CAPTURE
Walking to the door Gale threw it open and stepped into the arms of the
two men who rushed forward. She recognized them with a great
overwhelming joy.
“Tom! Jim! How on earth did you get here? Who----”
“We’ve brought the Sheriff and his men,” Tom said breathlessly. “Looks
as though you had the situation well in hand,” he added after he had
greeted Valerie and taken in the sight of Pedro and the other two.
The Sheriff with two of his deputies crowded into the room and took
charge of the three bandits.
“Reckon you’ll do no more rustlin’ cattle or robbin’ banks,” the Sheriff
said, as he snapped handcuffs on the bigger of the two, while one of his
men did the same with Pedro.
“Ya can’t keep me in jail,” the man returned. “An’ when I get out--I’m
goin’ after these two kids!”
“Threats won’t get you anywhere,” Tom said practically. “Well, girls,
want to go back to camp? Your chums are pretty worried about you.”
Valerie and Gale mounted the latter’s horse and Tom took them back to
camp. Jim remained with the Sheriff to see the prisoners started on
their way to the K Bar O and from there to Coxton. Later he would join
the Adventure Girls again.
“Who shot at us from the window?” Tom demanded as they jogged along.
Gale grinned. “I did. How did I know it was help? I thought it was some
more bandits.”
“And you were taking no chances, eh?” Tom laughed.
“But how did you know we were in the cabin?” Valerie asked him next.
“Recognized Gale’s horse standing in back,” Tom replied. “How did you
get there in the first place?”
“When the rain came on yesterday I was looking for shelter,” Gale
explained. “I got in there and just had time to crawl out the back
window when I saw the men ride up. I decided to hang around and see if I
could learn anything about the cattle that are being stolen from your
Dad. I did. I heard them plotting to steal some more last night and
drive them over the border into Mexico. Then all but the Mexican went
away. Along about midnight two men came back and had Val with them. From
then on things moved fast.”
“I saw the rustlers last night, Tom,” Valerie chimed in. “At least I
think it was them. They were rounding up a herd of cattle and I turned
to come back to camp and tell you when two men grabbed me and took me to
that cabin. There the Mexican managed to scare me out of a year’s
growth--until Gale came along.”
“I left the camp last night for the ranch and to get Dad and some men,”
Tom added his bit. “I met the Sheriff and three of his deputies riding
out to meet us and this morning we picked up the trail of the two men
who had kidnapped you, Valerie. You know what happened after that. Oh,
yes, Dad and some of the boys got the three who were after the cows last
night.” He smiled. “I want to hear what happened all night and how you
managed to trick those fellows, but I’ll be patient until we get back to
camp and you’ve had some breakfast. I suppose you are hungry?”
“Are we!” Gale and Valerie echoed together.
“And I’m so sleepy I could sleep standing up,” Gale declared.
“You and me both,” Valerie murmured.
The three of them soon after rode up to the camp. The girls pounced on
the two adventurers and welcomed them with open arms. While they were
waited on and served with breakfast they told their story and the other
girls declared it thrilling. After the last bite of breakfast Gale and
Val went to their tent so sleepy they could scarcely keep their eyes
open. They slept the sleep of utter exhaustion for ten hours. When they
awoke the sky was aglow with sunset colors and the other girls were
waiting with their supper.
“We are going to ride tonight,” Virginia informed them as the two
appeared. “While you were snoozing we had a nap, too, so we could ride
by moonlight.”
“Grand,” Gale declared.
“We thought you would never wake up,” Janet complained. “How could you
sleep so long?”
“A clear conscience is the secret, my dear,” Valerie declared with a
laugh. “I’ll bet you never slept as soundly as we did.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” Janet demanded in a loud voice. “I’ve nothing on
my conscience----”
“How about the time you spilt ink on the professor’s desk? And the time
you rang the fire gong when there was no cause, and the time----” Carol
was enumerating when Janet interrupted.
“They should keep you awake,” Madge added mischievously.
“You’ve committed just as many crimes,” Janet defended quickly.
“I’ll wager they have,” Virginia said with a sympathetic arm about
Janet’s shoulders. “Well, Tom?” she said to her brother who was
approaching from the horses. “All set to go?”
“As soon as we take down the other tent,” he agreed. “How’re you,
girls?” the last was to Gale and Valerie.
“Fine as a fiddle!” Valerie declared.
Indeed she appeared to be. Gale had at first watched her friend with
some trepidation, remembering the strenuous events of last night.
Before, Valerie had always been worn out, utterly exhausted after any
excitement or nerve strain. Now she was as calm and steady as any of
them. It was borne home to them all that Valerie had surely won her long
fight for health.
Val herself was the happiest as it was natural that she should be. She,
too, had been anxious as to the results of last night’s adventure. This
morning when she and Gale had gone to bed, tired as she had been, she
had feared an undoing of all the good work these weeks in the sun and
air had done. But now, to her own amazement as well as to the surprise
of her friends, she felt more fit, more cheerful than she had done for
many months. It was a continual joy to her to be able to ride and
compete equally with her friends, to know that she was as capable of
meeting an emergency as any of them.
“Oh, Val!” Phyllis said, hugging her exultantly. “You look marvelous
this morning.”
“Indeed she does,” Gale agreed, as the three of them walked to their
horses.
“I feel it too,” Val declared.
“All the credit goes to beautiful Arizona,” Phyllis said cheerily.
“No it doesn’t,” Val said sturdily. “You girls deserve a vote of thanks
on my behalf. I hereby express it,” she said gayly.
“Who is getting thanked and for what?” Janet interrupted, overtaking the
three while Madge, Carol, and Virginia lagged behind.
“I’m offering all the Adventure Girls a vote of thanks for helping me
back to health,” Valerie said.
“And we claim we didn’t have anything to do with it,” Gale said
immediately. “It was sheer grit on Val’s part that she won out.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Janet said to Gale. “She has been
wonderful, hasn’t she?”
“My word!” Valerie laughed. “I’m getting a lot of bouquets. You will
bring on a rainstorm with such compliments.”
“It’s the truth,” Phyllis asserted. “And our trip has served its
purpose.”
“What do you mean?” Valerie demanded suspiciously. “Was this Arizona
trip planned for my especial benefit?”
“Well, you see--we--ah----” Phyllis floundered.
“Phyllis Elton!” Janet sighed. “You never open your mouth but you put
your foot in it!”
“Well, I couldn’t help it,” Phyllis grumbled. “Val shouldn’t be so
suspicious.”
“Gale,” Valerie commanded, “tell me what this is all about. What does
she mean by the trip has served its purpose? Tell me!” she insisted as
Gale hesitated.
“Why--um--you see, Val, we--got together and sort of talked it over and
we decided----”
“You all decided to spend your summer out here so I could get well,” Val
said, a suspicion of tears in her voice. “Was there ever a girl had such
friends?”
“Bosh!” Janet said crisply, immediately dispersing all sentiment. “We
did it for ourselves. Aren’t we the Adventure Girls and didn’t we come,
out for some more adventures? But so far,” she added humorously, “you
and Gale have been doing all the adventuring. Getting kidnapped and----”
“And almost run through by a Mexican and his knife,” finished Valerie.
“Well, from now on, Janet, I cheerfully resign all my adventures in your
favor.”
“Can I count on that?” Janet asked when the other girls joined them.
“We are on our way home, girls,” sighed Carol, “and all our adventuring
is over for another summer. Dear me, winter and school are dull times,
don’t you think?”
“Yes!”
“No!” came simultaneously from Janet and Phyllis.
Carol had not spoken the whole truth. They were on their last long ride
of the summer, but their adventures were not over, and this they were
shortly to discover for themselves.