TOO LATE
Ginger walked over and looked down upon the captive boys. He grinned
good-naturedly.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I reckon it’s our day. Hope you boys are
comfortable. If you want anything, sing out. Um. It’s fine weather
to-night. Yep, it sure is fine weather.”
Ginger sat down, and rolled a cigarette.
“You boys thirsty?”
Teddy, who was facing him, said he was. His throat was burning still
from Jamisson’s clutch. Ginger held the canteen to the boy’s lips, and
Teddy drank deep.
“Thanks,” he said. “Could you loosen us just a little? My arm--”
Ginger grinned, and shook his head.
“That’s one thing I can’t do. Reckon you’ll have to sleep as best you
can. Hungry?”
“No,” Roy replied shortly.
He felt it was useless to argue. This guard, while good-natured enough,
could not be coerced into giving them their freedom. Roy realized that,
and decided to bide his time. Perhaps something would turn up before
morning. He could hear Star whinnying close by, where he and Flash had
been picketed. Roy thought that if he could manage to slip his bonds
and overpower Ginger he and Teddy might still save their cattle. But
now was no time to try it, while the guard was watching them. If he
would only fall asleep!
But Ginger was not the sort to give in to weariness when he was told
to watch. He sat quietly, puffing on his cigarette, staring at the
captives. Time dragged interminably. The silence of the woods seemed
oppressive, overpowering. Roy felt his muscles tense with an effort at
control. Anything would be better than this monotony.
“How long are you going to keep us here?” he asked suddenly.
Ginger shrugged his shoulders. “Can’t say. Till morning, anyhow. Maybe
someone will ride back by that time.”
Another period of silence. Roy strained his ears for the slightest
sound, hoping, desperately, that someone would come. But who? They had
not been gone long enough for his father to become worried and start to
searching for them. Even then, it was useless to expect them to find
this hiding place. It was too well concealed.
Suddenly he started, nerves taut. Was not that a stick that broke
behind him? There! Surely he heard a footstep!
“Any idea of the time?” he asked loudly. “Suppose you haven’t got a
watch. Not many punchers carry ’em. I remember when I first got one.
Thought I was king of the rock. Only a small wrist-watch, but, believe
me, I was sure proud of it. My dad gave it to me. Bet I have it yet
some place. Funny how you hang on to those things. Like an elk’s tooth,
or a rabbit’s foot. Sort of charm, you know. I knew a puncher that used
to--”
A figure stepped quickly from the shadows and stood over Ginger. A club
was raised and brought down swiftly, landing on the man’s head with a
dull thud. Without a sound, his body relaxed, and he sprawled on the
ground, senseless.
The figure bent down and felt of the rustler’s heart.
“Just stunned,” he remarked, relief in his voice. He straightened, and
Roy uttered an exclamation.
“Mohammed!”
“Professor Sullivan, if you please. I have discarded my robes. I find
them cumbersome in situations of this sort. Now if you’ll just hold
still a second--”
He knelt and felt for the rope that held the two boys. Teddy craned
his neck around, disbelief in his eyes, unable to credit their good
fortune.
“Professor! Boy, we’re sure glad to see you! How in thunder--”
“That shall be later. It is imperative now that you regain your freedom
as soon as possible.” He smiled. “Using the trade by which I make my
livelihood--which, by the way, is guess-work--I should say that those
who bound you and left this man as a guard are now on an errand which
you would like to intercept as soon as possible.”
“I’ll tell a maverick we would! They’re rustlers after our cattle!
Here, get this knot untied. That’s the stuff. Ah!” Roy stretched,
feeling the blood flowing through his cramped veins. Then he leaped to
his feet, as did Teddy. “We can’t thank you now, professor, because
we’re in an awful hurry. You know where our ranch is. Come over there,
and we’ll do more than thank you! Come on, Teddy, let’s get the broncs!
Thank goodness, they brought ’em along.”
The two boys dashed into the brush, to appear in a moment astride their
horses.
“We got to go!” Teddy shouted. “Can you get back all right? Have you
got your wagon?”
“Not the wagon. That is broken. But Stamboul waits patiently for me. I
shall ride him.”
“Will you look after him?” Roy asked, pointing to the unconscious man.
“He’s all right--I wouldn’t like to see him badly hurt. And we may want
to question him later.”
“I will. Good luck to you!”
“Thanks! Let’s go, Teddy! Straight out!”
The horses leaped forward. Through the woods they dashed, careless of
low hanging branches, intent only on reaching their cattle in time. The
boys gave their broncos their heads, trusting to their surefootedness
to bring them through safely.
Their trust was not misplaced. Flash and Star, as though they realized
that their masters depended on them, ran swiftly, dodging in and out
of the brush, until they reached the open prairie. Roy gave a shout of
exultation.
“Now we’re all set, Teddy! Baby, if we’re only on time! We’ve got a
run of about five miles. Lucky there’s a moon--we can see where we’re
going. Step on it, boy!”
For answer Teddy raised his reins, the signal for every Western pony to
“spread himself.” Flash jumped ahead. Roy, not a moment behind, urged
Star to his best speed. This was no time for considering either man or
beast. Both boys knew the stuff of which their horses were made. They
would last--they would have to last!
They headed for the southwest corner of the range. Their one chance
was to get there before the rustlers, and then, when they came, to
bluff them off. Since Peterson and his gang could not expect to see
them, thinking them still captives, this was not a vain hope. Unarmed
as they were, if they could force the rustlers to believe that they had
been released by their friends, who were with them, they might yet save
their cattle.
The ponies were panting now, but still they kept up their tremendous
speed. The ground seemed to fly from beneath their feet. Nearer and
nearer they came to the spot where the cows were herded. It could not
be more than two miles more. Neither boy spoke, concentrating his
energies for the race against time.
In the distance Shock Mountain arose, huge and weird in the moonlight.
Not far now! They could almost see the black blot of the herd of
steers as they stood in the lee of the mountain. Teddy craned his neck
forward, peering ahead intently. Another half mile, and they would be
there. The valley wherein the cattle were grazing came into view.
“Guess we’ll make it!” Roy shouted. “Here’s where Peterson said they
were! Can you see ’em? Can you--”
Then they topped a rise, and the whole landscape spread out before
them, every object plainly visible. The moon-lit scene was as light as
day.
Teddy’s eyes swept over the valley. Were they on time?
He gave a groan and drooped over his saddle. Their race had been
useless. There was not a sign of the six hundred head! The rustlers had
beaten them!