FOUR EYES--NO EYES
Thudding along, their ponies seemingly as eager to reach the
ranch camp as were the boys themselves, Bud, Nort and Dick raced
toward the mysterious light. For that it was mysterious they all
agreed, and that it was flashing from the top of the watch tower
they had built to spy for rustlers was another conclusion.
"Do you s'pose it can be Old Billee, or Yellin' Kid signalling to
us?" asked Nort, as he galloped between Bud and Dick.
"They wouldn't know we were coming," Bud answered. "I said we
might not be back until to-morrow."
"That's so. But who do you think is signalling?" asked Dick.
"And who are they signalling to?" Nort wanted to know. "That's
what we've got to find out," spoke Bud, grimly. "And it's what
we're going to find out in a short time! Come on, Sock!" he
called to his pony. "This is only exercise for you!"
Indeed the animals had not been hard pressed, and this burst of
speed was rather a relief than anything else. Together the boy
ranchers hastened toward their camp.
For some time the lantern--it was evidently that and not a
torch--was waved to and fro, parallel to the horizon, and again up
and down. It was so evidently a signal, or a series of them, that the
boys no longer questioned this theory.
But who the signaller was, and to whom he was flashing his
message in the dark night--those were other questions. And they
were questions that needed answering.
"It must be one of our men," remarked Bud. "No one else could get
into camp and climb the tower without a row being raised."
"How do you know there hasn't been a row?" asked Dick.
"What do you mean?" countered Bud.
"I mean there may have been a fight," Dick went on. "Maybe the
rustlers have surprised our camp, put Yellin' Kid and the rest of
our bunch out of business and are signalling to the main crowd to
come up and drive off the cattle. I might as well say that as
think it," he added. "And that's what I've been thinking the last
few minutes."
This dire suggestion struck Bud and Nort silent for a moment. And
then, more because he did not want to believe it, than because he
did not believe it possible, Bud exclaimed: "I don't believe any
such thing!"
"I don't want to believe it!" said Nort. "But of course there may
have been a fight."
"If there was, there's a lot of dead Greasers and rustlers
scattered around, you can depend on that!" declared Bud, grimly.
"Yes, I reckon Old Billee, Snake and the rest would give a good
account of themselves," asserted Dick.
"And they wouldn't be taken by surprise, either," added Nort.
"Not likely," affirmed his cousin.
Again they directed their gaze toward the flashing signal on the
tower. Once more they saw it slowly raised and lowered, and then
swept from side to side.
"Are they spelling out a message in Morse or Continental code?"
asked Bud.
"It does look like the Morse," said Nort. "We learned that when
we were Boy Scouts. I can make out some letters, but they don't
spell anything that has any sense to it."
"Maybe it's in Spanish," suggested Bud, who was not familiar with
the method of spelling words by flags or lanterns. "There's a lot
of Greasers around here who don't know anything but Spanish."
"That's so," agreed Nort. "I didn't think of that. I'll try and
catch what the next word is, and maybe you'll know it, Bud," for
the western lad understood some of the language of Mexico.
But just when Nort was directing his attention to the signal
flashes Dick, who had ridden on a little ahead, suddenly called:
"Is that a fire?"
They looked to where he pointed and, for a moment, thought it was
another blaze in the dried grass. For the eastern skyline that
had been only dimly seen was now outlined in a red flare.
"It is a fire!" asserted Nort.
"It's the moon rising!" said Bud.
And so it proved. The moon was coming up, big, round and red,
and, when below the horizon, cast a reflection not unlike a fire.
The boys laughed with relieved spirits as they rode on. But when
Nort next directed his attention to the flashing lantern it was
no longer signalling. In the direction of the watch tower there
was only blackness, for the moon's rays had not yet reached it.
"Looks as if they'd quit," said Dick.
"Maybe they thought the moonlight would give 'em away," suggested
Nort.
"We'll soon know about it," declared Bud, with grim meaning.
They were now within a short distance of the tents, gleaming
white in the moonbeams. From one of the larger canvas shelters
shone a ruddy light, showing dark figures within. And then was
borne to the ears of the boys the sound of laughter.
"That doesn't seem to indicate a raid or fight," spoke Nort.
"You can't be sure," Bud remarked. "We'd better be careful. Let's
dismount and go on foot."
They left their ponies, throwing the reins over the heads of the
animals, and cautiously approached the tents of the cow punchers
on foot. This tent was, practically, the "bunk house," the
assembling place of the men after their hours of work. But before
the boys reached this their approach was evidently heard. For a
figure came to the flap and a challenging voice called:
"Who's there?"
"Old Billee!" cried Bud, as he and his chums recognized the
tones, and with the recognition came a sense of relief.
"Oh, you're back; are you, Bud?" asked the veteran cowboy. "I
thought I heard some one."
"Who's up on the watch tower with a lantern?" called Bud, once it
was certain that no disaster had occurred.
"Watch tower?" repeated Yellin' Kid, coming to the flap to stand
beside Old Billee.
"Lantern?" added Snake.
"Somebody's signalling," went on Bud.
"You'd better come out and we'll have a look. Are you all here?"
"All of us," answered Old Billee. "Come on, Four Eyes!" he cried.
"Tumble out of your bunk. There's somethin' doin'!"
"Four Eyes must have gone to bed early," said Bud to his cousins
as they stood outside the tent. For Billee's call indicated that
the spectacled cowboy had retired.
"Hi! Four Eyes!" shouted Yellin' Kid, in a voice that would have
awakened the proverbial Seven Sleepers. "Turn out!"
There was a moment's pause, during which Buck Tooth came up to
the bunk tent from his own special nook for sleeping. And then,
the voice of Snake Purdee announced:
"Four Eyes isn't here!"
"Isn't here!" repeated Billee. "Why, I saw him turn in a while
ago, when we started t' play cards."
"He isn't here now," declared Snake. "His bunk is empty, and he
didn't go out the front way, I'll wager on that. There's
something queer going on all right!"