Hopalong worried his way out of the desert on a straight line, thus
cutting in half the distance he had traveled when going into it. He
camped that night on the sand and early the next morning took up his
journey. It was noon when he began to notice familiar sights, and an
hour later he passed within a mile of line-house No. 3, Double Arrow.
Half an hour later he espied a cow-puncher riding like mad. Thinking
that an investigation would not be out of place, he rode after the rider
and overtook him, when that person paused and retraced his course.
“Hullo, Hopalong!” shouted the puncher and he came near enough to
recognize his pursuer. “Thought yu was farmin' up on th' Staked Plain?”
“Hullo, Pie,” replied Hopalong, recognizing Pie Willis. “What was yu
chasin' so hard?”
“Coyote--damn 'em, but can't they go some? They're gettin' so thick we'll
shore have to try strichnine an' thin 'em out.”
“I thought anybody that had been raised in th' Panhandle would know
better'n to chase greased lightnin',” rebuked Hopalong. “Yu has got
about as much show catchin' one of them as a tenderfoot has of bustin'
an outlawed cayuse.”
“Shore; I know it,” responded Pie, grinning. “But it's fun seem'
them hunt th' horizon. What are yu doin' down here an' where are yore
pardners?”
Thereupon Hopalong enlightened his inquisitive companion as to what had
occurred and as to his reasons for riding south.
Pie immediately became enthusiastic and announced his intention
of accompanying Hopalong on his quest, which intention struck that
gentleman as highly proper and wise. Then Pie hastily turned and
played at chasing coyotes in the direction of the line-house, where he
announced that his absence would be accounted for by the fact that
he and Hopalong were going on a journey of investigation into the
Panhandle. Billy Jordan who shared with Pie the accommodations of the
house, objected and showed, very clearly, why he was eminently better
qualified to take up the proposed labors than his companions. The
suggestions were fast getting tangled up with the remarks, when Pie,
grabbing a chunk of jerked beef, leaped into his saddle and absolutely
refused to heed the calls of his former companion and return. He rode to
where Hopalong was awaiting him as if he was afraid he wasn't going to
live long enough to get there. Confiding to his companion that Billy
was a “locoed sage hen,” he led the way along the base of the White Sand
Hills and asked many questions. Then they turned toward the east and
galloped hard.
It had been Hopalong's intention to carry out what he had told Red and
to go to Big Spring first and thence north along Sulphur Spring Creek,
but to this his guide strongly dissented. There was a short cut, or
several of them for that matter, was Pie's contention, and any one
of them would save a day's hard riding. Hopalong made no objection to
allowing his companion to lead the way over any trail he saw fit, for
he knew that Pie had been born and brought up in the Panhandle, the
Cunningham Lake district having been his back yard, as it were. So they
followed the short cut having the most water and grass, and pounded out
a lively tattoo as they raced over the stretches of sand which seemed to
slide beneath them.
“What do yu know about this here business?” Inquired Pie, as they raced
past a chaparral and onto the edge of a grassy plain.
“Nothin' more'n yu do, only Buck said he thought Slippery Trendley is at
th' bottom of it.”
“What!” ejaculated Pie in surprise. “Him!”
“Yore on. An' between yu an' me an' th' Devil, I wouldn't be a heap
surprised if Deacon Rankin is with him, neither.”
Pie whistled: “Are him an' th' Deacon pals?”
“Shore,” replied Hopalong, buttoning up his vest and rolling a
cigarette. “Didn't they allus hang out together! One watched that
th' other didn't get plugged from behind. It was a sort of
yu-scratch-my-back-an'-I'll-scratch-yourn arrangement.”
“Well, if they still hangs out together, I know where to hunt for our
cows,” responded Pie. “Th' Deacon used to range along th' headwaters
of th' Colorado--it ain't far from Cunningham Lake. Thunderation!” he
shouted, “I knows th' very ground they're on--I can take yu to th' very
shack!” Then to himself he muttered: “An' that doodlebug Billy Jordan
thinkin' he knowed more about th' Panhandle than me!”
Hopalong showed his elation in an appropriate manner and his companion
drank deeply from the proffered flask; Thereupon they treated their
mounts to liberal doses of strap-oil and covered the ground with great
speed.
They camped early, for Hopalong was almost worn out from the exertions
of the past few days and the loss of sleep he had sustained. Pie,
too excited to sleep and having had unbroken rest for a long period,
volunteered to keep guard, and his companion eagerly consented.
Early the next morning they broke camp and the evening of the same day
found them fording Sulphur Spring Creek, and their quarry lay only an
hour beyond, according to Pie. Then they forded one of the streams which
form the headwaters of the Colorado, and two hours later they dismounted
in a cottonwood grove. Picketing their horses, they carefully made their
way through the timber, which was heavily grown with brush, and, after
half an hour's maneuvering, came within sight of the further edge.
Dropping down on all fours, they crawled to the last line of brush and
looked out over an extensive bottoms. At their feet lay a small river,
and in a clearing on the farther side was a rough camp, consisting of
about a dozen leanto shacks and log cabins in the main collection, and a
few scattered cabins along the edge. A huge fire was blazing before
the main collection of huts, and to the rear of these was an indistinct
black mass, which they knew to be the corral.
At a rude table before the fire more than a score of men were eating
supper and others could be heard moving about and talking at different
points in the background. While the two scouts were learning the lay of
the land, they saw Mr. Trendley and Deacon Rankin walk out of the cabin
most distant from the fire, and the latter limped. Then they saw two men
lying on rude cots, and they wore bandages. Evidently Johnny Redmond had
scored in his fight.
The odor of burning cowhide came from the corral, accompanied by the
squeals of cattle, and informed them that brands were being blotted out.
Hopalong longed to charge down and do some blotting out of another kind,
but a heavy hand was placed on his shoulder and he silently wormed his
way after Pie as that person led the way back to the horses. Mounting,
they picked their way out of the grove and rode over the plain at a
walk. When far enough away to insure that the noise made by their horses
would not reach the ears of those in the camp they cantered toward the
ford they had taken on the way up.
After emerging from the waters of the last forded stream, Pie raised his
hand and pointed off toward the northwest, telling his companion to
take that course to reach Cunningham Lake. He himself would ride south,
taking, for the saving of time, a yet shorter trail to the Double Arrow,
from where he would ride to Buck. He and the others would meet Hopalong
and Red at the split rock they had noticed on their way up.
Hopalong shook hands with his guide and watched him disappear into the
night. He imagined he could still catch whiffs of burning cowhide and
again the picture of the camp came to his mind. Glancing again at the
point where Pie had disappeared, he stuffed his sombrero under a strap
on his saddle and slowly rode toward the lake. A coyote slunk past him
on a time-destroying lope and an owl hooted at the foolishness of
men. He camped at the base of a cottonwood and at daylight took up his
journey after a scanty breakfast from his saddle-bags.
Shortly before noon he came in sight of the lake and looked for his
friend. He had just ridden around a clump of cotton-woods when he was
hit on the back with something large and soft. Turning in his saddle,
with his Colts ready, he saw Red sitting on a stump, a huge grin
extending over his features. He replaced the weapon, said something
about fools and dismounted, kicking aside the bundle of grass his friend
had thrown.
“Yore shore easy,” remarked Red, tossing aside his cold cigarette.
“Suppose I was Trendley, where would yu be now?”
“Diggin' a hole to put yu in,” pleasantly replied Hopalong. “If I didn't
know he wasn't around this part of the country I wouldn't a rode as I
did.”
The man on the stump laughed and rolled a fresh cigarette. Lighting it,
he inquired where Mr. Trendley was, intimating by his words that the
rustler had not been found.
“About thirty miles to th' southeast,” responded the other. “He's
figurin' up how much dust he'll have when he gets our cows on th'
market. Deacon Rankin is with him, too.”
“Th' deuce!” exclaimed Red, in profound astonishment.
“Yore right,” replied his companion. Then he explained all the
arrangements and told of the camp.
Red was for riding to the rendezvous at once, but his friend thought
otherwise and proposed a swim, which met with approval. After enjoying
themselves in the lake they dressed and rode along the trail Hopalong
had made in coming for his companion, it being the intention of
the former to learn more thoroughly the lay of the land immediately
surrounding the camp. Red was pleased with this, and while they rode
he narrated all that had taken place since the separation on the Plain,
adding that he had found the trail left by the rustlers after they had
quitted the desert and that he had followed it for the last two hours of
his journey. It was well beaten and an eighth of a mile wide.
At dark they came within sight of the grove and picketed their horses at
the place used by Pie and Hopalong. Then they moved forward and the same
sight greeted their eyes that had been seen the night before. Keeping
well within the edge of the grove and looking carefully for sentries,
they went entirely around the camp and picked out several places which
would be of strategic value later on. They noticed that the cabin used
by Slippery Trendley was a hundred paces from the main collection of
huts and that the woods came to within a tenth part of that distance
of its door. It was heavily built, had no windows and faced the wrong
direction.
Moving on, they discovered the storehouse of the enemy, another tempting
place. It was just possible, if a siege became necessary, for several
of the attacking force to slip up to it and either destroy it by fire
or take it and hold it against all comers. This suggested a look at the
enemy's water supply, which was the river. A hundred paces separated it
from the nearest cabin and any rustler who could cross that zone under
the fire of the besiegers would be welcome to his drink.
It was very evident that the rustlers had no thought of defense,
thinking, perhaps, that they were immune from attack with such a well
covered trail between them and their foes. Hopalong mentally accused
them of harboring suicidal inclinations and returned with his companion
to the horses. They mounted and sat quietly for a while, and then rode
slowly away and at dawn reached the split rock, where they awaited the
arrival of their friends, one sleeping while the other kept guard. Then
they drew a rough map of the camp, using the sand for paper, and laid
out the plan of attack.
As the evening of the next day came on they saw Pie, followed by many
punchers, ride over a rise a mile to the south and they rode out to meet
him.
When the force arrived at the camp of the two scouts they were shown the
plan prepared for them. Buck made a few changes in the disposition of
the men and then each member was shown where he was to go and was told
why. Weapons were put in a high state of efficiency, canteens were
refilled and haversacks were somewhat depleted. Then the newcomers
turned in and slept while Hopalong and Red kept guard.