"Get back to that herd!" commanded the foreman sharply. "All of you! Tad, you stay with me. The girl has fallen and struck her head on the flagging. I don't think she is seriously hurt."
Not understanding the meaning of it all, the cowmen drew back and slouched to their ponies. Most of them were off duty at the time, so they took their way back to camp to be ready for whatever emergency might arise.
Not a man of them spoke until they had staked their ponies and seated themselves around the camp-fire. Such a silence was unusual among the cowboys. Ned and Walter, who had followed them in, were standing aside, equally silent and thoughtful.
Shorty Savage was the first to speak.
"What's it all about? That's what I'd like to know," he asked.
"You won't find out from me," answered Curley.
"Big-foot thinks he winged a spook," said a voice.
"Allee samee," chuckled Pong, who had been taking in the scene with mouth and eyes agape.
Big-foot fixed him with a baneful eye.
"I said I'd forget you were the cook some day," said he. "I'm forgetting it, now, faster'n a broncho can run!"
Pong's pigtail bobbed up and down like the streaming neckkerchief of a cowboy in saddle as he dived for the protection of the trail wagon.
"I reckon he can understand king's English when he wants to," laughed Shorty. "Now how about that spook, Big-foot?"
Sanders stood up, hitched his trousers and tightened his belt a notch.
"Reckon we've all gone plumb daffy, fellows. I'm the champeen dummy of the bunch."
The cowpunchers laughed heartily.
"But was she a spook?" persisted Shorty.
"She were not. She were a woman—a friend of the boss."
Shorty whistled.
"Lucky for me I missed her. I was rattled, or I'd never taken that shot."
"Who is she?" asked Curley.
"One of the young women from the Ox Bow. It gets me what she was doing in that spook place alone at night. I——"
"W-o-w!"
The exclamation was uttered by a familiar voice, at the sound of which the cowmen sprang to their feet.
"It's the gopher!" they cried.
"Chunky!" shouted Ned and Walter, running forward with a yell.
"I fell in," wailed the fat boy.
At sight of him the cowboys yelled with merriment. Chunky's clothes were torn. He was covered with dirt from head to foot, and his face was so grimy as to be scarcely recognizable.
Big-foot was staring at him in amazement. Striding forward, he grasped the lad roughly by the shoulder, jerking him into the full light of the camp-fire.
"Where you been, gopher?" he demanded sternly.
"I fell in," stammered the boy.
"Where?"
"Some kind of a well. It was in the bushes just outside the back door. I went there to hide. I fell down to the bottom and went to sleep."
"Just like him. Have anything to eat down there?" jeered Ned Rector.
"When I woke up it was dark. Then I found another hole—a passage. It went both ways. Guess one end went under the church. I followed it the other way, and came out near where the steers are bedded down."
"Hold on a minute. Let's get this straight," interrupted Curley. "You mean you found an underground passage at the bottom of the old well? Is that it?"
Chunky nodded.
"And the opening was near the spring at the point of rocks just above the herd?"
"Yes. But I had to dig out through a brush heap."
"Huh! Not such a terrible mystery, after all," sniffed Curley contemptuously.
"How came that underground passage there? What's it for?" asked Big-foot.
"Probably dug out in Indian times. I'll bet it has saved the scalp of more than one old fellow. There's an opening into it from the church somewhere, you can depend upon that. I'm thinking, too, that the well was a bluff—that it wasn't intended for water at all. We'll smash the mystery of the adobe church before we pull out of here to-morrow, see if we don't."
"I come mighty near doing for one of them," added Big-foot Sanders ruefully.
"Got anything to eat?" interrupted Stacy Brown.
"For goodness' sake, boys, take your fat friend over to the chuck wagon and fill him up. He's like a Mexican steer—he'll bed down safer when he's full of supper."
In the meantime, another scene was being enacted off at the Ox Bow ranch—a scene that was to add still another chapter to the romance of the trail.
Tad Butler was sitting alone in the darkness on the steps of the McClure mansion. The boy, chin in hands, was lost in thought. Stallings had carried Ruth Brayton in his arms all the way to the ranch where she had soon revived.
After leaving her, the foreman and Colonel McClure had locked themselves in the library, where they remained in consultation for more than an hour.
"How is Miss Ruth?" asked the boy eagerly, when Stallings finally came out.
"Better than in many months," answered the foreman. There was a new note in his voice.
"I'm so glad," breathed Tad.
"Old man," began Stallings, slapping Tad on the shoulder, "come along with me. We'll lead our ponies back to camp and talk. I presume you are aching to know what all this mystery means?" laughed the foreman.
"Naturally, I am a bit curious," admitted Tad.
"It means, Pinto, that not only have you rendered a great service to Mr. Miller and his herd, but you have done other things as well."
"I've mixed things up pretty well, I guess."
"No. You have solved a riddle, and made me the happiest man in the Lone Star State. Miss Brayton and I have known each other almost since childhood. When I was in Yale——"
"You a college man!" exclaimed Tad in surprise.
"Yes. We were engaged. My people were quite wealthy; but, in a panic, some years ago, father lost everything, dying soon after. Miss Brayton's family then refused their consent to our marriage. I determined to seek my fortune in the growing West. My full name is Robert Stallings Hamilton, though I never had used the middle name until I adopted it when I became a cowboy. But to return to Miss Brayton. Ruth was taken to Europe, and then sent to her uncle here. Her trouble preyed on her mind to such an extent that she grew 'queer.' She had heard that I was a cattle man, somewhere in the West. Strangely enough, when in her moods, she developed a strong antipathy to herds of cattle. Whenever a herd was near, Ruth would slip from the house and steal away to them in the night, A stampede usually followed. It's a wonder she wasn't shot. Whether or not she caused these intentionally, Ruth does not know——"
"And that is the mystery?" asked Tad.
"Yes."
"It is the strangest story I ever heard," said the boy quietly.
"What I was about to say, is that the herd will go on without me. Colonel McClure is sending his own foreman through with it instead. Ruth and I are to be married at once, and we shall go to my little ranch in Montana."
In view of the fact that Stallings was severing his connection with the herd, Professor Zepplin decided to do likewise.
Next morning, at sunrise, Bob Stallings, with Miss Ruth, by his side, both radiantly happy, rode out to the camp. The Pony Rider Boys had packed their kits and loaded their belongings on their ponies. Regretfully they bade good-bye to the cowmen.
Tad's parting with Big-foot was most trying. In the short time they had been together, a strong affection had grown up between the two. The plainsman had been quick to perceive Tad's manly qualities, and the boy, in his turn, had been won by the big, generous nature of the man. They parted, each vowing that they must see each other again.
As the great herd moved slowly northward, three cheers were proposed for Bob Stallings and Miss Brayton. This the cowboys gave with a will, adding a tiger for the Pony Rider Boys.
The trail wagon, pulling out at the same time, held a grinning Chinaman, huddled in the rear.
"Good-bye, Pong!" shouted the lads.
"Allee samee," chuckled the cook, shaking hands with himself enthusiastically.
And here for a time we will take leave of the Pony Rider Boys, whose further exciting experiences will be chronicled in the next volume, entitled: "The Pony Rider Boys in Montana; Or, the Mystery of the Old Custer Trail." This will be a story of adventure, full of absorbing interest and thrilling incidents. The reader will then go over the same trails that General Custer rode in the wilder days.
The End.
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY'S
CATALOGUE OF
The Best and Least Expensive Books For Real Boys and Girls
THESE FASCINATING VOLUMES WILL INTEREST BOYS AND GIRLS OF EVERY AGE UNDER SIXTY
Sold by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price
Henry Altemus Company507-513 CHERRY STREETPHILADELPHIA
Henry Altemus Company507-513 CHERRY STREETPHILADELPHIA
The keynote of these books is manliness. The stories are wonderfully entertaining, and they are at the same time sound and wholesome. The plots are ingenious, the action swift, and the moral tone wholly healthful. No boy will willingly lay down an unfinished book in this series, at the same time he will form a taste for good literature and the glory of right living.
1The Motor Boat Club of the Kennebec; Or, The Secret of Smugglers' Island.
2The Motor Boat Club at Nantucket; Or, The Mystery of the Dunstan Heir.
3The Motor Boat Club off Long Island; Or, A Daring Marine Game at Racing Speed.
4The Motor Boat Club and the Wireless; Or, The Dot, Dash and Dare Cruise.
5The Motor Boat Club in Florida; Or, Laying the Ghost of Alligator Swamp.
6The Motor Boat Club at the Golden Gate; Or, A Thrilling Capture in the Great Fog.
By Victor G. Durham
These splendid books for boys and girls deal with life aboard submarine torpedo boats, and with the adventures of the young crew, who, by degrees, become most expert in this most wonderful and awe-inspiring field of modern naval practice. The books are written by an expert and possess, in addition to the author's surpassing knack of story-telling, a great educational value for all young readers.
1The Submarine Boys on Duty; Or, Life on a Diving Torpedo Boat.
2The Submarine Boys' Trial Trip; Or, "Making Good" as Young Experts.
3The Submarine Boys and the Middies; Or, The Prize Detail at Annapolis.
4The Submarine Boys and the Spies; Or, Dodging the Sharks of the Deep.
5The Submarine Boys' Lightning Cruise; Or, The Young Kings of the Deep.
6The Submarine Boys for the Flag; Or, Deeding Their Lives to Uncle Sam.
By Frank Gee Patchin
These tales may be aptly described as those of a new Cooper. As the earlier novelist depicted the first days of the advancing frontier, so does Mr. Patchin deal charmingly and realistically with what is left of the strenuous outdoor West of the twentieth century. In every sense they belong to the best class of books for boys.
1The Pony Rider Boys in the Rockies; Or, The Secret of the Lost Claim.
2The Pony Rider Boys in Texas; Or, The Veiled Riddle of the Plains.
3The Pony Rider Boys in Montana; Or, The Mystery of the Old Custer Trail.
4The Pony Rider Boys in the Ozarks; Or, The Secret of Ruby Mountain.
5The Pony Rider Boys on the Alkali; Or, Finding a Key to the Desert Maze.
6The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico; Or, The End of the Silver Trail.
By H. Irving Hancock
In this series of bright, crisp books a new note has been struck.
Boys of every age under sixty will be interested in these fascinating volumes.
1The High School Freshmen; Or, Dick & Co's First Year Pranks and Sports.
2The High School Pitcher; Or, Dick & Co. on the Gridley Diamond.
3The High School Left End; Or, Dick & Co. Grilling on the Football Gridiron.
4The High School Captain of the Team; Or, Dick & Co. Leading the Athletic Vanguard.
By H. Irving Hancock
This series of stories, based on the actual doings of grammar school boys comes near to the heart of the average American boy.
1The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; Or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving.
2The Grammar School Boys Snowbound; Or, Dick & Co. at Winter Sports.
3The Grammar School Boys in the Woods; Or, Dick & Co. Trail Fun and Knowledge.
4The Grammar School Boys in Summer Athletics; Or, Dick & Co. Make Their Fame Secure.
By H. Irving Hancock
The principal characters in these narratives are two sound, wholesome, manly young Americans who go strenuously through their four years of cadetship. Their doings will prove an inspiration to all American boys.
1Dick Prescott's First Year at West Point; Or, Two Chums in the Cadet Gray.
2Dick Prescott's Second Year at West Point; Or, Finding the Glory of the Soldier's Life.
3Dick Prescott's Third Year at West Point; Or, Standing Firm for Flag and Honor.
4Dick Prescott's Fourth Year at West Point; Or, Ready to Drop the Gray for Shoulder Straps.
By H. Irving Hancock
The Spirit of the new Navy is delightfully and truthfully depicted in these volumes.
1Dave Darrin's First Year at Annapolis; Or, Two Plebe Midshipmen at the U. S. Naval Academy.
2Dave Darrin's Second Year at Annapolis; Or, Two Midshipmen as Naval Academy "Youngsters."
3Dave Darrin's Third Year at Annapolis; Or, Leaders of the Second Class Midshipmen.
4Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis; Or Headed for Graduation and the Big Cruise.
By H. Irving Hancock
These books breathe the life and spirit of the United States Army of to-day, and the life, just as it is, is described by a master-pen.
1Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks; Or, Two Recruits in the United States Army.
2Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty; Or, Winning Corporal's Chevrons.
3Uncle Sam's Boys as Sergeants; Or, Handling Their First Real Commands.
By Frank Gee Patchin
These stories throb with the life of young Americans on today's huge drab Dreadnaughts.
1The Battleship Boys at Sea; Or, Two Apprentices in Uncle Sam's Navy.
2The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward; Or, Winning Their Grades as Petty Officers.
3The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service; Or, Earning New Ratings in European Seas.
By EDGAR B. P. DARLINGTON
Mr. Darlington is known to all real circus people along every route that big and little shows travel. His books breathe forth every phase of an intensely interesting and exciting life.
1 THE CIRCUS BOYS ON THE FLYING RINGS; Or, Making the Start in the Sawdust Life.
2 THE CIRCUS BOYS ACROSS THE CONTINENT; Or, Winning New Laurels on the Tanbark.
3 THE CIRCUS BOYS IN DIXIE LAND; Or, Winning the Plaudits of the Sunny South.
By JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A.M.
These breezy stories of the American High School Girl take the reader fairly by storm.
1 GRACE HARLOWE'S PLEBE YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL; Or The Merry Doings of the Oakdale Freshmen Girls.
2 GRACE HARLOWE'S SOPHOMORE YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL; Or, The Record of the Girl Chums in Work and Athletics.
3 GRACE HARLOWE'S JUNIOR YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL; Or, Fast Friends in the Sororities.
4 GRACE HARLOWE'S SENIOR YEAR AT HIGH SCHOOL; Or, The Parting of the Ways.
By LAURA DENT CRANE
No girl's library—no family book-case can be considered at all complete unless it contains these sparkling twentieth-century books, written for present-day girls.
1 THE AUTOMOBILE GIRLS AT NEWPORT; Or, Watching the Summer Parade.
2 THE AUTOMOBILE GIRLS IN THE BERKSHIRES; Or, The Ghost of Lost Man's Trail.
3 THE AUTOMOBILE GIRLS ALONG THE HUDSON; Or, Fighting Fire in Sleepy Hollow.