THE NIGHT ALARM.
"That was a time you got some news that looks like it staggered you,
Adrian," remarked Billie, after the three cow-punchers had dashed away,
on their road west.
"Seems like it," declared the one addressed, who was scratching his head
in a puzzled way; "but do you know, it's hard to believe that any sort
of woman could get the whip-hand over my Uncle Fred. Why, there never
was a more fiery and determined character. He ran things with an iron
hand, even that puncher admitted as much. How he could be brought under
a woman's thumb is more'n I can understand."
"Oh!" spoke up Donald, sagaciously, "you don't know how some women can
manage. And from the way that fellow mentioned Mrs. Fred I reckon now
that she's that big she can just fling her hubby around like a cat, when
she's riled up. Two black eyes is going some, and for a whole month too!
Looks like you might be getting a little closer to an explanation of the
queer things that have been going on up here on your Bar-S Ranch, Chum
Adrian."
"Yes, it looks like it," agreed the other; "but I'll never believe Uncle
Fred is ruled by a petticoat till I see it with my own eyes. He's a
small man, but a masterful fighter. I can remember him flinging a fellow
twice his heft in a wrestling match; for Uncle Fred has been in Japan,
and learned the ju jitsu way of doing an antagonist up."
"Mebbe he has," remarked Billie, who was taking pains to search his pack
for the bottle of witch-hazel, meaning to get to work easing the pain of
the lame back Jupiter had; "but seems like it don't work with a female
scrapper; or else your unk is too gallant a gentleman to apply such
strong tactics against the wife of his bosom, so he lets her get the
best of every scrimmage, till his spirit is broken--leastwise that was
what our cowboy friend seemed to imply just now."
"It's something to think about, anyhow," observed Donald; "and for one
I'm right glad we ran across those punchers. And we know about the
Walkers, too. Fine bunch to have around, ain't they, now? And Mrs. Fred,
he took pains to tell us, was one of the Walkers before she got married!
There's a nigger in this woodpile somewhere, Adrian, and looks like it
might be up to us to find out just where."
"We will, before we head back South again, depend on that," said Adrian,
with the set look about his mouth that his chums knew so well, and which
spoke of a grim determination before which every obstacle must give way.
They now set about making themselves as comfortable as possible, meaning
to camp there in among those few trees for the night, which was only a
couple of hours distant. As this was a very old story with both Adrian
and Donald, and even Billie now came to look upon it as a lesson well
learned, they knew just how to go about it in order to get the best
results.
The ponies were staked out, not that it was expected that any one of the
well-trained animals would stray far away while cropping the grass; but
on account of wild animals, or possible horse thieves, it was thought
best to have them within reach, and so fastened that they could not be
stampeded in any way.
Then came the duty of starting the cooking fire. This was usually
Billie's job, for he had shown considerable ability along the cooking
line, and moreover relished being placed in a position where his
allowance of "grub" could not be cut down by ruthless hands.
On this particular occasion Billie was so much taken up with doctoring
the sore back of his pony that Adrian took the duty of making the fire
on his shoulders.
In lieu of stones with which to build a fireplace where coffee-pot and
frying-pan could rest, he simply dug out a hole in the ground, and
started his blaze there. Later on, when this became half-filled with
glowing embers, it would be time to commence the business of getting
their camp supper.
No matter where they might happen to partake of a meal, or how good the
fare at some of the taverns they had struck in towns along the way,
Billie loved the genuine camp meal best of all. They had found chances
to do some shooting when on the trail, so that it was seldom they were
without fresh meat for supper. On several occasions Billie had even
insisted on purchasing a big generous beefsteak in some town through
which they happened to pass along about the middle of the afternoon,
when it was decided that they would keep on and camp out, the weather
conditions seeming favorable.
There was some venison still in the larder, for on the previous day
Adrian had managed to creep up close enough to several feeding antelope
to attract their attention by waving his red bandanna, while he lay
sheltered from their view among a patch of rattle-snake weeds; the timid
animals had started to run away at first, and then that fatal gift of
curiosity began to get in its work, so that they had stopped, come back
a little, run off again, and repeated these hesitating tactics until the
sportsman, believing they were within easy rifleshot, had taken aim and
knocked over a youngster.
And there was plenty left for a full meal all around, even counting on
Billie as two persons, which the others generally did.
"We're going to have a decent night of it, I reckon," observed Donald,
as the three of them sat around, just before sunset, and discussed the
tender venison that had been cooked, and which along with coffee, and
plenty of crackers, made up their supper.
"Yes," added Adrian, with a glance aloft as he spoke, "some clouds
floating over, perhaps, but not enough to mean rain. And the moon ought
to come up in less'n two hours from now."
"Glad of it," ventured Billie, wondering if he could manage to dispose
of that last piece of meat in the pan, for it always distressed him to
throw anything away; "because I just hate black nights. You never know
what might lie close to you, out here on the big open, when it's like
the inside of your hat. But give me the jolly moonlight. I just love the
nights when you can look out miles away, and tell when a measly old wolf
is creeping up."
At that the others laughed.
"Seems like you hadn't learned your lesson yet, Billie," remarked
Adrian. "Just wait till the brightest night you ever saw comes along,
and find out how far away you can say for sure whether it's a stump you
see, or a cow lying down. Moonlight is all good enough close at hand,
but this thing of telling your best friend two hundred yards away is
silly. It can't be done, can it, Donald?"
"Well, I should say not," agreed the other.
"You surprise me, fellows!" declared Billie; "and the first chance I get
I'm going to put it to the test. But mebbe not tonight, because I'm that
weary after my hot ride I feel like I could lie right down now, and
never open my eyes till sun-up."
"That wouldn't surprise us any, Billie," chuckled Donald; "fact is, it's
a regular habit with you, seems like. I've rolled you over as many as
seven times, and only got a few grunts out of you to pay me for it. A
dash of cold water in your face is often the only way we have of waking
you up."
"Yes, and every time I'm dreaming that I've fallen overboard in Niagara
River, and find myself floating down the terrible falls!" declared the
fat boy, "so please let up on that game, won't you? Try sticking a pin
in me if you want. P'raps then I'll go and dream I'm bleeding to death;
but even that's better than to drop over Niagara Falls."
They sat there as night fell, chatting, and occupying themselves in
various ways. Adrian had his log to write up, and no doubt would do full
justice to the wild ride that the fat chum had been forced to take that
afternoon, all on account of the mean trick played by the village boy.
Donald was writing a letter to his home folks, which he hoped to mail on
the next day somewhere; while Billie wandered out several times to where
Jupiter was tethered, wishing to put more soothing balm on the abrasion
caused by the bunch of sand spurs weighed down under the saddle.
About the time the battered moon appeared above the level horizon in the
east all of them were thinking of making their beds ready, being more or
less tired after the long day's journey.
It was not thought worth while to stand guard, for the ponies had been
trained so as to give warning if anything out of the common came about.
Both Adrian and Donald were light sleepers, and should the horses
commence to snort, or strike the ground with their hoofs, the sound was
sure to awaken one or both lads.
Each of them had a heavy double blanket along, which would feel very
comfortable during these chilly nights. Wrapped up in this, Billie found
it easy to shut off all sounds, and could be asleep in about three
minutes, because he never worried over anything, leaving all this to his
chums.
But then neither of the others was very long in getting to sleep on this
night. Possibly Adrian lay there for a little while, puzzling his brain
over the singular news he had received from those three cow-punchers,
with reference to the remarkable change that had come to pass in the
domestic relations of Uncle Fred; but in good time he too yielded to the
demands of Nature, and slept peacefully.
It must have been some hours later when Donald lifted his head to
listen. Then he gave Adrian a little punch, as he whispered:
"Wake up, Ad; something doing, I reckon, because our horses are acting
queer and uneasy out here."
Instantly the other sat up, throwing back his blanket, while his hand,
perhaps unconsciously, reached out for the faithful rifle that had lain
close beside him as he slept.
"Hear 'em?" inquired Donald, presently.
"I should say, yes," came the reply; "and just as you say, Donald, it
must mean danger of some kind. The moon's behind the clouds, and p'raps
we're going to have some sort of a storm after all, because that sounds
like thunder I hear."
"Listen again, Ad," said the other, quickly, "and perhaps you'll change
your mind about the _kind_ of thunder that is. When a heap of hoofs come
down chunketty-chunk on the hard prairie it always makes that thunder
noise."
At that Adrian jumped to his feet.
"What's that, Donald?" he cried, excitedly, "do you mean long-horns?"
"Just what I do, and heading this way as fast as they can come. Sure you
must know all the signs right well, Adrian; you've been on the range
enough to understand when cattle get frightened, and start off on a
stampede. That's what's happened; and as they go past this timber,
p'raps we can see what it all means!"