen to know. Ten toone there's a deer in that thicket of wild plum over there. And youcan just believe an old grizzly wouldn't want a better hang-out than upyonder among the cliffs and crags of the mountain side."
"But to return to our mutton, which after all is antelope meat, when dowe start operations? I'm nearly wild, with all these smells, and nevera bite. The water just drips from my tongue, I give you my word,Frank."
For answer the other picked up the coffee pot, and set it aside for aminute, to let the contents settle.
"Grub's ready, Bob," he said, laughingly; "and I reckon we'll notbother banging on the frying pan with a big spoon to-night, rangefashion. Sit down, and get your pannikin ready for some of this baconand meat. How does that coffee look?"
"Say, it's got the color, all right, and if it only tastes half as fineas it looks you'll hear no kick coming from me," replied Bob, as hepoured his tin cup full of the liquid.
As the boys ate they chatted on various topics, most of which talk hadof course some connection with the big cattle ranch they had sorecently left.
"I'd give a heap to know if Peg Grant meant business when he said wewere riding to a fall if we thought we were the only pebbles on thebeach," Bob remarked.
"Oh!" replied Frank, "I reckon he's going to make a try to solve thatThunder Mountain puzzle. But just think of a tenderfoot like Peg letloose on that fierce slope up yonder; will you?"
"Perhaps he's here already," suggested Bob.
"Wouldn't be one bit surprised," Frank continued, readily enough, asthough he considered that a foregone conclusion anyway. "He and hiscronies had time enough, unless Peg changed his mind. He might bewondering what happened to you, and thinking how the X-bar-X ranchwould be safer, in case some of our boys chased after him to give himthe tar and feathers he deserves for playing such a mean trick."
"But supposing they did come," said Bob; "Peg and Spanish Joe, and thatother treacherous cowboy you told me about; we're pretty apt to meet upwith them if we go prowling around here for the next few days."
"Just so, and we'll try to mind our business all the time," remarkedFrank; and then his eyes flashed a little as he continued: "but if theytry any of their ugly little tricks on us, Bob, they're likely to gethurt."
"I'm with you there, Frank," the other added, shutting his teeth in adetermined way. "I can stand a certain amount of fun, and, I hope,take it the right way. Your cow punchers said that when they hazed me,you know. But I certainly do object to any such rough-house businessas fastening a poisoned thorn under a fellow's saddle."
"That game has cost more than a few people their lives," Frank declaredvehemently. "Cowmen draw the line at it. You noticed how angry oldHank became when he heard about that same thing. But your horse seemsto be getting on all right, Bob."
"Sure he does. That ointment made by old Hank's like magic. Dominowon't suffer much from that jab. But that was a bully good supper allright, and I don't care how soon we repeat it," he concluded with alaugh.
Finally both lads lay down to secure such rest as they needed after along and tiresome day.
The drowsy chirp of crickets, and shrill voices of katydids in the lushgrass near by, told of the summer night. Many times had Frank listenedto this same chorus as he lay in his blanket on the open prairie,playing the part of night-wrangler to the herd of saddle horsesbelonging to the round-up party of cow-punchers.
He could hear some lurking rabbit slinking through the hazel bushesover at one side. Somewhere off on the level, where the sage grew soheavily, there must have been a prairie dog village; for the sound ofthe peculiar barking of these queer little animals frequently floatedto his ears as the breeze changed.
The two horses were still feeding at the time Frank dropped off into asound and refreshing sleep, but doubtless they would soon lie down.Bob was already breathing heavily, which would indicate that he hadpassed beyond the open door to slumber-land.
The minutes passed, and several hours must have gone.
Frank was dreaming of the excitement attending some of the many dashinggallops he had lately enjoyed in company with his chum, looking upstray cattle, helping to brand mavericks, watching the cowmen millstampeding herds, or chasing fleet-footed antelopes just to give thehorses a run.
He was suddenly aroused by a strange sound that seemed to cause thevery earth under him to tremble. The trample of a thousand hoofs wouldmake such a noise; if one of those old-time mighty herds of bison couldhave come back to earth again; or a stampede of an immense herd oflong-horns might cause a similar vibration.
But Frank Haywood knew that neither of these explanations could be thetrue one, even as he thus sat upright on his blanket to listen. Theominous, growling, grumbling noise was more in the nature ofapproaching thunder, just as though one of those furious summer storms,tropical in their nature, and often encountered in this country whereplains and mountains sharply meet, had crept upon them as they calmlyslept.
And yet, strange to say, neither of the two boys
jumped quickly totheir feet in wild dismay, seeking to prepare for the rain that mightsoon burst upon them. On the contrary they continued to sit there,straining their ears to catch the rumbling reverberations that keptcoming, with little respites between.
"Say, now, what d'ye think of that, Bob?" asked Frank, when silenceagain held sway for a brief period. "Nary a cloud as big as your handin the sky; and yet all that grumbling oozing out of old ThunderMountain! Looks like we might have the biggest job of our livesfinding out the secret of that pile of rocks. There she starts inagain, harder than ever. Listen, Bob, for all you're worth!"