QUEER OPERATIONS
"Feel sleepy?" asked Nort of Dick when they had stretched out under
their canvas blankets, which might keep off the dew, but which were not
very comfortable.
"Not specially," answered Dick. "I'm thinking too much of all that's
happened lately."
"So 'm I. But I'm not worried because we're here; are you?"
"Not a bit of it! This is only fun! We wanted to see real western
life and we're seeing it," Dick went on. "This is what we came out
here for. It isn't like anything else we ever did, and it only makes
me all the more want to be a rancher."
"You said it. Only there are one or two things I'd like to know more
about."
"Such as what, for instance?" asked the younger lad.
"Well, I'd like to know who it was that tried to snake you away with a
lasso. I'd like to do the same to him. And I'd like to know more
about those two strange professors, and what they're after."
"I'm with you there," spoke Dick, as he raised on one elbow to look
toward where he had tethered his horse, the animal seeming to be
suddenly excited about something.
"Only a coyote," remarked Nort, as he caught sight of a slinking figure
under the light of the stars. The boys had become used to these
creatures which acted as scavengers of the plains.
"I wonder if, after all, those professors can be hunting gold?" mused
Dick, when his horse had quieted down and resumed grazing.
"According to what Bud says there isn't any gold here and never has
been," declared Nort. "But there is a mystery about them and I'd give
a lot to solve it. You see we tenderfeet don't count for much out on a
ranch--that is, yet. We don't know much about roping or shooting or
riding herd. Of course we're learning, and Bud and the others are as
nice about it as they can be, but I can see they don't think overly
much about our abilities; and I don't blame them.
"But if we could solve this mystery about those professors, and maybe
connect 'em up with some of the cattle rustling, why it would show Bud
we easterners amounted to something after all. I sure would like to
get on the track of this mystery!"
The time was to come, and soon, when Nort and Dick vividly recalled
these words.
"Well, we're here--not that we know where it is--but we're here, and
not in such bad shape," spoke Dick. "We're lost, but I reckon Bud will
find us in the morning, or we'll come across the cattle we're looking
for, or else Diamond X ranch.
"I hope so," mused Nort. "I'd like to show these cowboys that we can
pull off a trick or two ourselves."
"Well, I'm with you," and Dick's voice took on a drowsy note. In spite
of the fact that he had said he was thinking of many things, the riding
of the day soon began to tell on both lads.
"What's that?" suddenly called Dick to Nort, when they had, perhaps,
been sleeping two or three hours. A wild, weird cry had echoed out in
the silent night.
"Coyote," was the answer, sleepily given.
"Howlin' in a new way," murmured Dick.
Indeed, accustomed as the boys were becoming to the voices of these
animals, part fox, part dog and part wolf, there were always new
elements seeming to enter into their cries.
Again the strange call was repeated, to be answered by the mate of the
coyote farther off, and then came a perfect chorus of wild yells. The
horses snorted, as if in contempt and the boys covered themselves with
their tarpaulins and tried to slumber. But it was some little time
before the echoes died away and quiet reigned.
Nort and Dick did not awaken again that night, but their eyes opened
when the sun shone on them, and, rather lame and stiff, they arose to
get a frugal breakfast.
Their first look was to their horses, for to be without a mount in the
vast distances of the West is almost a tragedy. But Blaze and Blackie,
the two favorite steeds of Nort and Dick, were safely tethered.
Cowboys, on range or ranch, usually have a "string" of ponies, or
broncos. This is needful, as there is such hard riding necessary at
times (particularly at the round-up) that one horse could not stand the
pace. So at the beginning of work several horses are assigned to each
cow-puncher. Of course he may own a horse of his own, and usually
does, in fact, and this horse is his favorite. But he has several
others to pick from.
When Nort and Dick declared that they were going to be regular
ranchers, or cowboys as a start, they were given a string of horses to
pick from. But of these Blaze, so called from a white streak down his
head, was the favorite of Nort. Blackie was Dick's choice, and the
selection of the name was due to the color of the horse, it being
almost perfect black.
Blaze and Blackie were safe at the ends of their tether ropes--the
lariats the boys carried coiled on their saddle horns during the day.
Breakfast over--and it was not a very substantial meal--the boys
saddled their steeds and then looked at one another.
"What are we going to do?" asked Dick.
"Hit the trail--for somewhere," answered Nort.
"The trouble is there doesn't seem to be any trail to hit," spoke Dick,
rather grimly. "It would be easy, if there was only a cow path, to
ride along it until we came to some place. But here, as soon as we
ride out of one swale we're in another, and we don't get a sight of Bud
or the cattle we set out to haze back."
"I wonder what he thinks of us?" mused Nort.
"Oh, he must have sized up the situation, and so knows what has
happened to us," declared Dick. "He's probably out now, with some of
the cowboys, looking for us."
"I hope they bring something to eat," spoke Nort. "We'll be on mighty
short rations at noon, unless we can eat grass, the way the ponies do."
"Or knock over a jack," added Dick. "They seem to be plentiful."
As he spoke, one of the long-legged and longer-eared rabbits shot past,
having paused to look at the strangers, who, doubtless in his mind,
were usurping his land.
"Tell you what we ought to do," suggested Nort as they mounted, having
made fast their packs and trampled out the fire.
"What?" asked Dick.
"We ought to ride to the top of the highest hill, and take a look.
That ought to show something besides a mirage. I s'pose, if we had our
wits about us, we'd know whether we ought to ride north, south, east or
west," Nort went on. "But, as it is, I don't know which way Diamond X
lies."
They urged Blaze and Blackie up the slope of what they judged to be the
highest hill in their vicinity. And as they gained the summit, and
looked down into a valley on the other side, they saw something that
caused them to both exclaim in surprise.
"Look!" cried Nort. "There's some of our bunch!" He pointed to men
and horses in a camp, of which white tents formed a part.
"That isn't our crowd!" exclaimed Dick. "That's the outfit of the two
professors, and they're up to some mighty queer doings!"
"Digging for gold!" declared Nort.
But, as he spoke, there was a loud report down near the valley camp.
Men were seen running, as if from danger, and as the boys looked they
saw a cloud of smoke roll up, and part of a side hill slide down.