THE WRIST WATCH
Teddy Ford had no idea of letting Oriole get into danger alone. When
she ran out of the covert to seize the Langdon twins, he followed her,
brandishing the quirt he had brought along and which was his only
weapon of defense. He was really prepared to attack Ridley with this
whip if it was necessary; but at first the outlaw did not even seem to
see the boy and girl who had followed him from the lowlands.
Mudd and Shaffer were locked in a desperate embrace, staggering and
falling, getting up again still with their arms wrapped about each
other--altogether displaying a hatred for each other that boded nothing
but tragedy. Fortunately neither of the antagonists was now armed.
Oriole ran down to the twins and they clung to her. Teddy placed
himself bravely between that group and the outlaws, gripping the handle
of the quirt so hard that his knuckles were white, and ready to spring
at Ridley if the latter turned on Oriole and the children.
"Beat it!" the boy shrilled to his friend. "Get 'em back of the rock.
Hurry!"
But Oriole did not need this advice. She realized that she must get
Myron and Marian out of sight as quickly as possible. She seized the
twins by their hands and ran with them to the huge bowlder.
It was just before they reached its protection that Ridley turned and
saw them. He shouted a threat and raised the weapon in his hand as
though he intended to fire after the children.
Teddy Ford "saw red." That was too much for him to see done without
effort to defend Oriole and the twins.
"You old scoundrel!" he shouted, "don't you dare shoot them. If you do
Harvey Langdon will get you, sure as you live! Put it down!"
Perhaps the reminder of the ranchman's wrath stayed the rascal's hand.
But he swung on the boy and started toward Teddy as though he intended
attacking him.
The latter was not cowardly in his own behalf. He faced Ridley and
raised the quirt.
"You hit me and I'll give you a taste of this," Teddy declared. He knew
that the longer he stayed the man, the safer Oriole and the twins
would be. They might even reach the horses beyond the hill. "I'll give
you a taste of this old quirt--sure as you live, Hank Ridley!"
"Hear the bantam crow!" sneered the man. "I ought to slam you a few
just to teach you your place--Hey! Look out for him, Mudd!"
He turned to see what the other men were doing. Shaffer had forced Mudd
back against a rock. They fell over it together and their hold was
broken. Both men scrambled to their feet, and Ridley darted forward,
his pistol extended.
Teddy thought the man, Shaffer, was about to be shot. It was an awful
thought, and although he had no more use for Shaffer than he had for
the other outlaws, to see such a tragedy was a terrible thing. He
shrieked as loud as he could:
"Don't shoot him! Don't you do it!"
Teddy's influence would have been slight indeed; but just as he shouted
his warning there appeared from the brush across the glade several
charging horsemen, George Belden at their head.
Shaffer and Mudd came together again, and Ridley lost his chance of
firing at the former. The struggling men did not see the foreman and
his party approaching. But Hank Ridley saw them and acted instantly.
Deserting his two mates, Ridley shot away across the open space and
grabbed up his saddle as he passed the fire. The posse from the
Langdon Ranch was some distance away. The outlaw had time to throw his
saddle on his mount, cinch up, and climb on the horse before Belden or
his men could get him.
Had they been of Ridley's own wicked mind, they might easily have shot
him. Had they known, even, that he had tried to kidnap the Langdon
twins they might have used their weapons in bringing the leader of the
three outlaws to earth. But they contented themselves in capturing
Shaffer and Mudd, while Ridley disappeared into the forest farther down
the basin, evidently aiming for the more easterly of the Three Sisters.
Belden threw himself from his saddle and tore Mudd and Shaffer apart.
He flung them both to the ground, and the desperadoes were so weary
from their battle that, realizing that they were captured and helpless,
they lay there panting.
"Well, here's two of the rascals," said the foreman with satisfaction.
"Never mind Hank. We'll get him later. What was you-all fightin' about?"
Neither Shaffer nor Mudd seemed ready to answer. Belden turned to look
at Teddy, his face breaking into a quizzical smile.
"And here's the kid. I would like to know what under the canopy of the
wide blue sky brought you up here?"
"There's a good deal to tell, Mr. Belden," said the boy seriously. "But
let me go after Oriole and the twins first----"
"Huh? Oriole Putnam and Harvey Langdon's children?"
"Yes. We are all up here. Mudd and Ridley ran away with the twins and
Oriole and I followed them."
"Peep o' day!" ejaculated Belden. "What you talkin' about?"
Teddy did not stop then to explain. He ran around the bowlder, found
the terrified twins and Oriole, and brought them back to prove his
statement. The punchers gathered around, amazed and interested to say
the least. They paid little attention for the time being to Shaffer and
Mudd; but those two rascals knew better than to try to escape.
When the story was told there was a chorus of praise for Oriole and
Teddy from the punchers, as well as an expression of their amazement. A
hunt for horse thieves had turned out to be the capture of at least one
kidnaper. Shaffer was evidently at outs with the other two desperadoes.
And even Mudd was not the principal in the abduction plot.
"Just the same," decided George Belden, "we'll let Hank go for now. I
bet he won't get far on that tired-out horse of his--no, sir! But it is
our duty to take these children--all of 'em--back to the ranch. Sadie
Brown will be near about worried to death over these here twins--no
doubt of that. And if Harvey Langdon gets back to headquarters and
finds his twins stole, he'll near about have a fit."
"What'll we do with these two fellers, George?" demanded one of the
punchers, looking scornfully down upon Shaffer and Mudd.
"Bring 'em along. We can't judge 'em. Let Harvey Langdon do that."
"They ought to stretch hemp," growled another.
"Never mind that now!" commanded the foreman. "We are law-abidin'
citizens, I hope. These fellers will be punished by the courts, no
doubt. Get busy now. Where's your horses, boy?"
Teddy ran and secured both Oriole's pony and the one he had been
riding. One thing he had refrained from speaking of before Belden and
the others. That was the strange path, including the one under the
waterfall, by which they had reached the uplands. And now he warned
Oriole to say nothing about it.
"No use everybody knowing that trick. George and these fellows came by
another way. Only those outlaws and we know the waterfall path, Oriole."
"Oh, Teddy! It shall be a secret--yes? I don't believe the children
will ever remember it."
"If they do they won't make anybody understand unless we chip in and
explain," said the boy cheerfully.
A secret of any kind delighted Oriole. Why not? With often only her own
thoughts for company, the girl had become more imaginative and fanciful
than many children of her age. She had few playthings, too--that is,
playthings like dolls and baby-houses and such toys, which other girls
of her age enjoyed. A veritable secret between Teddy and her was
delightful.
And especially because it was Teddy with whom she shared it. To her
mind Teddy Ford was quite a wonderful creature. Of course, Oriole
Putnam would not for the world have admitted it to Teddy; but she
believed him to be the most remarkable boy alive!
So it was agreed between them. The path behind the curtain of falling
water was to remain a secret--as far as Oriole and Teddy were
concerned. And surely the captured Shaffer and Mudd would be unlikely
to speak of it. Myron and Marian did not mention the wonder. When the
party regained the ranch-house, where Sadie Brown and Mr. Langdon were
just talking over the twins' abduction, it was dusk, the children were
tired and sleepy, and they were put to bed without recounting to their
nurse and father many particulars of the adventure.
It was Oriole who, before she went to bed that night, made a discovery
that was quite startling, to her at least, if not to the ranch family.
When she came to undress and make ready for bed she discovered that her
wrist-watch was gone.
"Oh, my dear!" she cried, running to Sadie Brown, "I've lost it--that
dear watch that Myron gave me last New Year's eve."
"Why, Oriole, don't you think you may have mislaid it?" asked Nurse
Brown.
"No, no! I lost it up there in the hills--I know I did. I know just
where I looked at it last. I am sure. It was while we stood behind that
big bowlder and George Belden and the other men rode up and captured
those two bad men. Yes! I remember looking at it then."
"But you don't really know you left it there," said the nurse.
"Well, I'm sure it was gone when I reached home. Yes! right up there it
was lost, for Teddy and I washed our hands in a pool of water before
we rode away from that spot. My watch was gone then, or I would have
noticed it on my wrist and taken it off before washing my hands. I
always do."
"Well, it is too bad. But it is too far away for you to go back and
look for it."
"Oh! I don't want to lose that pretty watch," complained the girl.
"Nothing can be done about it to-night, child," said the woman. "We'll
see to-morrow."