A COMPROMISE.
Ted hurried back to the cow camp.
"Stuff's off," he shouted, when he came within shouting distance. The
boys, who were lounging around the fire, resting from their arduous
drive, sprang to their feet.
"What's the row?" asked big Ben Tremont.
"They insist upon our driving the herd about five miles farther into the
reservation to-night, so that that lazy lieutenant who is to do the
inspecting in the morning will have as little trouble as possible. I
refused to do it, and they tried to run a sandy on me, but I wouldn't
stand for it. If they'd been white to me I would have had the cattle in
there if it took me all night."
"That duck o' a lootenant wuz a trifle gay," said Bud. "He tried to run
a blazer on yer Uncle Dudley, but I told him to run along, an' I reckon
he'll have no Christmas present for me this year."
"Did you tell the boss there was nothing doing in the moving line?"
asked Ben.
"You bet I did," answered Ted. "That gay lieutenant who was here ran at
once to the boss with his tale of woe, and the boss threw his chest out
at me and tried the little-boy game on me. He thought he had me bluffed
when in comes another officer, who told him that a beef issue to the
Indians was due to-morrow, and that there wasn't an animal in the post
pasture."
"Wow!" exclaimed Bud. "That means trouble for some one, unless they can
dig up something to take its place, for an Indian who has his mouth made
up fer fresh meat is lierble ter become rantankerous if he don't get
it."
"I guess that's why they were so anxious to get the beef up to the
pasture to-night," said Kit.
"Of course. When I heard that all my nerve came back to me, and I
decided that I would give those officers a lesson."
"What are you going to do?" asked Ben.
"Drive the herd off the reservation."
"Gee, that will put us in the hole bad."
"Oh, I don't know. We'll trail them a little farther north, keep them a
few months on free range, then drive them to the railroad and slide them
into Chicago on a rising market. I had the whole thing figured out in
case we got here too late, which I expected to do on account of our
being held back by dry weather and too much water, coming in streaks."
"I'd like to have been there when you were throwing your bluff into the
colonel. I suppose he had the surprise of his life."
"He looked like it. By Jove, he has a mighty pretty daughter, if he is a
grouch himself."
"Seem to have an eye for beauty yourself."
"Not as keen as yours." Ben blushed when Ted said this, for Ben was
always having a new girl and talking about her.
"I noticed her because she was so pleasant, and so different from her
father, and that fellow Barrows, who seems to be very soft on her."
"Well, we have no fight with the ladies of the post," said Ben.
"How did it end?" asked Kit, who always wanted results.
"I simply told them that they couldn't have the cattle now, and walked
away."
"That must have been a facer."
"Seemed to be, for the colonel called after me to know if I was aware
that if the beef issue didn't come off there would probably be an Indian
uprising, and I told him it was up to him."
"Well, I suppose it's hike," said Bud, pulling on his boots.
"Yes, get the dogies up, and we'll trail them back until we are out of
the reservation. It's not far."
The boys mounted, and rode among the cattle, getting them to their feet.
Soon the herd was moving slowly along the back trail, with Ted and Bud
pointing them out.
Suddenly, from the woods to the right rode a band of horsemen in the
dark, for the sun had long since gone down.
"What's this? A holdup?" asked Bud.
"Can't tell yet. By Jove, I believe they are soldiers. I wonder if they
are going to try to stop us."
"S'posing they try it?"
"We'll have to ride it out. I wouldn't be held up on the reservation now
for anything. That would spoil it all. They would do anything they
wanted with us if we stood for that, and throw out a lot of legitimate
stock to get square with us."
"What do you mean?"
"If they're soldiers, and try to keep us in, you ride back and start the
herd to stampeding. Let the soldiers take care of themselves. If they're
regular cavalry, they will be able to ride well enough to get out of the
way."
"Bully idea. O' course, we can't help it if the cattle get scared at
them bright uniforms, an' git ter runnin'." Bud chuckled at the thought.
"Halt!"
The voice of Lieutenant Barrows rang out commandingly.
"Now's your chance, Bud," said Ted. "Mind you, get them started good and
plenty. I don't care if they run five miles."
Presently, from the rear of the herd came a shout of warning, and the
herd increased its speed from a lazy walk into a trot.
Back in the darkness the cowboys were riding through the herd hurrying
up the cattle with their quirts.
From a trot they broke into a gallop, and this soon grew into a perfect
rout, for cattle are easily frightened at night.
As soon as Ted saw that the cattle were going to run, sure enough, he
dashed across the intervening space to where the dark forms were
standing in the path of the oncoming cattle.
He saw at once that it was Lieutenant Barrows and a squad of cavalrymen,
and that they were armed with carbines. He resented this, as the
lieutenant had no business to arm his men in this way for such an
errand.
As Ted rode up, he shouted:
"Get out of the way, if you don't want to be trampled to death."
"What do you mean, you scoundrel?" shouted Barrows. "Halt, when I give
the command, or take the consequences."
"Out of the way, you fool!" shouted Ted, as he swept past. "Don't you
see that the cattle are stampeding?"
If the lieutenant did not know it, being so recently out of West Point,
the men did, for with a yell they turned and rode like mad for the side
lines.
Then, for the first time, the young officer, hearing the sullen bellow
of the cattle and the thunder of the hoofs, turned and followed Ted.
But the leaders were almost upon him, and, realizing that death was
following him fast, he gave an agonizing cry.
Ted heard the cry, and understood its import.
While he disliked and despised the bullying officer, he had no desire to
see harm come to him.
The lieutenant's horse, while a good-enough cavalry animal in times of
peace, was not the match of the cow ponies, and was already badly
winded, as well as frightened, and was losing ground steadily.
"Bear off to the right!" shouted Ted repeatedly. But the officer was
evidently too frightened or rattled to understand, and kept blundering
along.
Ted saw that disaster was sure to follow in a short while if Barrows
didn't change his tactics.
The herd was going at regulation stampede speed now, but this did not
cause Ted to think of his own danger when he deliberately turned Sultan
and came galloping back upon the advancing sea of sharp horns.
In a moment he was beside Barrows, wheeled suddenly, and began to ride
against the cavalry horse, forcing it to one side, and urging it on with
lashes of his quirt.
At last he got the heavy brute going the way he wanted and soon it was
out of danger, as the frantic herd swept by with a roar like that of a
lightning express rushing over a culvert.
Barrows was sitting on his trembling horse, pale, and with beads of
perspiration standing out on his forehead.
"You did that on purpose, curse you," snarled the lieutenant. "You made
those cattle run."
Ted looked at him in astonishment. He thought at least that the soldier
would murmur some few words of gratitude for having been saved from a
horrible death.
"You're a grateful chap, I must say," said Ted. "You weren't far from
kingdom come then, I can tell you."
"I'll see that you are punished for this," said Barrows, wheeling his
horse and riding out of sight in the direction of the post.
It was two hours before the boys headed the cattle and got them to
milling, and then broke them up and succeeded in getting them bedded
down.
As they got a new camp fire made, and were lying around it, Bud said,
with a laugh:
"That was a mighty slick trick o' yours, Ted. It certainly took ther
herd off ther reservation in a hurry."
"I don't see yet why it was necessary to stampede them," said Ben, who
was sore at having had to do so much work getting the herd together
again.
"Can't, eh?" said Bud. "That's all er collidge eddication done fer yer?
Why, if we hadn't got them cattle off'n thar pretty pronto, thet thar
lootenant would hev bagged every animile on foot. But Ted, he foresee
what they wuz up ter, an' ther simplest way wuz ter run 'em off in a
fake stampede. It done ther work, too, fer we're out o' ther reservation
whar they can't touch us."
Except for the night guard, the boys rolled themselves in their blankets
and were soon sound asleep.
The next morning Ted began to drift the herd slowly into the north,
where there was plenty of free range. They were still well within view
of the fort.
It was almost time for the beef issue at the post, and Ted and Bud,
walking their ponies slowly along in the lead of the herd, were talking
about it.
"Wonder they ain't been out to head us off this morning?" said Bud.
"They know they cannot take forcible possession of our cattle when we
are off the reservation," answered Ted. "Hello, what's that heading this
way?"
Coming toward them from the direction of the fort, several riders were
kicking up the dust in lively fashion.
As they got nearer the riders revealed themselves as four soldiers,
accompanied by two ladies.
Suddenly Ted pulled in his pony, and grasped Bud's arm.
"If that don't look like Stella I'll eat my saddle blanket fried in
butter," he said.
"Shore do look some like her," answered Bud, "an' that's ther same
little ole red jacket what she wears."
In a few moments they heard Stella's hail, and answered it.
Then up galloped Stella and Miss Croffut, accompanied by the commandant
of the post, Lieutenant Barrows, and two other officers, a captain and a
major.
After greeting the boys, and formally introducing Miss Croffut, Stella
told them that from their last telegram she thought she might be able to
catch them at Fort Felton, and had not hesitated in coming on,
particularly as she happened to know Miss Croffut.
"What's this trouble you fellows have been getting into with the folks
at the fort?" asked Stella.
"We're not having any trouble, but we had some in the night when the
dogies stampeded us," replied Ted, with an almost imperceptible wink at
her.
"None of my business, I suppose?"
"None in the least."
"See here, Mr. Strong," the colonel broke in, "I suppose I was somewhat
hasty last night in talking with you, especially as you had arrived on
time. I wish you'd turn back, and let us have those cattle."
"Like to if you'd said so a little earlier, but since morning, and the
expiration of the contract, beef has gone up."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you haven't money enough to buy these cattle. What's the
matter? Want a few head to feed to the Indians?"
"We want the whole herd, but as you have guessed the truth, we must have
a few head to keep those crazy Indians from making trouble. They have
heard that the cattle are gone, and I'm afraid that they will break
loose and murder a lot of settlers to get even with Uncle Sam."
"What are the troops for?"
"We wouldn't dare go after them without orders from Washington."
"Well, you started it, and I would advise you to go on to the finish."
"If we don't get enough cattle to feed the Indians the post is ruined."
"You should have thought of that contingency when you sent your amiable
young assistant out to me." He looked at Barrows.
"Well, I apologize for him. He was dead wrong, but so was I."
"Nothing doing! You would have given me the worst of it if I had been
chump enough not to know the cow business as I do. But these cattle are
due on the high range in a few days, and we must be moving on. Adios."
"Oh, Mr. Strong, please do let us have enough cattle for those poor
Indians. The squaws and babies and growing children are actually
starving, for the government has kept them on short allowance lately.
Let a few head go to us."
Ted said nothing for several moments, during which they all looked at
him anxiously.
"Come on, Ted, be a good fellow," said Stella, with a laugh.
"All right," said Ted. "How many do you want cut out?" Ted was looking
at the colonel.
"I'd like to have the whole herd," answered the colonel.
"They're not for sale. They're going up to the high range for the rest
of the summer, then to market, and I hope it will be a fairer one than
this. But for the sake of the young ladies, who have more influence with
this bunch in a minute than all the officers at Fort Felton have in a
year, I'll cut out enough for the beef issue. How many head do you need
for the Indians?"
"About five hundred," answered the colonel, in a very different voice
from that he had used the night before.
"Bud, cut out, count, and deliver five hundred head at the post pasture.
Stella, we're going on. Where's your aunt?"
"Up at the post. Say, Ted Strong, don't believe for a minute that I'm
not going, too. I'll get a wagon for auntie, and we'll hit your trail in
a couple of hours."