CHAPTER IX.
BOWSER DISCIPLINES HIS FOREMAN.
At the first crack of the rifles, Bowser and Hawks had dashed after their two cowpunchers with the other members of their outfits at their heels.
“Get him! Get him!” shouted the former.
“Don’t go too far!” cautioned Sandy. “This may be the very trick to get us out of the way, so the raiders can dash from the corral.”
“But there are no raiders in there, you fool!” retorted Hawks. “Keep your mouth shut, and see if you can’t do something!”
Sweet, indeed, were these words to the other cowpunchers, who had been prevented from adopting the ideas of Deadshot and Ki Yi and running down the raider, when they could see him by the foreman’s overdeveloped sense of caution. But, beyond chuckling to themselves, they gave no outward sign of their pleasure.
Leaning far over their ponies’ necks, the men rode, searching out the plains in their effort to locate either their pals or the lone horseman. For they realized that unless they exerted the greatest care, they might, in their excitement, mistake their friends for the raider.
Mindful of this danger, and determined not to allow any more untoward incidents to mark the pursuit of the man who had tricked him and lifted his cattle, Bowser shouted:
“Nobody fire till after we’ve picked up Deadshot and Ki Yi. It would be just our luck to hit one of them instead of the cow thief.”
And this warning was uttered just in time!
Riding a little to the right and in advance of the others, Sandy suddenly caught sight of his bunkmate, as he stood over the prostrate form of his pony, emptying his rifle in the direction whence the shot from the lone horseman had come.
“This way! This way! I’ve found him!” yelled the excited foreman of the Double Cross, turning in his saddle and beckoning to his fellows.
“Then drop him!”
“Don’t give him the chance to make another getaway!”
Loud and clear, these commands rang out, while Bowser and Hawks raced their ponies toward where Sandy was pointing.
Luckily for the cowpuncher, however, he had been close enough to the foreman when the latter discovered him to hear his hail to his fellows and also their answers.
And he realized if he were to save his life, there was no time to be lost!
“Don’t shoot! It’s I, Ki Yi! My horse was shot from under me!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, at the same time, however, taking the extra precautionto drop flat behind the body of his pony that it might protect him from the shell of some excited pursuer who had pulled the trigger of his rifle before clearly understanding the warning.
His words had been in time to prevent such a misfortune, however, and quickly his comrades were beside him.
“Are you hurt?” inquired his master.
“Only my pride. To think a measly cowlifter could knock the horse from under me and me not even able to see him to hit him!”
Sharing the humiliation which the Midnight Raider was bringing upon the outfits, of the Double Cross and the Star and Moon ranches, the boys strained their eyes to penetrate the darkness enveloping the plains.
“Oh, you needn’t try to locate him. He’s miles away by this time,” sneered Ki Yi. “Hedon’t sit round sucking his thumbs when it’s time for action. Somebody give me a pony, will you?”
But none of the cowpunchers were willing to surrender their mounts to their unhorsed companion.
Suddenly, Bowser noted the absence of his man.
“Where’s Deadshot?” he queried, anxiously.
“Chasing the raider,” returned Ki Yi.
“Did you see him?” demanded Dude, breathlessly.
“Sure. He came right up and said ‘Pardon, me gentlemen, I believe you are looking for me. I’m going to ride to the right,’” mocked his outfit mate.
“Now, don’t get sore,” returned the other. “I only wanted to know if you were sure Deadshot was on the real trail or whether we’d have to take chances on finding it.”
“That’s about what it is, kiddo,” rejoined Ki Yi. “All Deadshot or I could get was the general direction. But Deadshot’s no fool and he won’t travel many miles without learning if he’s on the proper course. It’s so I can be on hand to help him, I want another pony without going back to the ranch house. Besides, since the fire scattered them, it may take a couple of hours to get one that’s worth riding.”
It had been his master’s intention to order his man curtly to return and cut out his own mount. But the last words changed his mind. Well was he aware that Ki Yi was far and away the nerviest rider and best trail-finder in his outfit. As there was a natural rivalry between the boys of the Star and Moon and those of the Double Cross, Hawks did not wish to handicap his success by depriving himself of the assistance of his best man.
Ere he could make up his mind which boy to send back, however, the difficulty was solved for him.
“You can’t leave Amy alone,” exclaimed Bowser, mindful of the upbraiding he had received at dinner for not providing protection for his own wife. “Now there’s no one more fitted to care for women and cattle that I know of than Sandy. He’s what you might call overcautious. If you like, I’ll send him back to help Amy and to quiet her, and Ki Yi can take his pony.”
It was with amazement that the other cowboys listened to these words from the owner of the Double Cross, and so bitter was the tone in which they were uttered that none of them had the inclination, even, to laugh at their luckless comrade to whom they were addressed.
Partially because he was afraid his neighbor would repent his generosity and partially for the reason he was sorry for the berated foreman—knowing as he and all the others did that Sandy’s advice had been given only for the purpose of avoiding a repetition of the raider’s tactics of the night before—Hawks quickly accepted the offer.
In silence the transfer was made, the foreman feeling too crestfallen to utter any protest.
But his spirits were revived somewhat by the very man to whom he was surrendering his pony.
“When it comes daylight, catch a couple of ponies and make the missus ride over to the Double Cross with you. She’s dead set against being left alone, and, after what’s happened to-night, she’ll be all the more ready to go. Tell her the cattle will get along all right. If she bucks at that, ask her if she isn’t of more importance than a bunch of steers—and she’ll go fast enough. Then, when you’ve put the two women together, get Pinky and ride for all you are worth for the swamps.”
“But the women won’t let us go, perhaps,” objected Sandy.
“Tell ’em it’s orders from the old man.”
“That won’t be the truth.”
“Never mind. I’ll guarantee he won’t offer any complaint when you two ride up to where we’re camping.”
“Then you think we won’t be too late if we don’t join you till to-morrow afternoon?”
“No—nor if you didn’t get to us for a couple of days. If we drive that slick cuss out of the bottoms inside of a week, we’ll be all-fired lucky.”
A moment the foreman hesitated, then reached out his hand and shook Ki Yi’s gratefully.
“All right, I’ll do it. Much obliged. I won’t forget this night.”
And, without saying another word or asking for any instructions from the ranch owners, Sandy set out to return to the ruins and Mrs. Hawks at a rapid lope.