A COWBOY TAKES A HEADER
"What is that?" questioned Professor Zepplin sharply.
"That's what I'm trying to make out," replied the guide.
"Looks like horsemen."
"Yes, it is. But I can't understand why they can be riding at that
killing pace on a hot afternoon such as this."
About this time the boys' attention had been attracted to the yellow
cloud by Stacy Brown, who, notwithstanding his apparent slowness, had
sharp eyes when there was anything to be seen.
"Somebody's coming," he announced between sips.
"What's that?" demanded Tad, springing from the water hole, followed
closely by Walter and Ned.
"Somebody coming to pay us an afternoon call. By the way they're
whooping it up they must be in a hurry about something."
All hands ran to where Mr. Parry and the Professor were standing.
The yellow cloud was rolling toward them at a rapid pace, and ahead of
it the boys discovered half a dozen horsemen, who had evidently
discovered the white tent that the Pony Rider Boys had erected during
their midday stop.
"Know them?" asked Tad.
"I'm not sure, but I think it's Bud Stevens and the wild-horse outfit.
Judging from the way they ride they're pretty wild themselves."
With a series of shrill "y-e-o-w-s," the strangers bore down on the
little desert camp. From the gray, alkali-flecked backs of the ponies
clouds of steam were rising, their sides streaked with dust and sweat.
"Whoop! Hooray!" bellowed the newcomers, dashing up to the camp,
letting go a volley of revolver shots right into the ground in front of
the Pony Rider Boys.
Not a boy flinched.
"How!" said Tom Parry.
"How!" roared Bud Stevens, the leader, throwing himself from the back
of his trembling mount.
"Where's the boss?" asked Parry.
"He's gone down Ralston way."
"Thought so. Where you headed?"
"San Antone Range after more hoss flesh. We'll rope the white stallion
this time, and don't you forget it. Eh, kiddie? You're the little
coyote what roped my pony and plunked me into the street back in
Eureka, ain't you?"
Half jokingly, he swung a vicious blow at Tad with the flat of his
hand. Had it landed it would have laid the lad flat.
Tad ducked and came up smiling.
"Wow! The kiddie's a regular little bantam. We'll have to take a fall
out of you. Got to give you the desert initiation like they do in the
secret societies back in Eureka."
He sought to close with Tad, but the boy eluded him easily.
"That'll do, Bud," warned the guide, stepping between them. "No rough
house here. Want some water? We've got a water hole right over there."
"Water? Water? Call the stuff we get out of the ground here water?"
"He--he's had his head in soak already," piped Stacy, noting the
perspiration dripping from the cowboy leader's face.
Parry gave the lad a warning look.
"They're good enough fellows, but they are full of pranks when they are
not at work. No need to stir them up and make them mad."
"Got anything to eat?" demanded Bud.
"How would you like some coffee, sir?" asked Tad politely.
"Coffee?" jeered the cowboy. "Now what d'ye think of that, fellows?
Ain't that right hospitable?"
"Yes, thank you, young man, I guess that would touch the spot," spoke
up another of the band. "'Course we'll have some coffee."
"All right. Ned, will you and Walt fix something for the boys to eat?
If you will lead your ponies over to the water hole I'll dip up some
water for them in the meantime, gentlemen."
"Kiddie, yer all right," bellowed Bud Stevens. "But I've got to take a
fall out of yer yet."
"Some other time," grinned Tad, who felt no fear of the hulking cowboy.
"See that nose?" demanded Bud, sticking out his head at Tad.
"Yes; what's the matter?"
"That's my nose. And that's where I barked it when you roped my pony
tother day. Oh, I've got to take it out of yer hide, kiddie."
"Come along. We'll water the ponies. Chunky, help lead those bronchos
to the water hole, will you?"
The two boys and the noisy plainsmen gathered the tired animals and led
them to the hole that had been dug in the desert. Stacy sprang in and
began dipping out pails of water.
Bud grabbed the first pailful, but instead of offering it to one of the
thirsty animals, he deliberately emptied the contents over the head of
the boy down in the hole.
"Hi, there! Stop that, will you?" howled Stacy Brown.
The fat boy was mad all through.
He scrambled from the hole, dragging a slopping pail of water after
him, while Bud Stevens roared with delight. But his mirth was
short-lived.
Stacy ran around the hole and straight at the cowboy who had soaked him
with the yellow water. Up went the pail.
Splash!
The contents of it were hurled full in the face of the wild cowboy, who
at that moment, having his mouth wide open, got a mouthful of it.
The battle was on instantly. Tad knew it was coming, but he did not
think it would be directed at him this time, though he realized that he
would have to protect his companion at any cost.
Choking and sputtering, Bud made a blind lunge at Tad, his eyes being
so full of muddy water that he could barely make out the slender form
of the Pony Rider Boy.
Tad ducked and dodged, hoping that Stevens would tire of pursuing him
in a moment. The lad might have called to the others over by the camp,
but he was too proud to do that. He would fight his own battles, no
matter what the odds were against him.
"I've got to get in," muttered the lad. "He's seeing clearer every
minute, and the longer I wait the less chance I'll have of getting out
with a whole skin.
"I'm coming, kiddie!" roared Bud.
Tad made no reply.
Stooping as if for a spring, Butler launched himself straight at the
pillar of brawn and muscle before him. Had he hesitated for the
briefest part of a second--had he permitted those muscular arms to
close about him, Tad Butler would have gone down to a quick and
inglorious defeat.
But he did not wait.
The lad's right arm was brought sharply against the neck of his
adversary, while at the same time his left arm was slipped under the
cowboy's right leg. The result was that Stevens lurched to the left.
A quick jerk and Bud was fairly lifted from the ground.
Tad gave a quick, forceful tug.
Bud Stevens landed on his head in the pool of yellow water, his feet
beating the air wildly.
[Illustration: Bud Stevens Landed on His Head in the Pool of Yellow
Water]
"Grab hold of a foot, Chunky!" commanded Tad. "Quick! He'll drown in
a minute in there."
"Oh, let 'im drown," drawled Stacy, blinking to get the sand out of his
eyes.
"Get hold, I tell you! I'll thrash you, Stacy Brown, if you don't!"
Stacy reluctantly complied, Tad in the meantime having grasped the
cowboy's foot and began pulling.
"Not that way, Chunky. Do you want to pull him apart?"
The fat boy was trying to get Bud's right leg out from the opposite
side of the water hole.
The disturbance had by this time attracted the attention of the men
over in the camp. They started on the run when they saw Bud turned
head first into the water hole.
By the time they reached the scene Tad and Stacy had succeeded in
hauling the victim from his perilous position. Bud was choking between
roars of rage. His companions went off into shrieks of laughter when
they understood what had happened. They rolled on the ground; they
danced about their fallen companion, and then their revolvers began to
add their vicious voices to the tumult.
Tad paid no attention to the uproar. He was too busy shaking the water
out of his fallen antagonist, to whom he was giving first aid to the
drowning.
Bud staggered to his feet, gasped for breath, while Tad stepped off a
few paces, so as not to be within reach of those long, bony arms,
should Bud decide to stretch them forth and take him in.
"Guess you got all that was coming to you that time, Bud Stevens,"
grinned Tom Parry. "Served you right. You'll let those boys alone
after this or you'll have to reckon with me."
Stevens's face was streaked with wet sand, his hair was disheveled and
his clothes stuck to him as if they had been pasted on.
The cowboy's sullen face slowly relaxed into a mirthless grin.
"Say, kiddie, you put it over me like a cactus plant. I owe you two."
"I'd cancel the debt if I were in your place," laughed the boy. "Come
along and have a drink of coffee. It'll warm you up after your swim."