ENCIRCLED BY COWBOYS.
For a few moments the three chums stood staring at the vanishing auto.
Then Jerry, with a grunt, felt of his damaged eye.
"I guess I don't owe Noddy anything," he remarked, drily.
"I paid off some old scores to Pender," said Ned, with a grin.
"Wish I'd got a chance at one of them!" observed Bob.
"You're just as well off, Chunky," spoke Jerry. "We may as well keep on
to town, now the excitement is over. It's getting late, and I'm hungry."
In about half an hour they were in the village, where they found a good
hotel. They caught no sight of Noddy and his companions.
The next morning the boys made a hasty breakfast and hired a man to
drive them out to their stranded auto. They found Nestor just awakening
from what he declared had been a refreshing sleep. The punctured tire
was soon repaired, and, dismissing the driver of the wagon, the boys and
the miner sped to town in the machine. They put up at the hotel, where
Nestor made a good breakfast.
As a few supplies were needed for the auto, it was decided to lay over
for a day in the town. Jerry attended to the purchases, while Nestor and
the other boys took things easy in the room they had hired at the hotel.
"I'm sure glad I met you, boys," said the old miner, stretching out in a
comfortable chair. "I'm jest countin' the days 'till we git out to the
gold mine."
"Will it take long now?" asked Ned.
"We ought to reach Tucson in about two weeks now. Of course it's going
to be a little hard gittin' over the New Mexico mountain range, but
I guess the choo-choo wagon will do it. We may have a little trouble
findin' the mine, too."
"I thought you said you had it all staked out," observed Chunky.
"So I have," answered Nestor. "But you see it's in a part of the
mountains not very well traveled. I've lost my way more than once there.
But I reckon I can find the mine. Once I strike the trail leadin' out of
Dead Horse Gulch I'm all right. The mine isn't far from there."
If the miner could have looked into the next room he would not have
talked so freely concerning the mine. For, in the adjoining apartment
was Bill Berry. He listened intently to what Nestor said, and soon was
able to tell, from the conversation, who the occupants in the room next
to him were.
"A gold mine, eh?" said Bill, softly. "I reckon Noddy and I will get in
on that deal. We must profit by this. I wish Noddy would hurry up. We
must follow those young cubs."
Bill, in a measure, was stranded at the hotel. He had reached it after
leaving Noddy the night previous, and expected his companion to follow,
after repairing the auto, and pick him up. But the encounter between
Noddy and the Motor Boys made the former change his plans, and he ran
the machine through the village without stopping for Berry. Later,
however, Noddy came back and got his companion.
For some time Nestor and the boys conversed about the gold mine, the man
telling the lads many stories of western life. Jerry had completed his
purchases by dusk, the auto tanks were refilled with gasolene and water,
and the start was made early the next morning.
A few hours of travel brought the adventurers to the Mississippi River,
and crossing it, they found themselves in Missouri. For several days the
auto journeyed on, and Kansas was more than half traversed.
One hot afternoon, passing over a road that led across the rolling
prairie, Bob, who was steering, looked ahead and noticed quite a cloud
of dust.
"Looks like a whirlwind coming," he remarked.
Nestor stood up and peered forward.
"So it is, but not the kind you're used to," he said.
"What kind is it?"
"Cowboys, an' they're headed right for us. I expect there'll be some fun
presently," and the miner began loading his big revolver.
"Will they--will they kill us?" asked Bob.
"Well, no; not exactly kill you," spoke the miner, slowly, "but they'll
try to scare you to death, and that's about as bad."
The wind now bore to the ears of the boys a thundering sound. It was
the rapid hoof-beats of the cowboys' ponies as they raced along. As yet
nothing of the riders could be seen because of the dust.
Suddenly there came from the center of the cloud a series of terrific
yells, punctuated by a score of revolver shots. At the same time forty
cowboys were disclosed to the astonished gaze of the Cresville lads. Bob
stopped the machine, for it was fairly surrounded by a circle of the
rough riders.
"Throw up your hands!" yelled one who seemed to be the leader of the
herders. He was astride a black pony, and as he spoke he leveled two big
revolvers at the party in the auto.
Tremblingly, the boys obeyed.
"I mean you, too, you old greaser on the back of this new-fangled stage
coach!" exclaimed the leader, waving his gun at Nestor. "Put up your
hands, an' do it mighty suddint!"
Nestor's reply was a shot from his revolver, and the hat of the leader
went spinning in the air.
"Here!" cried the cowboy, angrily, but not returning the fire, "don't
you know better than to shoot a gentleman's hat off?"
"Gentlemen?" inquired Nestor, standing up and surveying the bunch of
cattlemen, with a smile. "I don't see any."
There was a laugh among the herdsmen at the discomfiture of their
leader, and seeing the joke was against him, the man on the black pony
joined in the merriment.
"We didn't intend no harm nohow," he said. "We're jest out for a lark,
an' we seen your Old Nick wagon comin' along. No offense I hope. We was
only jokin'!"
"Don't mention it," said Nestor, who seemed to know how to take the
cowboys. "I suppose my friends may now lower their hands," for Jerry,
Ned and Bob still held their arms aloft.
"Sure!" cried the leader, quickly. "Come on, boys, three cheers for the
tenderfeet!" he exclaimed, turning to his companions.
The cheers were given with a will, some of the more exuberant of the
cow-punchers firing their guns in the air.
"Some of us boys would like mighty well to take a little spin in that
shebang," spoke the leader to Nestor. "S'pose we could take a few turns?"
"I reckon so," answered the miner, and he spoke a few quick words to
Jerry, advising that the wish of the cowboys be complied with, as they
might, in their recklessness, make trouble if they were denied.
Jerry took Bob's place at the wheel, the others got out and the leader
of the cowboys and two of his companions got into the auto. They were
delighted with the way Jerry spun the machine along. By turns nearly all
of the cattle rustlers were given a short journey in the car.
Then three, who seemed full of the spirit of mischief, took their seats.
No sooner had Jerry started off with them than the cowboy in the seat
with him tried to grab the steering wheel.
"Hold on there!" exclaimed the boy.
"That's all right, sonny," said the cowboy. "I reckon I can run this as
well as you. Let me have a turn at it. I'll show you what's what!"
Jerry was firm in his refusal to let the man run the machine. He knew
the cattle-puncher would speedily come to grief. Nestor observed the
little difficulty and appealed to the leader to use his persuasion on
the refractory fellow.
But the latter's two companions now joined in his demand, and Jerry
was being roughly handled as the men sought to put him from his seat.
Suddenly the boy brought the car to a stop. He had a plan in mind.
"Did you ever see an automobile turn a somersault?" he asked the man who
had first wanted to steer.
"No, I didn't, sonny," was the answer.
"Would you like to see it?"
"Bet your boots."
"I can't do it with you in, it takes experts to work that trick," went
on Jerry. "If you will kindly get out and allow my friends to get back
in, I think I can surprise you."
"Whoop!" yelled the cowboys in the auto, as they descended. "Whoop! Now
for some fun!"
Jerry drove the car to where Nestor, Bob and Ned were standing. He
motioned them to get in, and they obeyed, wondering what he was going to
do. The cowboys, gathered in a wide circle about the machine, looked on
in anticipation of seeing the auto do a flip-flop.
"Hold fast!" cautioned Jerry to his companions in the car. They did so.
The next instant the boy put on full power and dashed straight at the
encircling ring of cattlemen.