A HORSE AND A SNAKE
During the days which followed at Big Horn Ranch the Rover boys and their
chums asked Joe Jackson if he knew Bud Haddon and the other men who had
been with him.
"Yes, I know Haddon," answered the foreman of the ranch. "He used to work
for Bimbel on a ranch on the other side of the river; but I think he left
there several months ago."
"Well, if he did, I rather think he's going back," answered Jack. "Can
you tell us anything about him?"
"Oh, I imagine he's as good as the average fellow around Bimbel's place,"
answered Joe Jackson. "You see, none of our crowd have much to do with
that outfit. Bimbel is a hard fellow to get along with, and some of the
men working for his outfit have rather shady characters." The foreman
looked at the boys curiously. "How do you happen to know the fellow?"
The lads had come to like the foreman very much and felt that they could
trust him thoroughly, so they told their story in detail, to which
Jackson listened with interest.
"Looks to me as if Haddon was trying to blackmail that kid Bangs," was
his comment. "That is unless there was something in the talk about that
barn being burned with the horses. It's just possible that fellow Bangs
had something to do with it and Haddon was making him pay for keeping his
mouth shut."
"Do you know anybody by the name of John Calder whose barn burned down?"
"No. That couldn't have been anywhere around here or I certainly would
have heard about it. But there's one thing I do know," added the foreman
suddenly. "There's a man named Jarley Bangs who owns a ranch on the other
side of the river--a small place next to the one run by Bimbel."
"Jarley Bangs!" exclaimed Fred. "Do you suppose it could be Brassy Bangs'
father?"
"I don't think so," answered Gif. "I believe Bangs' folks live in
Wyoming."
"But this Bangs may be some relative of his," put in Spouter.
The matter was talked over a while longer, but the boys could learn
little further from the foreman.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said Joe Jackson at last. "I'll put it up
to some of the cowboys. They may know more about Bimbel and his outfit
and about Jarley Bangs than I do. Bangs has a reputation for being a very
queer and miserly man, but that's about all I can say of him."
The boys, and even the girls, spent quite a little of their time in the
saddle. Both Mary and Martha had learned to ride while at home, using the
bridle path in Central Park, so they felt at home when galloping over the
plains.
"This outing is going to do Mary a world of good," confided Mrs. Rover to
Mrs. Powell. "She has always been so timid."
The river in which the boys went fishing and also bathing was a broad,
shallow stream which could be forded in many places with ease. So far,
however, the lads had remained on their side of the watercourse. But one
day Jack proposed that they go off on horseback and do a little exploring
on the other side.
"We might ride past the Bimbel place, and also the one Jarley Bangs
owns," said he. "Who knows but what we may catch sight of Bud Haddon and
his crowd."
"We don't want to get into any trouble with those fellows," put in Fred
quickly.
"Oh, they can't touch us!" exclaimed Andy. "They don't even know us. And
we've as much right to use the trails around here as anybody--the land
isn't fenced in."
"Yes, but you know what Jackson said," went on Fred. "He said the Bimbel
outfit wasn't a very nice one and that Bangs was very miserly and
peculiar. That sounds as if both places were good ones to steer clear
of."
"Oh, come on! Let's go anyhow," put in Spouter. "I'm anxious to know what
sort of neighbors we have. They can't find any fault with us for coming
over when they find out that my father owns this ranch."
The boys talked this matter over several times, and the next day obtained
permission to take the horses and go off for a day's outing along the
river. They were to take their lunch with them, and did not expect to
come back until evening.
"I wish we could go along," sighed Martha.
"We'll take you along next time, Martha," answered her brother. "This
time I'm afraid the ride will be a little too long for you."
"Never mind, Martha and I will take a little ride of our own," declared
Mary. "We can go up to the edge of the woods and pick some wild
flowers."
"Let's do it!" answered her cousin quickly. "One of the cowboys tells me
there are all sorts of wild flowers up there near one of the springs."
Hop Lung was told to prepare a lunch which the boys might take along with
them, and set to work immediately. As he got the things ready the
Celestial had a faraway look in his eyes and once or twice he stuck out
his tongue suggestively.
"One flishee--two flishee--lot flishee," he murmured to himself. "Hop
Lung fixee boys," and he smiled in his own peculiar way.
The day dawned bright and clear, and immediately after breakfast the boys
leaped into the saddle and with good-natured shouts swung the sombreros
they were wearing, and started off on their ride. Each had equipped
himself with a pistol, although they expected to do no shooting, and
several carried small saddlebags containing their food and drink, the
latter placed in a couple of thermos bottles. They also carried feed for
the horses.
"Whoop-la!" shouted Andy gaily. "Come on, fellows! let's put distance
between ourselves and the ranch."
"Better take it a little easy at the start, Andy," remonstrated Gif.
"Remember we expect to cover quite a few miles, and we don't want to wear
out the horses at the start."
"We'll let Spouter set the pace," announced Jack, for he had not
forgotten that they were all guests of the lad mentioned.
They had questioned the foreman regarding the lay of the land, and he had
drawn up a rough map for them which Jack carried. Inside of half an hour
they reached the fording place he had mentioned, and there crossed the
stream, coming out on the side of a small hill.
"I wonder if we'll come across any wild animals," remarked Fred, as they
pushed along a well-defined trail leading to the top of the hill and
through a small patch of scrub timber further westward.
"From what Joe Jackson said, I don't think there's very much left in this
immediate vicinity," answered Spouter. "You see, the cowboys have scared
most of the animals away. Of course, they occasionally come across a
bobcat or a mountain lion, and then we might come across a wolf or a fox
or some jackrabbits, or even a bear."
"Well, please don't let 'em come at us in a bunch!" cried Randy, with a
grin. "One at a time, please."
"It'll be our luck not to see a thing worth shooting," declared Fred. "I
wouldn't give five cents for our chances of bringing down anything."
Fred had scarcely spoken when the horse Gif was riding shied suddenly to
one side, throwing Gif into some low bushes. Then the horse gave a snort
and leaped ahead on the trail, not stopping until he had covered a
hundred yards or more.
"Hello! what's the trouble?" exclaimed Jack, bringing his own steed to a
halt. "Are you hurt, Gif?"
"No. I'm all right. But what startled that horse?" demanded the other
lad, as he scrambled to his feet. Then he gave a sudden yell. "It's a
snake! Look out!"
All looked in the direction pointed out by Gif, and there saw a black
object wriggling away through the brushwood. As quickly as they could
Jack and Spouter, who were close by, pulled out their pistols and fired
at the snake. They saw the reptile rise up in the air, turning and
twisting, and then disappear from sight between the rocks.
"What's up? What are you shooting at?" cried Fred, galloping to the
spot.
"A snake. He scared Gif's horse and threw Gif into the bushes."
"Where is he?"
"I guess he got away, although I think we wounded him," answered Jack.
"It's funny how that horse shied," said Spouter. "Maybe he stepped right
on the snake."
"That might be," put in Fred. "Maybe the snake was sunning himself and
didn't notice our approach until the horse stepped on him. Then he
switched around, and that must have started the horse off. I wonder if we
can catch him."
"I think so," answered Spouter. "Gosh! I'm glad no one was bit. That
snake looked to be of pretty good size."
While Spouter and Jack hurried forward to capture the runaway horse, Gif
was assisted to the back of the steed Randy rode.
"I'm glad I didn't go out on my head on the rocks," remarked Gif, as the
boys went forward. "I might have broken my neck."
"Yes, you picked out just the right place to fall into," answered Andy.
"I didn't pick it out. I went where I was sent," returned the other lad
calmly. "After this I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more snakes."
"I think we had better all do that," said Fred. "Gee! I'd forgotten all
about those pests."
When they reached the runaway horse they found him still somewhat
skittish. But he was soon calmed down, and then Gif remounted him, and
they set off along the trail as before.
"Well, we didn't exactly meet a wild animal," remarked Randy. "But we met
something just as bad."
Presently the boys came to a spot where the river wound around the hill,
and beyond this was a broad stretch of plains, apparently many miles in
extent. Far to the southward they could see some tall timber.
"The Bimbel ranch must be somewhere in this vicinity," declared Jack.
"Yes, and the Bangs place can't be so very far off," returned Fred.
But distances in the open air are deceiving, and the boys rode along over
the plains for the best part of an hour before they reached a spot where
the trail branched in several directions. Here they came to a halt,
wondering which way to turn next.
"It's too bad they don't put up a few signboards out here," grumbled
Randy. "How is a fellow going to know where he's heading?"
"I suppose the natives know these trails just like we know the main
streets of New York City," answered Jack. "And that being so, they don't
need any signboards."
Jack had consulted the rude map given to him by the ranch foreman, but
this did not seem to have upon it the forks of the trail.
"I suppose those cowboys would know at once which was the main trail and
which were only side trails," said Gif.
The boys were still uncertain which way to turn when Fred set up a cry of
amazement.
"Here comes an auto, boys! What do you know about that?"
"An auto!" several of them repeated. "Where?"
The youngest Rover pointed with his finger, and there, to the
astonishment of every one in the party, they beheld a small touring car
coming across the plains at a speed of twelve or fifteen miles an hour.
It was running in a curiously haphazard fashion.
"What a way to run an automobile!" ejaculated Randy.
"Maybe the driver is getting out of the way of holes," answered Jack. And
then he added quickly: "There isn't any driver!"
Completely mystified, the boys stared at the oncoming automobile. For a
moment it seemed heading directly for them, but suddenly swerved and
started off across the plains in another direction.
"It is empty!" ejaculated Andy. "It's running by itself!"