THE STAGE HOLD–UP.
Suddenly Jack saw the driver lurch forward in his seat. Perhaps he had
been killed, perhaps he was only badly injured.
Instantly Jack’s mind was made up. Snatching off his hat, he waved it
about his head.
At the same time he turned in his saddle and yelled back down the
trail, as if a numerous band was coming round the turn:
“Come on, boys! Hurry up and we’ll get them!”
The pursuers of the coach stopped suddenly. Then they wheeled their
ponies about and dashed off at top speed. Jack’s ruse had succeeded.
Evidently the highwaymen thought that a large body of horsemen was
behind Jack. At any rate, they deemed it more prudent not to wait to
find out.
But only one serious aspect of the situation was relieved by the abrupt
departure of the highwaymen. The limp form of the coachman hung on
the box, almost toppling off the seat. The lines had dropped from his
hands and lay on the backs of the terrified wheelers. On they came,
thundering at runaway speed, while Jack hesitated, his mind full of the
thought of that dangerous bit of road that lay ahead.
He shouted up to his companions on the roof:
“Hullo, boys! I’m with you again!”
There was a yell of joy. An answer to his hail came quickly.
“Jack Merrill, by all that’s wonderful!”
“Jack! How under the sun did he get here!”
“It’s Jack on deck again as usual!”
But Jack heard none of these joyous exclamations. He had turned his
horse almost on its haunches, owing to the narrowness of the trail. In
one swift flash of inspiration he had made up his mind as to the course
he would pursue in checking the runaways.
He spurred his pony alongside the wheelers, crying out in as soothing a
tone as he could:
“Whoa, boys! Whoa, there!”
But the terrified animals paid no attention to him, nor had he much
expected that they would. He only spoke to them in order that he might
not frighten them worse when he spurred his pony alongside them.
He might have ridden in front of them, but the risk of causing them to
swerve and precipitate the whole coach from the trail was too great.
The most dangerous part of the road lay about a mile ahead. If only
he could check the team before they reached it, all might be well; if
not—well, Jack did not dare to think of what would be the consequences
in such a case. Thus began a mad, dangerous ride, a ride of grave risk
to the daring young Border Boy.
Of one thing he was thankful—the pony under him was a sure–footed,
fast little beast, and perfectly broken, a rare thing in that part of
our country. This made it possible for Jack to loop his own reins about
the saddle horn and then, leaning out of the saddle, to seize the lines
which the wounded driver had dropped.
This done, he began to pull gently on them, taking care not to terrify
the runaways further by jerking on their bits. Bracing himself in his
stirrups, Jack exerted a steady pressure on the reins, at the same time
using every means he knew of to soothe the maddened beasts.
“Good boy, Jack! Good boy!” breathed Captain Atkinson from the roof
of the coach, while he lifted the stricken stage driver to a place of
safety. “Boys, Jack will save us yet,” he added, turning to his young
companions.
“You can bet on him every time,” came admiringly from Ralph. “He’ll
conquer them yet.”
But had Ralph known of the danger place that lay not so far ahead now,
he might not have been so confident.
“Put on the brake!” Jack shouted back over his shoulder as they tore
along that dangerous trail.
“Bless my soul! Why didn’t I think of that?” exclaimed Captain Atkinson.
Handing the driver over to the care of the boys, he clambered into the
former’s seat, and, placing his foot on the heavy California–style
brake, he jammed it down with all his force.
“Good!” cried Jack as the wheels screeched and groaned.
The horses appeared more terrified than ever at the racket made by
the brake, but it was strong enough to check their speed perceptibly,
struggle as they would.
A short distance further came a little rise, beyond which lay the
dangerous spot that Jack dreaded. The rise completed what the brake had
begun.
“They’re slackening speed, Jack!” cried Captain Atkinson.
“They are, indeed!” hurled back Jack. “I think I’ll have them under
control in a jiffy.”
Jack’s words came true, but none too soon. A few seconds more and they
would have reached the curve, beyond which lay the bit of narrow road.
A thrill ran through Jack’s frame as he drew tight on the reins and
felt the tired animals slow up to a trot and then, obedient to his
voice, come to a halt, sweating and trembling, with distended nostrils.
Jack lost no time in riding round to the heads of the leaders and
holding tightly on to them. But there was little fight left in the
horses. Dragging the coach with its locked brake up that hill had
thoroughly exhausted them; they seemed glad to rest.
“Get out, boys!” shouted Jack. “Come and give me a hand to uncouple the
traces. I don’t think they’ll run again, but we won’t take chances.”
In an instant Ralph Stetson and Walt Phelps had sprung to the ground
and one on either side of the coach were running forward to help Jack
complete one of the bravest tasks a boy ever set himself to perform.
Naturally, it was not till the horses were calmed down that they had
a chance to talk. In the meantime the stage driver, whose name was
Jed Hoster, had been revived and was found to be painfully but not
seriously injured. He had been shot through the shoulder.
We are not going to relate all that took place at that odd reunion in
the heart of the Ragged Range, as the barren hills were called. Every
one of my readers can picture for himself what a confusion of tongues
reigned as the boys all tried to talk at once, and relate their many
adventures since last they had met.
After awhile the coach, with Captain Atkinson at the “ribbons” and
Jack riding close alongside, was driven to a broad part of the road and
then turned around, as San Mercedes was closer to the spot where the
attack had occurred than was Go ’long.
Captain Atkinson told the boys that he had not the least idea who the
men that made the attack could have been, but surmised that they must
have possessed information that the coach was carrying a consignment of
gold dust from a desert mine for shipment at Go ’long.
“Had it not been for your smart trick, Jack,” he declared, “we should
never have got off as easily as we did.”
A sharp lookout was kept all the way back to San Mercedes for another
sight of the would–be robbers. But nothing more was seen of them, and
the return journey was made without incident. There was much rejoicing
in the camp of the Rangers over the safe return of Jack, and even
Shorty appeared to be glad that the boy had come unscathed through so
many perils.
That was a gala night in camp. Songs and stories filled the time till
far into the night. The three boys, who possessed remarkably good
voices, sang several popular songs and were much applauded. At last
they had to stop from sheer weariness.
Each lad was anxious to go out on duty along the Rio Grande that same
evening, but Captain Atkinson sternly forbade them doing so.
“You turn into your blankets and get a good sleep,” he ordered. “I’ve
got another job on hand for you to–morrow and I want you to be fresh
when you tackle it.”
Much mystified and not a little excited at these words, the boys
obediently turned in and were soon sound asleep. They were astir bright
and early the next morning—just as the last patrol of the night was
coming in, in fact. The night had been an eventless one, they learned,
the rebels having given no sign of their presence.
Soon after breakfast Captain Atkinson approached the boys, who
were polishing up their saddles and bits, accompanied by a tall,
bronze–bearded man, whose tanned skin and keen gray eyes bespoke him a
dweller in the open places.
“This is Mr. Lionel Reeves, the rancher, of whom you may have heard,”
he said. “Mr. Reeves, these are the lads of whom I spoke to you.”
“I am sure you could not have picked better young fellows for the task
you wish accomplished,” spoke Mr. Reeves, shaking hands warmly with
each of the boys in turn. “By the way, do they know about it?”
“Not yet,” rejoined Captain Atkinson, with a smile at the eager looks
that three pairs of eyes turned on him.