A WOMAN THREATENS
“Yore dad took this mighty well,” Nick declared, riding close to Roy.
Teddy, Gus and Bug Eye drew up in the rear.
“He never does show much of what’s going on inside him,” Roy answered
slowly. “You notice he didn’t say hardly anything on the way over. Dad’s
hard hit, I know that. And—and so are we.” He turned his head away for
a moment and stared long and hard at something on the other side of the
rugged canyon.
Nick moved uneasily in his saddle. At a time like this he was
speechless. He did not know what he could say to console his friend, for
his own heart was none too happy. His lips opened, but words would not
come.
To punchers on the X Bar X, the ranch was as much a home as a place to
work. Troubles were shared equally. Mr. Manley treated his men not like
employees, but as friends who were helping him, and the boys appreciated
this attitude.
Now that this cruel misfortune had come to the Manley family, every
cowboy on the ranch felt it. Belle was loved and respected by every man
on the place. Sing Lung, the cook, not excepted. When word had gone
around that Belle had been kidnapped, a hot rage filled the hearts of
the inmates of the bunk-house. Belle—little Belle, she of the raven
black hair and laughing eyes—taken by rustlers! At first there had been
a wild rush for horses and guns were out and ready in a moment. But
cooler heads prevailed, and finally the boys had come to Mr. Manley,
offering themselves quite simply for whatever he planned to do, whether
it meant facing a rain of lead or not. He had thanked them huskily and
told them to make ready.
These thoughts were running through Nick’s mind as he rode along. If it
was that they were to see Belle no more, if she were killed by the
gunmen— He moved from side to side, as a caged animal moves. They’d run
those jailbirds down, if it took them all their lives! And when they
found them—
“Reckon there’ll be any scrappin’?” Gus drawled, watching Teddy guide
Flash carefully over bad ground.
“Expect so.” The boy looked casually at the gun in his saddle holster.
“Shots will make an awful roar in this canyon. Gus, what would happen to
a man who fell that far?” He looked down toward the bottom of the dark
space beneath him.
“Nothin’—that is, nothin’ that he’d know about,” Gus answered promptly.
“Why, ain’t aimin’ to jump, are yuh?”
“Not any.” Teddy laughed shortly. “But those caves, as I remember, are
pretty close to the edge. Might be that one of those gunmen would lose
his balance, accidental like, and slip. I was just wondering.”
Gus nodded.
“Such might happen. Get a better view of it if a man was to watch the
fall from the rear.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Teddy called to his brother. “Say, Roy,
let’s cut over to the right. The going is easier there, and we can move
faster.”
Roy considered this for a moment. He had not heard Teddy’s conversation
with Gus. Bug Eye explained matters in no uncertain terms, however, and
Roy soon saw the advisability of approaching the caves from the rear.
“But we don’t want to lose touch with dad,” he stated. “When the action
starts, he’s to take a stand on the other side of the canyon.”
“An’ pop away at us?” Nick asked wonderingly.
“Hum,” Roy pulled his pony to a halt and pushed back his hat. “That’s a
point, Nick. Now let’s see. Those caves, if I remember rightly, though I
haven’t been through here in three years, are almost at the end of this
canyon. How about it?”
“Check.”
“How many of ’em are there?”
“Well, I can’t just say. No one knows exactly, ’cause they haven’t all
been explored. But I got a sort of idea they’re all connected, somehow.”
“Now if we ride in from the rear, as you said, Teddy, and dad’s gang
starts to shoot from the other side, it’s going to be mighty
uncomfortable for us. Nope, we’ll have to stick close to the edge of the
gorge. Then, when we get nearer, we can decide on our plan of action.
But, golly, maybe the rustlers aren’t there at all! We may be all wrong.
At any rate, it’s the only clew we have, so we may as well go by it.
Anybody got any other suggestions?”
“We might send a man ahead when we get there to sound things out,” Bug
Eye said.
“I was counting on that. Teddy or I will reconnoiter and report back. If
we only could make sure that we’re going right! All this time, while
we’re in here, the thieves may be—” Roy stopped, and shook his head.
“But what can we do?” Teddy asked helplessly. “Natick said he saw the
car head this way and Pop claims those caves are about the only place
around here that the outlaws could use for a stronghold. If we’re wrong,
we’ll have to start over again, that’s all. It may take time, but we’ve
simply got to sit tight and work our way over every possible spot where
they could have hidden the girls. And we’ll get ’em—we’ll get ’em, by
jinks!”
“I’ll tell a maverick we will!” Roy burst out. “Come on, boys, let’s hit
it up!”
“How far is that narrow place from here, Nick, where we were going to
see dad?” asked Teddy.
“Oh, quite a piece yet.”
Once more they started, in single file now, for the trail was getting
narrower. As they rounded a bend they caught sight of the stream below,
which up to this time had been hidden by an overhanging ledge. They were
riding downward now, and gradually they approached the bottom of the
cut. But a little farther on they hit an up-grade where the path hugged
the side of the rock so closely that the boys had to proceed with
infinite caution. Their ponies were sure-footed, however, and they
passed this dangerous spot without a mishap.
“Sun’s goin’ down,” Bug Eye remarked, after a while.
No one replied to this, each man contenting himself with a single glance
toward the west. They had expected to spend at least one night in the
gorge, but Roy hoped they would get in touch with his father before
darkness overtook them. They might easily lose track of each other if
they tried to travel after nightfall, as the woods on the other side of
the canyon were heavy and deep.
“See anything of the other gang?” Teddy asked, when they had ridden for
some time in silence.
The others shook their heads. They were watching the opposite side
eagerly, but the trees prevented them from obtaining a view of any
riders that might be across from them. Besides, the gorge widened here,
and they scarcely expected to see their companions until they reached
the narrow part near Gravestone Falls, which was still a long ride
ahead.
“If they get there before we do they’ll wait,” Roy remarked. “Dad wants
us to be all together when we come in sight of the caves. He’ll be a
mighty disappointed man if Ike’s hunch turns out wrong.”
“So’ll we all,” Teddy agreed, with something strangely like a sigh. The
long ride had given the boys ample time to think, which was the worst
thing in the world for them. They needed action, and more than one man
among them felt his hand wandering down toward the gun on his saddle or
his hip. Thinking about the girls seemed to bring all sorts of wild
fancies to the mind, though both Roy and Teddy were wise enough to know
they must not harbor thoughts of failure. Worry would only use up their
energy, and they would need all of that later.
Presently Roy, who was leading, held up his hand. Those behind him
halted their horses and peered ahead.
“Remember this place, Nick?” the boy asked.
The puncher slowly shook his head.
“No, I don’t, Roy. Seems like it’s been widened since I rode over here
last. As I remember it, this here path led right along the edge. Now she
branches out, kind of.”
They had come to a clearing on the side of the canyon. For a short space
in front of them the ground was bare of bushes and trees, as though it
had been purposely cleared. Motioning the others to follow, Roy rode on.
A moment later, those behind Roy gave an exclamation.
“What’s up, Roy?” Teddy asked quickly, springing his horse forward.
Roy pointed in silence. Just within the fringe of trees on the very edge
of the clearing was a small cabin. Smoke was issuing from the chimney.
And as the boys watched, a woman, old, stooped, and white-haired, her
face creased with lines, came to the door.
“Mex!” whispered Nick excitedly.
To their surprise the woman suddenly disappeared into the hut. Roy
started to urge his pony forward. Then quickly he pulled the reins taut,
bringing Star to a halt.
The woman had come to the door again, and the boys could see her mouth
twisted in rage. Her shoulders were thrown back and her eyes blazed. In
her hands she held a long-barreled rifle, and, as the riders remained
motionless, she lifted and leveled it with a steady hand.