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[Illustration: As Dave clucked again, Hero shot ahead.--Page 121.]
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Dave Porter Series
DAVE PORTER AT STAR RANCH
OR
THE COWBOY'S SECRET
BY
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
Author of "Dave Porter at Oak Hall," "The Gun Club Boys of Lakeport,"
"Old Glory Series," "Colonial Series," "Pan-American Series," etc.
_ILLUSTRATED BY LYLE T. HAMMOND_
BOSTON
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.
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Published, August, 1910
COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.
_All rights reserved_
DAVE PORTER AT STAR RANCH
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Norwood Press
BERWICK & SMITH CO.
Norwood, Mass.
U. S. A.
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PREFACE
"Dave Porter at Star Ranch" is a complete tale in itself, but forms the
sixth volume in a line issued under the general title of "Dave Porter
Series."
In the first book of the series, called "Dave Porter at Oak Hall," the
reader was introduced to a typical American lad of to-day, and was
likewise shown the workings of a modern boarding school--a little world
in itself.
There was a cloud over Dave's parentage, and to solve the mystery he
took a long sea voyage, as related in the second volume, called "Dave
Porter in the South Seas." Then he came back to Oak Hall, to help win
several important games, as the readers of "Dave Porter's Return to
School" already know.
So far, although Dave had heard of his father, he had not met his
parent. He resolved to go on a hunt for the one who was so dear to him,
and what that led to was related in "Dave Porter in the Far North."
When Dave returned to America he was sent again to school--to dear old
Oak Hall with its many associations. Here he met many friends and some
enemies, as narrated in "Dave Porter and His Classmates." The lad had no
easy time of it, but did something for the honor of the school that was
a great credit to him.
While at Oak Hall, Dave, through his sister, received an invitation to
spend his coming summer vacation on a ranch in the Far West. He was
privileged to take some friends with him; and how the invitation was
accepted, and what happened, I leave the pages which follow to relate.
It has been an especial pleasure for me to write this book. During the
past summer I covered about seven thousand miles of our great western
country, and I have seen many of the places herein described. I have
also been touched by our warm western hospitality, and have had the
added pleasure of meeting some of my young readers face to face.
Once again I thank the many who have praised my books in the past. I
trust that this volume may prove to their liking, and benefit them.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
April 12, 1910.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Dave and His Chums 1
II. A Stray Shot 11
III. An Interview of Interest 21
IV. Caught in the Act 31
V. At Niagara Falls 41
VI. Nat Poole's Little Game 51
VII. In Which Dave is Robbed 61
VIII. The Youth in the Balcony 71
IX. Only a Street Waif 81
X. Off for the Boundless West 91
XI. The Arrival at Star Ranch 101
XII. A Race on Horseback 112
XIII. The Crazy Steer 122
XIV. A Face Puzzles Dave 132
XV. Among the Cowboys 142
XVI. A Meeting on the Trail 152
XVII. In Which Some Horses Are Stolen 162
XVIII. Out in the Wind and Rain 172
XIX. A Fruitless Search 182
XX. Fishing and Hunting 192
XXI. A Wildcat Among the Horses 202
XXII. Cowboy Tricks and "Bronco-Busting" 212
XXIII. Dave on a Bronco 222
XXIV. The Cattle Stampede 232
XXV. The Beginning of the Grand Hunt 242
XXVI. After Deer 253
XXVII. The Mountain Lion 263
XXVIII. Up to the Mountain Top 273
XXIX. Two Elk and a Bear 283
XXX. To the Rescue--Conclusion 292
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DAVE PORTER AT STAR RANCH
CHAPTER I
DAVE AND HIS CHUMS
"Why, Dave, what are you going to do with that revolver?"
"Phil and Roger and I are going to do some target shooting back of the
barn," answered Dave Porter. "If we are going to try ranch life, we want
to know how to shoot."
"Oh! Well, do be careful!" pleaded Laura Porter, as she glanced
affectionately at her brother. "A revolver is such a dangerous thing!"
"We know how to handle one. Phil has been painting a big door to
represent a black bear, and we are going to see if we can do as well
with a revolver as we did with the rifle."
"Do you expect to shoot bears on the ranch? I didn't see any when I was
out there."
"We don't expect to see them around the house, but there must be plenty
of game in the mountains."
"Oh, I presume that's true. But I shouldn't want to hunt bears--I'd be
afraid," and Laura gave a little shiver.
"Girls weren't meant to be hunters," answered Dave, laughing. "But I
shouldn't consider the outing complete unless I went on at least one big
hunt--and I know Phil and Roger feel the same way about it."
"Hello, Dave!" cried a voice from an open doorway, and a handsome lad
with dark curly hair showed himself. "Coming?"
"Yes, Roger. Where is Phil?"
"Gone to the field with his wooden bear." Roger Morr looked at his
chum's sister. "Want to come along and try your luck?" he questioned. "A
fine box of fudge to the one making the most bull's-eyes--I mean
bear's-eyes."
"No, indeed, I'd be afraid of my life even to touch a revolver,"
answered the girl. "But I'll hunt up Jessie, and maybe we'll come down
after a while to look on."
"Oh, you want to learn to shoot!" cried Roger. "Then, when we get to
Star Ranch, you can dress up in regular cowgirl fashion, and ride a
bronco, and fire off your gun in true western style."
"And have a big bear eat me up, eh?" answered Laura. "No, thank you--I
want to come back East alive. But I'll come down to the field as soon as
I can find Jessie," answered Laura, and walked away.
A long, melodious whistle was floating through the outside air, and Dave
and Roger knew it came from Phil Lawrence. They hurried from the broad
porch to the garden path, and around the corner of the carriage shed.
Here they came upon their chum, carrying on his shoulder an old door
upon which he had painted the upright figure of what was supposed to be
a bear.
"Hurrah for the great animal painter!" cried Dave, as he ran up and took
hold of one end of the door. "Phil, you ought to place this in the
Academy of Design."
"It's superb!" was Roger's dry comment. "Best picture of a kangaroo I
ever saw. Or is it a sheep, Phil?"
"Humph! It's a good deal better than you could have painted," grumbled
the amateur artist.
"Sure it is--best photo of a tiger I ever saw," said Dave, adding to the
fun. "Why, you can almost hear him growl!"
"See here, if you're going to poke fun at me I'll throw the target away.
I put in two hours of hard work, and three cans of paint, and----"
"We won't say another word, Phil," interrupted Roger. "Here, let me take
hold. You've carried it far enough," and he relieved Phil of his burden.
"I wonder where would be the best place to set it?" mused Dave, gazing
across the field.
"Up against the tree over there," answered Phil, pointing. "I had that
spot picked out when I painted it. We'll set it so that it will look as
if his bearship was trying to climb the tree."
"It's rather close to the back road," protested Dave. "We might hit
somebody."
"Oh, hardly anybody uses that road,--so the stableman told me," answered
Roger. "Besides, we can watch out. One always wants to be careful when
shooting, at a target or otherwise."
The three youths soon had the target placed to their satisfaction, and
then began a lively blazing away with the three revolvers that had been
brought along. They aimed for the eyes of the painted creature, and for
other vital spots, and all did fairly well.
"You're the best shot, Dave," announced Roger, during a lull in the
practice, when all had gone to inspect the "damage" done. "You've
plugged him right in the eyes three times and once in the heart. Had he
been a real bear, he'd be as dead as a salt mackerel now."
"Provided he had consented to stand still," answered Dave. "Shooting at
a stationary object is one thing, and at a moving, living creature quite
another."
"I have it!" cried Phil. "Let us get a rope and throw it over one of the
tree limbs. Then we can tie the door to it and swing it to and fro.
We'll try to hit the bear while he's swinging."
"That's the talk!" returned Dave, enthusiastically. "I'll get the rope!"
And he ran off to the barn for it. Little did he dream of what trouble
that swinging target was to make for himself and his chums.
Many of my old readers already know Dave Porter, but for the benefit of
others a brief outline of his past history will not be out of place.
When he was a wee boy he had been found one day wandering along the
railroad tracks outside of the village of Crumville. Nobody knew who he
was or where he came from, and consequently he was put in the local
poorhouse, there to remain until he was nine years old. Then a
broken-down college professor named Caspar Potts, who was doing farming
for his health, took the lad to live with him.
Caspar Potts gave Dave the rudiments of a good education. But he could
not make his farm pay, and soon got into the grasp of Aaron Poole, a
miserly money-lender, who threatened to sell him out.
Things looked exceedingly black for the old man and the boy when
something very unexpected happened, as has been related in detail in the
first volume of this series, called "Dave Porter at Oak Hall." In
Crumville lived a rich manufacturer named Oliver Wadsworth, who had a
beautiful daughter named Jessie, some years younger than Dave. Through
an accident to the gasoline tank of an automobile, Jessie's clothing
took fire, and she might have been burned to death had not Dave rushed
in and extinguished the flames.
Mr. Wadsworth was profuse in his thanks, and so was his wife, and both
made inquiries concerning Dave and Caspar Potts. It was found that the
latter was one of the manufacturer's former college professors, and Mr.
Wadsworth insisted that Professor Potts give up farming and come and
live with him, and bring Dave along. Then he sent Dave to boarding
school, where the lad soon proved his worth, and made close chums of
Roger Morr, the son of a United States senator; Phil Lawrence, the
offspring of a wealthy shipowner, and a number of others.
The cloud concerning his parentage troubled Dave a great deal, and when
he saw what he thought was a chance to clear up the mystery, he took a
long trip from home, as related in "Dave Porter in the South Seas."
After many adventures he found his uncle, Dunston Porter, and learned
much concerning his father, David Breslow Porter, and his sister, Laura,
then traveling in Europe.
Dave was now no longer a "poorhouse nobody," as some of his enemies had
called him, but a well-to-do youth with considerable money coming to
him when he should be of age. While waiting to hear from his parent he
went back to Oak Hall, as related in "Dave Porter's Return to School."
Here he added to his friends; yet some boys were jealous of his
prosperity and did all they could to injure him. But their plots were
exposed, and in sheer fright one of the lads ran away to Europe.
Much to Dave's disappointment, he did not hear from either his father or
his sister. But he did receive word that the bully who had run away from
Oak Hall had seen them, and so he resolved to go on another hunt for his
relatives. As told in "Dave Porter in the Far North," he crossed the
Atlantic with his chum, Roger, and followed his father to the upper part
of Norway. Here at last the lonely lad met his parent face to face, a
meeting as thrilling as it was interesting. He learned that his sister
had returned to the United States, and with some friends named Endicott
had gone to the latter's ranch in the Far West.
Mr. Oliver Wadsworth's mansion was a large one, and by an arrangement
with him it was settled that, for the present, the Porters should make
the place their home. All in a flutter of excitement, Laura came back
from the West, and the meeting between brother and sister was as
affecting as had been that between father and son. The girl brought
with her some news that interested Dave deeply. It was to the effect
that the ranch next to that of the Endicotts was owned by a Mr. Felix
Merwell, the father of Link Merwell, one of Dave's bitterest enemies at
Oak Hall. Link had met Laura out there and gotten her to correspond with
him.
"It's too bad, Laura; I wish you hadn't done it," Dave had said on
learning the news. "It may make trouble, for Merwell is no gentleman."
And trouble it did make, as the readers of "Dave Porter and His
Classmates" know. The trouble went from bad to worse, and not only were
Laura and Dave involved, but also pretty Jessie Wadsworth and several of
Dave's school chums. In the end Dave "took the law in his own hands" by
giving Link Merwell a sound thrashing. Then some of the bully's
wrongdoings reached the ears of the master of the school, and he was
ordered to pack his trunk and leave, and a telegram was sent to his
father in the West, stating that he had been expelled for violating the
school rules. He left in a great rage.
"This is the work of that miserable poorhouse rat, Dave Porter," Link
told some of his cohorts. "Just wait--I'll fix him for it some day, see
if I don't!" Then he wrote a most abusive letter to Dave, but in his
rage he forgot to address it properly, and it never reached the youth.
The term at Oak Hall came to an end in June and then arose the question
of what to do during the vacation. In the meantime letters had been
flying forth between Laura and her warm friend, Belle Endicott, who was
still at Star Ranch, as Mr. Endicott's place was called. It may be said
in passing that Mr. Endicott was a rich railroad president, and the
ranch, while it paid well, was merely a hobby with him, and he and his
family resided upon it only when it suited their fancy to do so.
"The Endicotts want me to come out again," said Laura to Dave. "They
want me to bring you along with some of your chums, and they want me to
bring Jessie, too, if her folks will let her come."
"Oh, that would be jolly!" Dave answered. When he thought of Jessie's
going he blushed to himself, for to him the girl whose life he had once
saved was the nicest miss in the whole world. Dave was by no means
sentimental, but he had a warm, manly regard for Jessie that did him
credit.
More letters passed back and forth, and it was finally arranged that
Laura and Dave should visit Star Ranch during July and August, taking
with them Jessie and Phil and Roger. Dunston Porter was to accompany the
young folk as far west as Helena, near which the Endicotts were to meet
the travelers, and then Dave's uncle was to go on to Spokane on
business, coming back to take the young folks home about six weeks
later.
The thoughts of spending their vacation on a real ranch filled the young
folk with delight. All anticipated a "Jim-dandy" time, as Phil expressed
it.
"We can go out hunting and fishing, and all that," declared the
shipowner's son to his chums. "And maybe we'll bring down a bear or
two." And then he suggested that they get revolvers and perfect
themselves in marksmanship.
"Maybe we'll run into Link Merwell out there," said Roger. "My, but he
was mad when he left Oak Hall! He'd like to chew your head off, Dave!"
"I don't want to see him," answered Dave, soberly. But this wish was not
to be fulfilled. He was to meet Link Merwell in the near future, and
that meeting was to be productive of some decidedly unpleasant results.