TO STAND BY A CHUM.
"Why, ain't that your brand, Adrian?" gasped Billie, who was not very
quick to catch on to things, as a rule.
"Just what it is," replied the other, between his set teeth.
"Then this steer belonged to the Bar-S herd, didn't it?" the fat boy
continued, gradually approaching the point of full comprehension about
as one might circle around and around in a whirlpool, getting nearer the
center all the while.
"No doubt of it, Billie," Donald took the trouble to say.
"And chances were, that whole drove that was stampeded right under your
eyes as it were, must a been the Bar-S herd of cattle. Gee whiz! now
what d'ye think of that for a warm reception? Must a been a committee
appointed to meet up with Adrian Sherwood, and let him know that things
were moving lively up here, all right."
The idea was so vast that Billie seemed to fall into a reflective mood;
just as if he needed time to grasp its full significance.
Donald turned to the other chum.
At least he was not in need of further explanations in order to
understand just what that strange panic among the cattle stood for.
"It was a stampede with an object ahead of it, Adrian!" he exclaimed,
gritting his teeth savagely together as he spoke.
Adrian simply nodded his head. He seemed almost too full for words; but
apparently the other understood his feelings, for he went right on,
driving in his points very much as a woodchopper might his wedge when
splitting a log.
"Those punchers were not trying to head off the herd, but shouting to
keep the long-horns running in a mad bunch," he said, positively, and
getting another affirmative nod from the other he continued: "they had
started the stampede themselves, and just had to keep it up until they
accomplished their object, which it's easy to guess had the stealing of
the beef as the chief thing."
"No wonder I've been getting such poor returns from the ranch the last
year, if this sort of thing has been going on long," muttered Adrian.
"If it happened down near the Keystone, the ranchers would get together,
and soon hunt the rustlers to the end of their trail," added Donald.
"But this is away up in Wyoming, and seems like they do things
differently here," Billie woke up in time to say, wisely.
"Yes, and only because a lot of bad men have banded together, and held
the ranch owners under their thumbs," Adrian said, bitterly. "Remember
what that puncher told us about these Walkers, and how they ran things
about as they pleased up around here, getting bolder and bolder all the
while. But time was when they would have had my fire-eater of an uncle
after them with a hot stick, for he was noted because of his being
afraid of nothing--in those good old days before my father died."
Billie was heard from again at this juncture.
"Huh! that was before he took to himself a wife, and she one of this
same Walker breed," he remarked.
Donald chuckled, while Adrian sighed.
"It's almost impossible for me to believe such a terrible change has
taken place in Uncle Fred," the latter went on to say, shaking his head
sadly; and then as if his anger began to get the better of all other
feelings he continued: "but there's going to be a change take place in
other ways too, or else my name isn't Adrian Sherwood. This wholesale
stealing from the Bar-S Ranch has got to stop, even if I have to fire
Uncle Fred and his new wife out of the management."
"It's my opinion," remarked Donald, "that these Walkers are taking
advantage of the fact that one of their bunch is installed in the ranch
house at your place, to just do about as they please. When they run
across a fine herd with your brand on the same, they wait around for a
certain night to come along, run them off like it was common rustlers
doing the job, round them up somewhere, change the brand to one of their
own, and inside of forty-eight hours your cattle are feeding on their
range with all signs blotted out. And I just about reckon Mrs. Fred is
fixing things so her dear hubby don't dare lift a hand to prevent this
robbery! Blood is thicker than water, they say."
Adrian ground his teeth savagely.
"That's the bitterest pill I ever had to swallow in all my life!" he
declared. "To think of me squatting here and watching those cowardly
thieves run off with a big bunch of my best cattle, and not able to lift
a hand to prevent the raid! It makes me mad to the core."
"I should say it might," Billie asserted. "Why, even my blood is boiling
with indignation; and I ain't near so hot-tempered as you, Adrian. Can't
something be done about it?"
"Oh! what wouldn't I give to have some of the bully Keystone boys around
right now," said Donald; "suppose we could just run across Si Ketcham,
Cooney, Alkali, Magpie, Bunch and the rest, wouldn't I yell with joy
though; and say, what we'd do to these onery rustlers would be a
caution."
"But we're only three boys after all!" sighed Billie, sadly.
"Three boys though, who have been used to taking care of themselves this
long while, don't forget to add, Billie," Adrian burst forth; "and right
now I'm wondering whether it would be such a very mad scheme for us to
trail after those punchers to try and get my cattle back! What d'ye
think of that, boys? Have we got the nerve to make a try?"
"Oh! my stars!" ejaculated Billie, rather overwhelmed by the mere
thought; but the prairie boy did not seem to be staggered at all.
"Adrian, if you say the word I'm itching to give you my hand on that,
and go you!" Donald exclaimed with thrilling emphasis.
"Do you really mean it?" demanded the other, eagerly.
For answer the Mackay boy did thrust out his hand, and it was instantly
clasped in a savage clutch, showing how thoroughly aroused both lads
were.
"And say, whatever's doing, don't you dare forget to count me in," piped
up Billie, who was immediately afraid lest they might set out to arrange
plans that would leave him in the lurch, perhaps to 'tend camp while
they rode off; and he was determined to rebel against such an
ignominious discard.
"Could we overtake the cattle, do you think, Donald?" asked Adrian.
"I reckon that wouldn't take us so very long," came the reply.
"They would soon tire out," suggested the young owner of the Bar-S
Ranch.
"When they passed here they showed signs of it; and if the punchers had
let 'em, they'd soon quiet down. Reckon, Ad, they won't go many miles
further before they just slow up, and then come to a full stop."
"Mebbe them rustlers was adriving the bunch right at some place where
they're in the habit of changing the brands?" suggested Billie,
determined to have some say in the matter, to prove that he was
wide-awake, and on the job.
"Sure they must have been, Billie, and that remark shows that you've got
your wits about you!" declared Donald; and then turning again to the
third member of the little group he went on: "if you mean it, Ad, and
say the word, why we'll pull out of these diggings in a rush, and chase
after the herd."
"It wouldn't be very long before we'd hear the rumble again, if we kept
right on the way they were heading when they passed here," observed
Adrian, thoughtfully.
"That's right," Donald assured him.
"Then the only question is, could we manage the bad men who are running
off the Bar-S stock. At a guess now, Donald, how many of them do you
reckon there might have been chasing after the stampeding herd?"
Donald seemed to study for a few seconds.
"I paid particular attention to their yelling," he presently remarked;
"and noticed where the shouts came from. Now, I couldn't be dead sure,
Ad, but as near as I can say I'd put it down as about four punchers."
"Whee! they made a heap of noise then, for just that many," remarked
Billie.
"That's right," agreed Donald, instantly; "but when you come to know
punchers as well as I do, Billie, you'll understand that four lively
boys when they're slapping their chaps with quirts and hats, and howling
like mad to frighten stock, can make a racket equal to a dozen other
fellows. There may have been one or two more, but still I think four'd
cover the bill, Adrian."
"That settles it!" declared the other, briskly.
"We go, do we?" demanded Billie, all of a quiver with sudden excitement.
"Adrian says so," Donald told him, just as though they must look to the
owner of the Bar-S outfit for guidance on this campaign, since he was in
his own country now, and his chums had accompanied him simply to carry
out his wishes.
"Well, things are looking brighter already," remarked Billie; "because
there's the old moon apeeping out, like she wanted to give us a helping
hand. Now, I ain't much on signs and such things, fellows, as you know;
but seems to me like that same was a lucky omen."
"It'll give us some light to travel by, and that counts a heap,"
declared Donald always practical, and not given so much to sentiment as
the fat chum, who had been a great reader of Marryatt and Cooper before
coming out West, so that he had filled his mind with the romantic side
of open air life.
"Then the sooner we get busy the better," Adrian went on to say; and
then turning on Donald he continued: "if you're dead sure you meant
that, when I mentioned wanting to chase after these rascals."
"Let me tell you that I was just going to say the same thing myself, but
thought you ought to have first chance," the other boy assured him. "You
know me from the ground up, Ad. And why shouldn't I want to lend you a
helping hand? Ain't you my good chum; and tell me, didn't you and Billie
stand by me like bricks down there in the mountains of Arizona when it
looked like Calvin Peets, the agent of the combine that was trying to
steal the Red Spar Copper Mine away from my dad and his associates,
backed up by that anarchist, Laidlaw? Huh! turn about is only fair play,
and it's come my chance now to stand back of my chum. Why, I'm that
crazy to go after these rustlers that even if you held back I'd be
wanting to take up the job by myself."
Adrian gave a laugh as though his last lingering doubt had been removed.
"After hearing you talk that way I'd be a silly fool to doubt any
longer," he went on to declare; "and so let's get back to our camp,
start packing our duffel in a big hurry, and then make a start after
that runaway herd with the brand of the Bar-S on their flanks!"
With which words he led the way back among the trees to the spot where
their blankets, saddles, cooking utensils and other things were lying.