THE PONY RIDER BOYS INITIATED
It was rather a solemn party that took its way slowly back to the Pony
Rider Boys' Camp in the mountains. The boys realized that they had
taken a rather active part in what might prove for them a serious
affair. If, by any chance, the bandits learned who had interfered
with them, it might be necessary for Professor Zepplin and his
charges to make lively tracks for the border and seek other fields
of adventure.
The same thought was in the minds of all except Chunky, who held his
head erect, his chest swelled out. He was full of their great
achievements and was telling what he would do if any of the bandits
came to visit their camp.
"I think we will put you on guard to-night, seeing that you are such a
brave young man," said the professor with a twinkle.
"On guard?"
"Yes."
"Yes, that's the idea. Let him take the watch," approved Rector.
"You forget that I'm a wounded man. You forget I've been shot twice
to-day. Huh! Some of you children take the trick. I've got to take
care of my health."
"I guess if we expect to get any sleep we had better let some one else
do it," agreed Tad. "Chunky will have us out on false alarms all
night long."
They were agreed upon this, and by common consent Butler was given the
watch for the night. The boys slept with their rifles beside them
that night.
The night passed without incident, Tad Butler keeping a vigilant watch
all during the dark hours of the night. He had plenty of time to think
matters over. He realized that Dunk Tucker, the prisoner, had
overheard all that had been said during their talk with Withem out on
the plain. Tad knew that if Dunk ever got into communication with his
fellows it would go hard with the Pony Rider Boys.
Soon after daybreak, Tad awakened his fellows. He already had a brisk
fire going, but before lighting it, the lad had walked down to the
edge of the canyon for a survey of the plain. He saw a solitary
horseman far out over the rolling plain. After some study he made up
his mind that the man was going away instead of coming toward them.
Breakfast finished the party packed their belongings and started out
for their long ride to join the Rangers sometime late in the day.
About noon they made camp for dinner and a rest, not taking up their
journey until about four o'clock in the afternoon. Darkness overtook
them, finding them still without sight or sound of the Spring where
Withem said they would find the Rangers' camp. A consultation was held
and it was decided to continue on until they picked up the party.
About half an hour after night had fallen, they were riding along when
suddenly they were stopped by a stern command.
"Halt! Hands up! Every man of you is covered!"
"Oh, wow!" gasped Chunky. "They've got us again."
"Who are you?" demanded the voice.
"Who are you?" returned Tad boldly.
"I reckon my question gits the first answer, seeing as I've got the
drop on you."
Tad all at once realized that the sound of falling water was in the
air. With it came the thought that these must be the Rangers.
"We're the Pony Rider Boys," he said, speaking confidently.
"The which?"
He repeated his answer.
"Wait a minute. Send for Joe," said the man in a lower tone. "You
fellows stay just as you are if you don't want some daylight let
through you."
"I---I wish we did have a little daylight," stammered Chunky, which
elicited a short laugh from his companions. "Yeow!" bowled the fat
boy as a figure appeared beside him and a pair of iron arms grasped
his hands pulling him down, nearly unseating him. "Yeow! Let go!"
"It's all right, boys," spoke up the familiar voice of Lieutenant
Withem. "I'd know this fellow in the dark as well as in the light.
I'm Withem."
At the lieutenant's reassuring words the Rangers---for the boys had
stumbled upon the camp of the men of Captain McKay's command---crowded
forward, talking and laughing, three of them taking the horses as the
party dismounted, then leading the way into the bushes and in among
the rocks where the lads came upon a campfire, around which were
seated five or six other Rangers.
Withem introduced the professor and his charges. There were, besides
the Lieutenant, Pete Quash, "Dippy" Orell, Cad Morgan, Bucky Moore,
"Polly" Perkins and several others, all of whom were introduced in
turn, the Rangers solemn as owls, making low bows, sweeping the ground
with their sombreros, causing Stacy to open his eyes in wonderment.
Lieutenant Withem made the party feel at home at once.
"Just in time to have chuck with us. You see we have our chuck wagon
here. Of course we don't carry it wherever we go. We usually have
some central point where we make headquarters. But we have to keep
changing these headquarters for reasons you understand."
All hands sat down to the evening meal after the men had washed up, in
most instances without removing their hats. This attracted the
attention of the fat boy.
"Say, do you fellows sleep in your hats as well as wash and eat in
them?" he demanded.
"Do you sleep in your skin?" retorted Dippy.
"Yes, unless it has been all skinned off from me. When I was fighting
Indians up in the Grand Canyon---"
"Chop it!" commanded a Ranger. "Men have been known to meet their death
for less in this country."
"Can't I say what I've got to say?" demanded the fat boy indignantly.
"Are you going to brag about yourself?" demanded Polly.
"I'm telling you, and---"
"Well, don't tell us. We don't want to have to take you out and tie
you to a tree. Say, will you get wise to the dude with the red
necktie?" scoffed the Ranger, pointing to Ned, who, in the place of the
bandanna handkerchief, had put on a flowing tie of brilliant red,
tying it about his neck, with the ends carelessly thrown over the left
shoulder.
"Don't you like it?" asked Ned, flushing.
"Like it? Why, it's the hottest thing that ever crossed the Staked
Plains since the Apaches came down in---"
"Why don't you look the other way then?" interjected Stacy.
"Oho! Listen to the human monstrosity---the monstrosity as wide as he
is long and as fresh as he is stale. What you got to say about it,
young man?" demanded Dippy, glancing at Tad Butler, who was smiling.
"I haven't said anything yet."
"But you're going to?"
"I may."
"Can we stand for any more remarks, boys?" asked Dippy.
"No, we can't stand for any more," chorused the men, the professor and
the lieutenant being too busy with a discussion to pay any heed to what
was going on about them.
"Then he shall be washed clean so that he may take a fresh start?"
"That's the idea!"
"Will you go peaceably or must we drag you?"
"I reckon you'd better drag me. If you're going to have fun with me
you'll have to earn it. I don't propose to help you out."
"Do you hear?" demanded Dippy in a deep, hoarse voice.
"We hear."
"Then do your duty!"
Two men grabbed the Pony Rider boy up, Tad making no resistance
whatever, a little to the surprise of the men who had taken hold of
him. They expected the boy to resist, which would have given them
still further excuse to handle him roughly. But Tad was used to
dealing with the rough and ready characters of plain and mountain.
He didn't care particularly what they did. The other boys were
delighted that Tad was to be made the mark this time. They followed
along laughing and jeering at their companion.
The Rangers fell in behind the two who were carrying Butler, in solemn
procession. To look at their faces one would have thought they were
performing a solemn duty. The boys wondered where it was going to end.
They discovered a few minutes later. Tad was taken out where the
gentle murmur of the Spring falling over the rocks could be heard when
the Pony Rider Boys were not making too much noise.
"Do you withdraw the flippant words you used to a member of this august
body?" demanded a deep voice.
"No!" cried Tad Butler. "Never! I'll die first!"
"Then take your punishment!"
With that they gave the boy a swing, one holding to the feet the other
the shoulders of the lad. When they let go, Tad sailed several feet
through the air. Quick as a cat in his movements Tad turned over
before he landed, going down on all fours. He thought he was going to
strike on the hard ground. Instead he landed at the bottom of a deep
pool of water cold as ice it seemed to him. He went in all over. Not
expecting anything of this sort the boy was not holding his breath.
The result was that he got a mouthful of water. He came up choking,
then pretended to go down again. Instead he crawled up to the bank,
under which he hid.
A moment passed and the Rangers began to be alarmed. Dippy stepped
to the edge of the pool and leaning over peered down somewhat anxiously.
Quick as a flash a pair of arms encircled his neck. Dippy plunged
in head first. He did not even have time to cry out. The others,
discovering that Dippy had fallen in, rushed to the edge shouting and
laughing. Two of them went the way of their companion, Tad having
jerked their feet from under them. Within sixty seconds from that time
half of the crowd were threshing about in the cold waters of the pool,
while Tad, who had crawled out, sat on the bank dripping, watching
their struggles.
Stacy Brown was rolling on the ground, howling with delight. All at
once he was picked up in a pair of strong arms and tossed in bodily.
Stacy howled lustily. Clambering out he squared off for fight, but the
only fight he got was another ducking in the pool.
"You---you----you fellows ought to be ashamed to pick on a wounded man
that way. Don't you know I've been shot?"
"Shot?"
"Yes, shot."
"He's been shot," chorused the boys and the Rangers together.
"Any of the rest of you kiddies been wounded in the fracas?" demanded
Folly.
"No, but you've overlooked two of us," announced Ned stepping out. "We
haven't had our baths yet and I reckon we need them."
Without a word, two of the Rangers got up and threw the two remaining
boys into the pool. Ned went in with a mighty splash, Walter Perkins
landing on top of him, nearly taking away the breath of Rector. They
had a rough and tumble scrimmage in the cold water, coming out choking,
dripping and laughing.
All this made a favorable impression on the Rangers. Boys who could
take rough handling such as this, without losing their tempers or even
offering any objection, surely must be worth while. Then, too, there
was the story about Tad and Ned having captured the desperado, Dunk
Tucker, who was now well on his way to the calaboose in El Paso.
"I reckon you kin go back and dry off now," drawled Dippy. "Anything
else you cayuses reckon you want?"
"Yes, you might fetch me a piece of soap," answered Butler laughingly.
"I reckon you'll use sand, young man," answered Orell witheringly.
The Pony Rider Boys made their way back to the camp, wet but happy, the
only dissatisfied one in the crowd being Stacy Brown. But their
troubles for the night were not wholly over yet. Their initiation was
not yet complete. The Rangers had still other plans for their visitors.