ALOFT AFTER A PRISONER.
"All ready for the big show," cried Kit, riding up to Ted. "When will we
begin the sports?"
Ted looked over the grand stand, which was built around an arena in
which the cowboy sports were to come off.
This was the most important event of the day, for while bronchobusting
and cattle roping are a cowboy's business, yet he finds unending
amusement in doing these same things if his girl and friends are there
to witness his skill.
After some ordinary feats of trick riding by the visiting cowboys,
several really dangerous steers were turned loose in the arena, and for
several minutes a very fair imitation of a Spanish bullfight, minus the
killing of the animals, took place.
After several of the steers had been roped, thrown, and tied, there
still remained in the arena a sullen and difficult brute, which was as
tricky as a rat, and the boys gave him up one at a time.
"Why don't you give the girls a chance at him?" shouted a cowgirl
derisively, from the seats.
"Any girl who wants to tackle him is at liberty to do so," Ted shouted
back through his megaphone.
Instantly three girls leaped into the arena, and borrowed ponies from
their cowboy acquaintances.
Ted motioned to Sophy Cozak, the pretty and buxom girl from the Bohemian
prairie, whom Bud had admired at the dance; she rode forward on Bud's
own particular horse, Ranger.
Sophy had several brothers who had taught her the cow business, and she
had few equals on the range.
As she rode out she was greeted with a round of applause from her
admirers. She gathered up her rope and sent the horse forward at an easy
lope toward the steer, which looked at her a moment and trotted off.
Sophy followed him, and made three casts of the rope, and every time the
brute dodged it, and the rope fell to the ground.
That settled it with Sophy, and she rode in, and another girl took her
place. She, too, was unsuccessful, as was the third, and the audience
was distinctly disappointed.
"Ladies and gentlemen," cried Ted, through the megaphone. "It was not
the intention of any one living on the Moon Valley Ranch to take part in
these contests, but if there are no other young ladies in the grand
stand who would like to try their ropes on the steer, we can produce one
whom we think can rope and tie it at the first trial. I refer to Miss
Stella Fosdick. I have not consulted her wishes in the matter, but will
ask her if she will undertake it."
At this a wild cheer went up, and Ted dashed out of the arena to find
Stella. In a moment he was back, and announced that Miss Fosdick would
try it.
Presently Stella rode in on Custer at a hard gallop, gathering up her
rope as she rode. There was a sort of gay self-confidence in her manner
that captivated the throng, and the cheers split the air.
Stella rode straight at the steer, which, seeing her approach; galloped
down the arena with her in pursuit.
Swinging her rope above her head, she chased it back until it was about
in the middle of the field, and suddenly the rope left her hand
unerringly and shot through the air, seemed to hesitate for an instant,
then fell over the steer's head.
Custer came to a stop the moment the rope left her hand, with his body
well braced. The steer went to the end of the rope as fast as it could
go, then was flung in the air, and lay upon his back sprawling like some
ridiculous four-legged crab, while the girl leaped from her saddle, ran
swiftly across the intervening space, tied his legs together, and held
up her hand.
The crowd fairly went wild with enthusiasm at her feat, as she mounted
again, leaving the steer to the tender mercies of the cow-punchers, who
flocked about her. Then she dashed out of the arena, waving her hat in
recognition of the applause.
Then the bunch of wild Montana horses, which never had felt the saddle,
were driven in, and Ted offered a twenty-dollar gold piece to any
puncher who could rope, saddle, and bridle, and ride one of the bronchos
ten minutes without being thrown.
"Easy money!" shouted the cowboys, flocking into the arena.
The black, which had caused Ted so much trouble when the bunch first
came to the ranch, was not with them. He was considered too dangerous an
animal to be handled at an entertainment where there were so many women
and children.
Only two cow-punchers succeeded in even getting their saddles on the
bronchos without throwing them and hog-tying them, and only one, Billy
Sudden, stayed the required ten minutes, and he said afterward that it
wasn't his fault, because the broncho wouldn't let him get off.
Ted then announced that there was another animal in the herd that he
would ask no man to ride, but that he would try to do so himself.
Another great cheer went up as Ted rode away after the black demon, to
whom the boys had given the name Lucifer, for his supposed resemblance
to his satanic majesty.
But it was found impossible to drive Lucifer into the arena.
"Never mind," said Ted, "we'll throw the saddle on him here, and I'll
ride him in."
A crowd of men and boys was standing around, and Ted removed his saddle
and handed it to a young fellow in the crowd to hold until he had thrown
Lucifer. The animal was standing in the center of the circle, his wary
eyes taking in the crowd, and letting fly with his heels at the approach
of any one.
"Now, Bud," called Ted, "ride in on him and rope him. You, Kit, get him
by the leg and throw him, and I'll slip a bridle on him."
It was not much of a trick to rope and hold him so that he couldn't
kick. But when Ted tried to slip the bit between his teeth, he fought
like the demon that he was, biting and kicking, so that he had to be
thrown to his side and his head held down before the bridle could be put
on him.
Then he was allowed to rise. There was no doubt but that the horse was
insane with rage and fear, and several cowmen came forward and tried to
persuade Ted from attempting to ride him, but Ted was as obstinate as
the horse, and said that he would conquer the black, or die in the
attempt.
He finally found the fellow who had been holding his saddle, although he
had left his stand and was found back behind the crowd talking to a gang
of young fellows, among whom Ted recognized several of Creviss'
companions. This delayed and angered him, and he called the saddle
bearer down for deserting his post, and was answered with sneers and
laughter.
After many trials, and the exertion of a great deal of patience, Ted got
the saddle on Lucifer and hastily cinched, and as he sprang to the
brute's back the ropes were loosed. With a bound and a snort of terror
the black dashed forward, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
Ted swung it so it went through the gates and into the arena without
dashing him against the posts.
Once inside the arena, the brute began to exhibit terrible ferocity.
Stella and Bud had followed in his wake, and when the girl saw how the
brute was behaving, she whispered to Bud:
"That demon will kill him yet."
"If he don't kill it," answered Bud.
"Why did you let him ride it? I got there a moment too late, and he was
already in the saddle, or I should have stopped it."
"What could I do? He had told the people he would ride it, and that
settled it with him."
Lucifer was exercising all the tricks known to wild and terrified
bronchos when they first feel saddle and bridle, and which seem to be
inbred in them. He bucked, but there was never a horse that could buck
Ted off. He reared, he kicked, rolled, and fell backward. But every time
he stopped for a moment to note the result, there the unshakable enemy
was on his back again. Clearly he was puzzled.
Then a new paroxysm of rage would shake him, and he would go through the
same performances again, but with no better success.
Suddenly Ted brought his quirt down on the brute's flanks, and it leaped
high into the air in an agony of fear and pain. It had felt that
stinging thing before, and hated it.
Then it started to run away from this terrible thing that bestrode its
back.
"By Heaven! it's running away," muttered Bud. "It'll be an act o'
Providence if Ted isn't killed."
Down the arena they dashed, Ted sitting in the saddle as if he and it
and the stallion were all of a piece.
When the brute came to the arena's end, and saw before him the shouting
multitude, it suddenly swerved to come back, and Ted realized that
something had happened to the saddle. It was slipping, and yet he was
sure he had cinched it tight. Back they came tearing again, and passed
Stella and Bud like a rocket.
"Great guns!" cried Bud, "his saddle's loose. He's a goner now, shore."
Every one saw Ted's danger, for Ted was leaning well over, and the
saddle was on the horse's side. A hollow groan went up.
At Bud's first words Stella was off after Ted like a shot.
The horse, as every one could now see, was trying its best to kill Ted,
and many of the spectators were positive that it would do so.
Now the cinch had parted.
"The cinch has broken," the shout went up. "It will kill him, sure!" Ted
was now leaning far over on the horse's side, his left leg well under
the horse's belly and his foot in the stirrup, while the heel of his
left, boot was clinging to the edge of the tipped saddle. It was a most
precarious position, for if the saddle slipped farther he would go under
and be trampled and kicked to death before any one could reach him.
The powerful brute was bent on Ted's destruction, and seemed about to
accomplish it, when Stella galloped to his side, and, grasping his hand,
held him safe.
"The cinch is off," she called to him. "I'll help you up, then kick the
saddle loose."
Slowly but surely Ted worked himself up until he could release his foot
from the stirrup. Then, with a sudden wrench that almost pulled Stella
to the ground, he was again on top. With a kick he sent the saddle to
the ground, and was riding bareback, while the brute stumbled and
almost went to his knees as the saddle fell between his legs.
But now Ted took charge of the situation. With quirt and spur he drove
the beast here and there, punishing it, giving it no rest, allowing it
to do nothing in its own way until it staggered and heaved and swayed
with fatigue and lack of breath, and yet he urged it.
"He'll kill that horse yet," said Billy Sudden.
"No, he knows what that horse will stand, and he's going to make him
stand it," said Bud.
The people had never seen such riding as this, and when they realized
that Ted had conquered the stallion and was now rubbing it in, they
shouted until their throats cracked.
At last the horse could go no farther, and Ted let it stop, as he
slipped to the ground and gave the brute a slap with his hand.
"I reckon you'll know better next time, old fellow," was all he said,
and walked to where his saddle was lying.
As he picked it up, he was seen to stop and look at the cinch carefully,
then hurry to where the boys were awaiting him.
"Fellows," he said solemnly, throwing the saddle on the ground, "that
cinch did not break, it was cut."
A dozen of the boys leaped to the ground and examined the cinch.
It was true. The cinch had been cut almost through with a sharp knife,
and the strain upon it had parted it. There could be no doubt as to what
had been intended.
As Stella came riding up, she shouted:
"The cinch was cut. I saw it. Wiley Creviss did it. I didn't realize at
the time what he was doing or know that it was Ted's saddle, and when I
did find out, he was mounted and away."
A howl of indignation went up at this.
"Scatter out, boys, and round up Creviss," shouted Billy Sudden. "We
know what to do with him when he's caught."
Ted's adventure with Lucifer ended the performances in the arena, and,
as the balloon was inflated and ready to ascend, the people flocked to
where it was straining at the ropes.
Ted had mounted Sultan again, and left the arena surrounded by Stella
and the boys.
"Who's going up in her?" asked Ted.
"Ben Robinson, the boss," answered Ben.
"Do you know who he is?" asked Ted.
Ben stared at him without replying.
"I'll tell you," said Ted. "He's Skip Riley, thief and ex-convict, the
leader of the Flying Demons. He is the man who caused us to lose our
money last night, and who engineered all the mysterious robberies
hereabouts. Do you reckon he intends to come back?"
Ben's eyes started from their sockets in surprise.
"I--I don't know," he stammered. "By Jove! we must stop him. Maybe he's
going to skip."
The boys had crowded about Ted as he spoke.
"We'll have to hurry if we get him," shouted Ben. "He's in the basket
now."
With shouts of warning Ted and the boys pushed their horses through the
crowd, which rushed aside to let them through.
They could see Skip Riley lift a large tin box into the basket from the
ground. As he was getting ready to start there was a shrill cry, and the
midget came waddling through the crowd and climbed over the side of the
car and up Riley's body until it clung to his shoulder like a monkey. A
great many of the thoughtless laughed at this. They did not understand
the significance of the move.
"Get ready to cut her loose," shouted Riley.
Two or three men stood by with sharp knives in their hands.
Riley saw Ted and the boys pushing rapidly through the crowd.
"Cut her loose!" shouted Riley, and the balloon shot upward, amid the
shouts of the people.
"Too late,'" said Ben.
"Not yet," cried Ted, spurring through the crowd.
A long guide rope was dragging from the car of the balloon.
"Follow me, Bud. The balance of you catch Creviss and the rest of them.
I'm going with Riley."
Before they knew exactly what he meant, Ted grasped the guide rope as it
passed over his head, and was swung out of the saddle and dangled in the
air, to the horror of the people, who expected to see him fall and be
dashed to pieces at any minute, for the balloon had shot up rapidly and
was now several hundred feet above the ground.
But Riley, looking over the country and taking account of the direction
in which the balloon was traveling, was unaware that he had taken on
another passenger.
Hand over hand Ted climbed steadily, until at last he reached the car
and looked over the edge of it.
Riley's back was toward him, and noiselessly Ted slipped over the side
and into the basket.
Then the midget happened to turn his head, and saw Ted and uttered a
frightened cry, which brought Riley around so that he found himself
looking into the cold, dark bore of Ted's forty-four.
"Got you!" said Ted coolly.
"How did you get here?" said Riley, trying to smile. "If I'd known that
you wanted to come I'd have waited for you."
"I don't think," said Ted. "But now we'll go down."
"No, I've got to give the people a run for their money. We must go a
little farther."
"I said we'd go down."
"But we can't until the gas gets cool and exhausts. I have no escape
valve."
"Then I'll shoot a hole in the bag. I guess we'll go down then."
"For Heaven's sake, don't do that! You'd blow us all to pieces."
"Then down with her. I mean what I say."
Riley looked at Ted for a moment, then pulled a string. There followed a
hissing noise, and the balloon began to sink, slowly at first, then more
rapidly.
Ted did not dare take his eyes off Riley to see how close they were to
the ground. But he heard the Moon Valley long yell, and knew that they
were near the earth, and that Bud Morgan was not far away.
Suddenly the car bumped on the ground, bounced and struck again, then
stopped, and Ted heard Bud's cheerful voice right behind him.
"Jumpin' sand hills, so yer got him, eh? Come, climb out," said Bud to
Riley, "we need yer on terry firmy."
"Cover him, Bud, while I search him. If he makes a break, kill him. He's
an ex-convict, so don't take any chances with him," said Ted.
Riley yielded up a gun and a knife and then he was hustled out of the
car, with the midget still clinging to him, and Ted took charge of the
tin box.
Billy Sudden and some of his men had come up, and so had Ben and Kit,
and Riley was conducted back to the ranch house strongly guarded.
Once inside with their prisoners and the boys, Ted closed the doors on
the curious crowd. The first thing he did was to open the tin box. On
top were the packages of bills stolen from the cubby-hole, and beneath
it a large amount of money and the bonds taken from the Strongburg
Trust Company, as well as registered letters from which the money had
not yet been extracted, and a large amount of brand-new treasury notes
which answered the description of the government funds stolen from
Creviss' bank.
"It's all here," said Ted, "and the evidence is complete."
"But how did he manage to do it without leaving a mark or a broken lock
behind him?" asked Ben.
"How? By means of this," and Ted placed his hand on the head of the
midget, who shrank from him with a snarling cry.
"Still I don't understand it."
"The day I saw him in the Creviss bank he marched out with the plunder
under my very eyes. The day before the robbery this fellow went into the
bank with the dwarf in his valise. Wiley Creviss was alone. The valise
was opened, and the dwarf slipped out of the valise and into the vault,
and concealed himself.
"During the night the dwarf collected all the money and bonds he could,
and made himself comfortable. When it came time for the bank to open in
the morning he again concealed himself, and remained in hiding until
noon, when Wiley Creviss again came on watch while the cashier went to
dinner. Then Riley, here, entered with his valise, and the dwarf crept
into it, and was carried out of the bank with the money."
"But what had the midget to do with the theft of our money?"
"That's simple. Farley and the dwarf were to do the job. The dwarf was
sent up to the roof, for he can climb like a monkey, and came down the
chimney and opened the door for Farley. That was a mistake, for they
would not have been caught, except for Farley."
"How did they know where you hid the money?"
"The dwarf saw us through the window, and Kit saw him, but I thought it
was all imagination. That was how they robbed the post office. The dwarf
was lowered down the chimney. That is about the size of it. Am I
correct, Riley?"
"Correct enough, so far as I'm concerned. I guess it's back to 'the
stir' for me. But this midget didn't know what he was doing, and ought
to be sent to an asylum instead of the prison," said Riley.
At that moment there was a great commotion without, and a crowd of
cowboys rode up. In the center of the circle made by them was Wiley
Creviss and several of his gang. In all, with Riley and the dwarf, there
were eight of them in custody, and without ado they were hurried to the
Strongburg jail.
The United States marshal was in Strongburg when Ted came in with his
prisoners.
"What is all this, Strong?" asked the marshal.
"That bank-robbing gang you ordered me to bring in," answered Ted.
"You made quick work of it. Get any of the money?"
"All of it. It is in the Strongburg bank. You see, they made the mistake
of robbing us last night. But for that they would have got away, and we
would have had a hard time catching them. As it was, they walked right
in to us."
Skip Riley went back to the penitentiary for a long term of years, and
the midget was sent to an asylum for the feeble-minded.
Jack Farley turned State's evidence, and Creviss and ten other young
reprobates were sent to a reformatory.
As for Lucifer, he turned out, next to Sultan and Custer, the best horse
on the ranch.