STEALING FROM HORSE THIEVES
Hugh now knew all that he was likely to learn, and starting down
stream, still well out of sight in the timber, he kept along the
mountain side until the camp had been left two or three miles
behind. Then mounting, he passed out into the open valley, and
keeping close to its border, rode hard to the Platte River. It was
but little after noon when he rode into the Platte bottom, and
two hours more brought him in sight of his camp. The boys saw him
while he was yet a long way off, and he could see them standing and
watching him, and talking together as he approached.
As he rode up to the lodge he said, "Well, boys, here I am. Now,
I wish you two would go out and catch up old Baldy and your two
riding horses, and bring them in and put them on picket. We've got
to pack up, too, before very long, and get ready for a quick move
and a long ride. When you get your horses we'll have something to
eat, and I'll tell you what's happened."
Hugh unsaddled, filled his pipe, started the fire, and began to
cook some food, for by this time he was pretty hungry. While he was
cooking, the boys came in and picketed the horses, and then Hugh
said to them, "We'd better get our packs together, and pull down
the lodge, and get everything ready for a move. I went up there
and found the camp of these fellows. They're horse thieves, all
right enough, and they've about a hundred head of horses, most of
them Mr. Sturgis', but some are Powell's, and some belong to other
neighbors of ours. Of course I could not see the brands on all the
horses, but I saw the men that were driving them, and that's enough
for me. I don't know, son, if you ever saw Red McClusky or Jack
Dowling; but they're the men up there with the horses, with a boy
not much older than you two, and I expect they've run 'em off and
are going to take 'em up north.
"Now, I figure that we can do one of two things. We can go up there
and kill those fellows, and drive the horses back, or we can go up
there and steal the horses from them, and leave them afoot, and
just take the horses back on the range.
"I feel some like killing the thieves, but I don't want you boys
to be mixed up in anything of that kind; it might be bad for you.
I reckon the best thing we can do will be to go up and steal the
horses; steal 'em all if we can, so as to leave them fellows afoot.
But if they've got sand to follow us, why then we've got to fight;
because I know mighty well that they've no right to this property."
The boys said nothing for a time, but when Hugh spoke of stealing
the horses they looked at each other and grinned, with a delight
that they could not conceal.
"What are you fellows laughing at?" said Hugh, when he saw them.
"This ain't no joke; this is serious business."
"That's so, Hugh," said Jack, "but I guess we were both laughing
because Joe suggested that if these were horse thieves, the best
thing we could do would be to go and steal the horses."
"Well," said Hugh, "I reckon that's what we've got to do; but I
do hope that we can get 'em all. Now, to do that, we've each one
of us got to do his part, and to do it the best way we know how.
I'd rather have done it last night than do it to-night, because
last night those fellows were tired, and to-night they'll sleep
lighter; they may hear the horses walking off; but all the same, I
don't believe they will. Now, you boys better saddle your horses,
and we'll make up the packs and put 'em all together here, and put
hobbles on the pack animals, so that there'll be no time lost in
catching them, when we come back. You see, if we have to stop here
it'll take quite a time to pack, and if we leave any horses up
there for those fellows to ride, they may follow us for a way, and
there's no saying what may happen. I don't want either of you boys
to get shot, and I'm sure I don't want to get shot myself."
After the meal was eaten, the packs were quickly made up, the pack
horses were driven in, caught and hobbled, and the afternoon was
not half gone when the three were riding back up the valley.
Jack and Joe were somewhat impatient, but Hugh checked them.
"There's no hurry," he said, "we can't do anything till the middle
of the night. Those fellows may sit up round the fire for quite a
while, and they might notice if the horses were moving much. I am
in hopes that Joe and I can go up there afoot, and cut loose their
riding horses, and then just slowly and quietly shove the whole
bunch down until we get them well below the camp, and then we can
start them at a good gait. There'll be no trouble about keeping
them going fast, for we've got plenty of riding horses in the bunch
there, and we can change often."
The sun had not set when they entered the valley. They followed
it up for what seemed to the boys a long distance, but at length
Hugh stopped and dismounted, saying, "The camp is only about a mile
above here."
It was now dark night. Hugh sat down on the ground, holding his
horse's bridle, and began to fill his pipe, and the boys sat close
to him.
"Now," he said, "I am going to take you boys up just where I came
down this morning, and we'll get around these horses at the upper
end of the valley, and work them down slowly on the other side from
the camp. I'll go over and cut loose the horses that are picketed,
and then we'll work on slowly until we get down well below this.
Then we can go. I don't want either of you boys to shoot unless
you have to; and if you have to, I'd rather have you shoot not
to kill, but to cripple. If you get a chance, shoot at the man's
shoulder, so he can't use his gun. On the other hand, I've heard
that Dowling is handy with a gun in either hand. We've got to take
some chances, of course. I don't expect we'll see anything of those
fellows without we leave them a horse or two. If we do that, why
then to-morrow morning they'll come on. You boys keep right close
after me, and try to make as little noise as you can. Don't let
your horses call. They may want to when they smell the others, but
keep them from doing it if you can."
Keeping well to the left, and close in under the timber, Hugh rode
slowly along, and after a time they saw the light of the fire
flickering on the other side of the valley, and occasionally could
see shadows passing in front of it. As they moved along, they saw,
from time to time, horses feeding, and once rode close to an old
mare, whose little colt, not seeing them until they were near, gave
a great bound into the air and rushed away for a few yards.
Hugh kept on up the valley until it narrowed, going almost to the
point where he had crossed in the morning. Then he stopped and said
to the boys:
"Now get off your horses and lead them. I reckon we're above all
the horses, and now we'll go back down stream. Keep on the side
away from the camp; keep spread out some; and when you come to any
horses just walk toward them and get them to move along slowly.
I'll keep out toward the middle until we get down near the camp;
then, if the fire's gone down, I'll try to cut loose the horses,
and I'll try to push them and all the others down the stream. It
may take longer than we think, and you boys when you get down where
we went into the timber, on the way up, get off your horses and lie
down on the ground together and wait. See that you don't make any
noise; see that you don't shoot me; keep your wits about you; and
don't get excited or scared." The boys listened without a word.
"Now," Hugh continued, "we'll start. Jack, you go over next to the
timber, but keep fairly well out from the edge, and try to see all
the time that you don't miss any of the horses. Joe, you keep out
nearer the middle, and get all the horses you can, and both of you
work as slow and careful as you know how."
The three separated and set about their task. To Jack it seemed
sort of shivery work, being off there alone. He wondered if
anything would happen to Hugh or Joe; whether the thieves would
find out what was being done, and would attack them; whether Hugh
and Joe would meet him down at the end of the valley, and what in
the world he would do if they did not. He had not much time for
thoughts like these, however, for he had to watch the sky-line of
the timber, and to figure how far he was from it; to look out for
horses in front of him, and to travel along without stumbling, or
running into little low bushes, or doing anything that would make a
noise.
Before long he saw his first horse, an old mare with a colt. He
walked toward her, and as he approached, she began slowly to walk
away. Then there were other horses off to his right and to his
left, and he walked back and forward across the valley, sometimes
seeing that the horses to his left were moving slowly along down
the valley, which told him that Joe was doing his work, sometimes
coming to a large bunch of brush, around which he had to pass in
order to be sure that no horses were hidden there. All the time he
kept a good lookout across the valley, to see if he could see the
fire of the camp, and at length, after he had gone, as it seemed, a
very long way, he recognized, under the opposite hills, a dim glow
on the bushes, which told him of a fire burned down. This he was
glad to see, because it made him feel sure that the thieves had
gone to bed and were asleep.
By this time he had in front of him a good many horses, all going
quietly and feeding as they went. Now and then two or three would
lag behind, and he was obliged to cross over and walk behind them,
but they at once started on, and Jack felt pretty sure that, so
far as his side of the valley was concerned, the horses had all
been gathered. As he approached the place where they had entered
the timber he began to hope that before long he would see Joe;
and it was not very long after that that he saw one horse lagging
behind all the rest, and as he went over to drive it along, he saw
that someone was walking by it, and knew that this must be Joe. He
wanted to go over and speak to him, but remembering that he had his
own horses to look after, he restrained himself and kept on down
the valley. At the same time he was glad to be sure that Joe was
close by. Now, if only Hugh would appear, he should feel that they
were all right. Now the valley grew more and more narrow, and the
boys were closer together, and presently, as the horses bunched up
to pass through a narrow place between two points of timber, Jack
and Joe were almost side by side.
"Everything all right, Joe?" said Jack.
"All right," said Joe. "We've got a good bunch of horses."
"Have you seen anything of Hugh?" said Jack.
"No," said Joe, "I ain't seen Hugh, but the horses off to my left
are moving along; I reckon he's there somewhere." The words were
hardly spoken when suddenly, apparently from a horse that was
walking just in front of them, Hugh's voice said:
"All right, boys; I believe we've done the trick. I think we can
mount now and go ahead. Don't start 'em up yet, we'll go two or
three miles further, and then we'll let 'em sail." Both boys were
delighted to hear Hugh, and they mounted and crowded close to him.
"O Hugh," said Jack, "do you think we got 'em all?"
"Well," said Hugh, "I don't know about that, we've got the most of
'em. They may have riding horses cached in the brush somewhere.
I was afraid to go right close to the camp, for fear some of 'em
might be awake; but I got two picketed horses; there may be one
hidden somewhere else; but I don't believe they've got horses
enough to ride to-morrow, and I'm almighty sure they haven't got
horses enough to catch us."
"What time is it, Hugh, do you think?" said Jack.
"Well, I don't know," said Hugh, "but it's considerable after the
middle of the night. We've got plenty of time to get these horses
down to camp, and pack, and start the whole outfit on before it
gets day; and pretty soon I'm going to begin to hurry 'em. I want
you two boys to drive the horses, and when we get out of the
valley, I'm going to ride round them, and go ahead of them and
lead them. Keep them going well until you hear me whoop; or if you
can't hear me, until you see me. I shall ride pretty hard until
we get near the camp, but we must stop the horses before we get
there; otherwise they'll frighten our pack animals, and we won't
be able to catch them. Now," said Hugh, as they came to a little
enlargement of the valley, "I'll go ahead, and you give me a few
minutes to get around them, and then start them up. When I hear
them beginning to gallop, I'll go just ahead of them, and they'll
all follow me."
The cavalcade proceeded at a walk for ten minutes more, and then
Joe and Jack began to hurry the animals, and before long they
were galloping at a good rate of speed down the valley. When they
reached the Platte bottom the horses turned off, following the
trail by which they had come up, and swung steadily along at a good
gait. Now and then Jack recognized, even in the darkness, a place
that they had passed before, but for the most part the country all
looked strange to him. It seemed as if they had been going for a
long time when he thought he heard a faint whoop from in front, and
at the same moment Joe called out to him:
"Hold on, Jack; drop back. Hugh called, and we must let the horses
stop."
They drew their horses into a walk, and before long the animals
they were driving also slowed down. Then, after a little while they
heard Hugh, not far in front of them, calling out:
"Come round here, boys, and help catch the pack animals, and put
the packs on."
They rode through the horses, which had now stopped and begun to
feed, and it took but a short time to catch their pack horses, and
saddle and pack up. Then turning loose the packs, they all three
rode round behind the herd, and started it on again.