AN OVERLANDER IS MISSING
The vigil of the Overland girls lasted through the night. Along
towards morning Lieutenant Wingate’s breathing became more natural
and his heart action better.
“I am inclined to think that he will regain consciousness soon,”
announced Miss Briggs. “If he does, it is not a fracture of the
skull. Have courage, Nora,” she added in answer to the appealing
look from Mrs. Wingate, who had sat holding the wounded man’s hand
all night long.
“I’ve been trying to bring him back, and I’ve thought so hard that I
just knew he would have to come back,” murmured Nora.
Grace kissed her and patted her cheek.
“The imponderable quality lies deep in us all,” observed Emma more
to herself than to her companions.
In the meantime Jim and Sam were prowling about, now and then
looking in to inquire how the patient was getting along, but
spending a good part of their time at the Overland camp which
commanded a fairly good view of the ranch buildings.
Shortly after daybreak, Hippy stirred and began to mutter. A few
moments later he opened his eyes, blinked a few times, and smiled up
into Nora’s face. The Overland girl burst into tears.
“If you don’t stop that at once out you go!” threatened Miss Briggs.
“Hippy must have absolute quiet. Which shall it be?”
“I’ll be quiet,” promised Nora, conquering the sobs that rose to her
lips.
There was instant silence in the room, and in a few moments Hippy
Wingate sank into a natural sleep, from which he did not awaken
until late in the morning. After some nourishment was given him, he
asked for explanations.
The girls told him how they had found him, and asked him what had
occurred before he was put out by a bullet. Hippy related all that
he could remember of the occurrences of the previous night. They
then insisted on his going to sleep again, which he was quite
willing and ready to do.
No one had been near the stable where the prisoners were held,
though Jim-Sam had made occasional tours of inspection about the
building throughout the night. The key to the stable was in the
pocket of Two-gun Pete, so, though the prisoners must be hungry, it
was plain that they would get nothing to eat until the return of the
rancher and his party.
Bindloss, and those that had gone out with him, returned shortly
before noon worn and angry. Emma met them in front of the
ranch-house waving her hat and smiling.
“It’s all right,” she cried in answer to a volley of questions about
Hippy. “He is sleeping now.”
“Whoo—pe-e-e!” howled the boys.
“Shut up! The man’s asleep!” rebuked Joe Bindloss, getting down from
his saddle and stamping about to get the kinks out of his legs, for
he had not been out of the saddle in many hours.
At this juncture Grace appeared at the door of the ranch-house and
waved a hand at them.
“The lieutenant is awake now and he would like to see you, Mr.
Bindloss,” she informed the rancher.
Bindloss limped in, and the cowboys, not to be denied what they were
certain would prove to be an interesting interview, flung themselves
from their ponies and trooped in. They were crowded about the door
of the injured man’s room by the time Joe Bindloss gripped the
Overland Rider’s hand.
Hippy sat propped up in bed, his head swathed in bandages, and he
grinned at the solemn faces of the cowpunchers.
“I got mine again, fellows. Regular tenderfoot, eh?”
The cowpunchers shook their heads.
“Wal, now, tell me ’bout it,” urged the rancher.
To save Hippy from another wearisome recital, Miss Briggs repeated
what he had already related of his experiences. The lines of the
cowboy countenances grew taut during the recital, but no word was
uttered. They were held by the words of Elfreda Briggs, spoken
without attempt at embellishment.
“An’ you got two of ’em. Well, I’ll be struck dead if that ain’t the
limit. Boys, what do you think ’bout this outfit being tenderfeet?”
he demanded, turning brusquely to his men.
The cowboys shifted uneasily and fumbled their hats.
“Boss, I reckon we got to git somebody fer thet. What ’bout Pop? Is
he daid?” demanded Idaho.
“No. He isn’t badly hurt. Shot through the shoulder, that’s all,”
smiled J. Elfreda. “He is in the bunk-house. Mrs. Gray fixed him up
and Sam has been looking after him. I shall go over again soon and
look him over. The lieutenant being the worse hurt demanded most of
our attention, though Pop has not been neglected,” Elfreda informed
them.
“I think the prisoners may need attention by this time,” suggested
Grace. “They must be hungry.”
Bindloss growled.
“All right. Pete, see that they get something to eat. Find out if
they are ready to talk and let me know.”
“Thank you,” said Grace smilingly.
“Hippy, you’ve done me a big service. I don’t know what to say,”
resumed the rancher.
“Don’t say anything. I had to fight to save my own skin,” answered
Hippy.
“A good many folks would have hid in the cellar,” chuckled Bindloss.
“Catching those two rough-necks was the cleverest thing that’s been
done in Coso Valley, and I reckon the record will stand for some
time. Feel all right?”
“Sore, but happy, Mr. Bindloss. Tell me what happened below. The
girls said there was trouble with the Number Six herd and that Pop
had been wounded.”
Bindloss’s face contracted.
“The miserable coyotes! I mean that mountain gang. Yes, they
stampeded the herd and run them into the foothills. They got some of
the stock, too, but I don’t know how many head. The whole bunch got
away before we got down there, though they left several snipers as a
sort of rear guard, and they took pot shots at us when the boys
tried to get on the trail of the stolen stock. We got the stock
rounded up, what was left of it, and drove it in with another herd.
The boys are finishing rounding up on that section today. I reckon
they can get along without me. Pete and the bunch are going back
later. We’ve got two of the thieves here, anyway, and they are going
to jail when we get ready to turn them over. I reckon they are going
to talk some first, though.”
“Can’t your men trail the rustlers?” asked Miss Briggs.
“Not far. You don’t know these mountains. They could hide up a bunch
of cattle for months and no one could find them unless he just
happened to stumble onto the hiding place. The best we can do is to
find out who the boss of that thieving outfit is and shoot him up. I
reckon that’s what’s going to be did, too. By the way, where’s your
fat friend, Stacy? It’s a wonder he isn’t around with some
suggestions to offer.”
The Overlanders looked at each other with growing concern in their
faces.
“St—acy!” exclaimed Nora.
“Mercy! With all the excitement we have forgotten all about that
young man,” spoke up Emma. “Why, he didn’t return with us last
night, did he?”
“He is all right. Don’t worry. You will find him with the punchers
rounding up steers and howling like an Indian,” soothed Lieutenant
Wingate.
Bindloss strode to the door and shouted “Pete!” Two-gun came
running.
“Whar’s Brown, Stacy Brown?”
“I—I thought he was heah. Ain’t he?”
“No. Was he with the men rounding up this morning?”
Pete shook his head and a troubled look crept into his face.
“When did you last see him?”
“Le’ me see. It was last night jest before we got er call to come up
heah. He was ridin’ up towards the foothills on the east side, I
reckon to see what the boys was doin’ up thet way. As I recommember
thar warn’t any of the boys on thet side jest then.”
“You are certain that he isn’t with the outfit?” urged Bindloss.
“Daid shore, Boss.”
“Then where is he?” demanded the rancher with a rising inflection in
his voice.
Two-gun Pete shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I reckon somethin’ has happened to thet feller,” he observed
solemnly.
Tom Gray ran to the door and shouted for Jim-Sam.
“We will start the guides out at once. Something has gone wrong with
Chunky, that’s certain, but if anyone can find him Jim-Sam can,” he
said.
“I’ll send Pete and a couple of the others with them,” announced the
rancher, who was more disturbed than he cared to have the Overland
Riders see. “Pete! You know what to do. Get the boy, that’s all.”
Jim-Sam were entering the ranch-house when Idaho burst in, thrusting
the guides aside at the door.
“Boss! They’ve gone!” yelled Idaho.
“Gone? Who’s gone?”
“The critters thet the Dude caught last night. They’ve got clean
away. Somebody sawed a hole in the back of the stable and got ’em
out!”
“Gosh a-mighty!” gasped Bindloss. “I ought to have done what I
wanted to do and shot ’em both. But I’ll do it yet! I’ll do it yet!”
he raged, stalking from the ranch-house on his way to the scene of
the escape.