A rifle shot sounded from the camp of the Pony Rider Boys. At regular intervals shot followed shot.
It was the warning signal agreed upon to notify the others that water had been found. Ned Rector had ridden into camp with the joyful tidings that he had discovered a water tank about three miles to the eastward. Immediately Walter sprang for his rifle, and running to the top of the little hill began shooting into the air. Ned, in the meantime, not waiting for the return of the others, had fetched the water-bags from the burros, and started off at a rapid pace to bring back water for the stock. His canteen he left for Professor Zepplin and Walter.
"It's horrible stuff, but it is water," breathed the Professor as he swallowed the brown alkali fluid. "If ever I get a drink of real water again, I know I shall be able to appreciate it."
In the meantime Walter's rifle was booming its warning over the desert maze.
Two hours later, Tom Parry, hot, dusty and well-nigh spent, rode into camp with the steam rising from his pony in a thin, vaporous cloud.
"Have you found it?" he called hoarsely.
"Yes; Ned's found a water hole," the Professor informed him.
"Give me a drink, quick. The alkali's cutting furrows in my throat," he begged. "Never got such a hold of me before."
The Professor pressed his canteen to the guide's lips, and Parry drank eagerly. A few moments later he pulled himself together sharply.
"I'm going to take the stock out to the water hole," he announced, starting the burros off across the desert. "I'll water the stallions when I return."
"You had better let me attend to that," protested the Professor. "You're in no shape to go out in the sun again."
"That's all right, Professor. But tell me how I am going to get out of the sun?" begged Parry, with a grim smile.
"The tent——"
"Hotter than the sun. No, I guess I can stand it if those boys are able to. By the way, have you seen anything of the other two?"
"I'll ascertain if Walter has discovered them yet."
Walter's straining eyes had failed to make out Tad and Stacy, however, so the Professor bade him continue firing his rifle. This was a pleasant occupation for Walter, for, like his companions, next to a pony he loved a gun.
Ned had returned with the water-bags, and Parry had finished watering the stock. It was now near sunset.
"No signs yet?" questioned the guide, joining Walter on the knoll.
"Not a thing."
"That doesn't seem right. Stop your firing and come get some supper. We must eat and put ourselves in shape or we'll be good for nothing. Did those boys take any food with them?"
"I think I saw Tad stowing something in his pockets before he started. I'm sure I did," spoke up Ned Rector.
"There's a lad who knows his business," approved Parry, moving toward the camp with Walter.
"Why have you discontinued the shooting?" demanded the Professor in surprise.
"To eat. Half an hour's intermission will make little difference. If the lads are on their way, we'll be able to call them in before it gets dark. If not, then I shall go out to look for them. They're all right. I think you need feel no concern over them."
"Must have gone a long way," spoke up Ned.
"Yes, they undoubtedly followed orders."
"And perhaps exceeded them," added the Professor.
It was a real supper that they sat down to that evening, with hot coffee, fried bacon and other good things, and the party would have been a jolly one had Tad and Stacy been on hand to participate in it.
Walter hurried through his meal, then took his position on the hill once more, where he renewed his signaling with the rifle.
All at once he uttered a shout, following it with a quick volley of six shots, thus emptying his magazine.
"Do you see them!" called Parry, hastening over to the knoll, and joining Walter.
"I think I see a cloud of dust approaching over the desert," he made reply.
"Where?"
Walter pointed with his rifle.
"Yes, that's the boys, I guess. Nothing but a broncho could kick up the alkali like that. I'll go back and have their supper ready. You keep on shooting. The light is growing fainter and they won't be able to find their way in otherwise."
"Is it the boys?" called the Professor, as they saw Parry hastening toward them.
"I think so. Put the coffee on, Master Ned. They'll want to boil the alkali out of their systems as soon as they get here."
"That's the time Tad Butler got left," chuckled Ned Rector. "He's always been around when there was any glory coming. But when it comes to finding water where there isn't any, I guess they can't beat Ned Rector."
"What's that boy shooting so rapidly for?" asked Parry.
"He's excited about something," answered Ned. "He's dancing around as if he's suddenly gone crazy. What's that? He's calling and motioning to us. Guess he wants you, Mr. Parry."
"What is it!" called the guide, making a megaphone of his hands.
Unable to make out what it was that Walter was shouting to him, Tom Parry deserted the camp-fire, where he was assisting to get the second supper, and hastened to the knoll.
"What's the trouble, my lad?"
"Come and see. I want you to take a look at that pony. He's tearing across the desert as if something were chasing him. But I can't make out anyone on his back."
"The light is weak and he's throwing a lot of dust. Of course there's some one his back, and there must be two horses."
The guide shaded his hands, gazing off across the plain.
"What—what——" he stammered.
"Wasn't I right, Mr. Parry?"
"That's very strange. I don't understand it at all."
"That's what I thought."
"There's only one pony and he's riderless," exclaimed Tom Parry. "I'm afraid something has happened. It may not be one of our ponies, however. We'll know in a few minutes."
The running animal was drawing steadily nearer the camp. Those over by the camp-fire were busy getting the meal ready for the two missing lads. The pony reached the foot of the knoll. Observing Parry and Walter there, the little animal shied, making a wide detour, and finally galloping up to the camp.
Walter and the guide hurried down.
"Hello!" cried the Professor, as he saw the horse dash in. "What does this mean!"
"Why, it's Tad's pony!" exclaimed Ned in amazement.
"Is that Master Tad's mount?" called the guide as he approached them on the run.
"Yes. Do you think there's anything wrong?" questioned Ned.
"Looks that way. Don't let him get away. I want to look the critter over. Perhaps we may learn something."
Ned caught the pony without difficulty, and led it to the guide. Parry went all over the animal, even going through the saddlebags.
"The rifle and the rope are missing. Everything else seems to be in order," he announced.
"Then I'll guarantee that Tad's all right," spoke up Ned.
"That's what I think," agreed Walter. "He's taken his gun and rope up into some mountain or other and while he was away the pony got away and started for home."
"Is that your opinion, Mr. Parry?" questioned the Professor.
"What's the use in offering any opinions? I don't know. But I'm going to find out. Let's see. We have a new moon to-night. I've got about two hours before it goes down. I want you all to remain right here in camp until I return. Even if it's until to-morrow. I'm going out to look for the boys."
With that Parry hastily filled his canteen, slung one of the bags of water over the back of his pony, and springing into the saddle dashed away, following the trail that the returning broncho had left.
"No use trying to go any further to-night, Chunky."
"Where'll we stay, then?"
"Right here, I guess," answered Tad. "It's as good a place as we'll find."
But to understand this, we must take up the fortunes of Tad and Stacy, whom we left imprisoned in the hermit's cave.
After waiting for a full hour in the cave, following the hermit's blow on the door, the lads not having heard anything further of him, had renewed their whittling. After long and arduous effort they had succeeded in making an opening in the wood sufficiently large to enable Tad to push his hand through.
Before doing so, however, he made reasonably sure that the hermit was not standing there with a club ready to bring it down with crushing force.
Being satisfied on this point, Tad thrust a hand through. His upturned hand had grasped the bar that held the door in place. Pushing upward with all his strength he felt the bar give.
Stacy, with ready resourcefulness, began forcing up on Tad's elbow. In a moment more they had the satisfaction of hearing the bar clatter to the rocks. Yet one end of it had stuck in its socket, still holding the barrier in place.
They tried their former tactics. Backing off, both lads rushed at the heavy door. It gave way with a suddenness that they had not expected. The boys tumbled out, each landing on his head and shoulders, then toppling over to his back.
There was a lively scramble. They were up in a twinkling, fully expecting to find the hermit standing over them. To their surprise, they found themselves entirely alone. To their further surprise, neither of their ponies was in sight when they stepped out on the rocks.
Upon examining the hoof prints a few minutes later they discovered that one animal had set off on the back trail, while the other had apparently gone in the opposite direction.
After a brief consultation they decided that they must start back on foot. Without a moment's hesitation, the lads, laying their course by Tad's watch, started pluckily toward camp, many miles away.
After a few hours night overtook them. They still had the moon, however, and by its light they trudged along for two more weary hours. Then the moon's light left them and Tad decided that it were worse than useless to continue.
Absolute darkness had settled over the Desert Maze as the boys dropped down, footsore and weary after their long tramp in the stifling heat.
"Got anything to eat?" asked Stacy.
"That I have, and a canteen of water besides. We have a lot to be thankful for yet, Chunky. Haven't we?"
"I'll tell you after I try the bread," answered the fat boy.
Tad laughed merrily.
"Always a humorist, aren't you?"
"Except when I fall in somewhere," replied Stacy.
"How does the bread go?"
"Fine!"
"Aren't you glad you didn't eat it up back there in the hermit's cave?"
"Oh, I dunno. If I'd eaten it then, I wouldn't have to eat it now."
"Oh, Chunky, you're hopeless. I shall have to give you up——"
"What do you think has become of those ponies?" interrupted the fat boy.
"Guess they must have gotten away and gone home—at least one of them," answered Tad.
"Wrong."
"Why?"
"One went one way and the other another, didn't he?"
"Yes. What of that?"
"If they'd gotten away they'd both traveled together. One of them was ridden away and I'm thinking the hermit was on his back. I'll bet he carried my broncho off."
"You mean you think your broncho carried him off?" laughed Tad. "I didn't give you credit for so much sense, Chunky. I guess you are right at that. The ponies surely would have left together. Seems to be our luck to lose horses. Guess my gun has gone, too, but I picked up the rope back by the mountain."
"Glad I didn't bring my rifle along," chuckled Stacy. "I'll bet I'd be throwing good-bye kisses after it now if I had."
"I don't understand what that old man meant by making us prisoners unless it was that he wanted a horse to get out of the Desert Maze. If that was his reason, I don't blame him," laughed Tad. "Mr. Parry did us a real service when he advised us to leave our stallions back in camp. They surely would have been gone by this time, and we never could have caught them again."
"Yes; I can see Satan legging it for the hills," replied Stacy. "Legging it is his strong point."
They had finished their slender meal by this time and drunk their fill of water from the canteens. As a result, they felt better than they had felt at any time during the past three days.
"We have a long, hot walk ahead of us to-morrow, unless they come out to look for us, Chunky," averred Tad.
"Yes. And I love to walk," replied Stacy, with droll humor. "Especially when the sun is one hundred and fifty in the shade, or where the shade ought to be. If ever I come down in this baked country again, I'm going to bring that sweet apple tree out of uncle's orchard, even if I have to drag it all over the desert with me."
"Think we'd better make our beds and turn in?" suggested Tad.
"I guess. I'll take a drink of water first; then I'm ready."
In a few moments the plucky lads had stretched out on the still hot ground, without feeling the least fear. They were too self-reliant to feel any fear, and they had passed so many nights in the open that the mysterious darkness of the outside world held no terrors for them. They knew there was nothing to harm them.
Tad was beginning to doze off when Stacy nudged him in the ribs.
"What is it?" asked Tad sharply.
"I think the girl forgot to put a fresh pillow case on my pillow to-day. The pillow feels awful rough."
"Oh, go to sleep. Dream all the funny things you wish to, but don't bother me till daylight."
From that moment until long past midnight the boys slept soundly, neither having moved since he lay down for his night's rest. Even when the coyotes began to howl, off on the desert, the lads merely stirred, only half conscious of what the sound meant. But when the howls gradually drew nearer, Chunky cautiously opened one eye. The night was so dark that he could not see anything about him.
The beasts drew nearer. Tad was awake now.
"Keep still, don't scare them until I give the word," he said in answer to Stacy's poke.
Emboldened by the quietness, the coyotes kept creeping closer and closer, their mournful howls increasing in volume every minute. All at once Tad reached down for his rope. He lay still for a few minutes until satisfied that the animals had not observed his movement. Suddenly the great loop shot from his hand.
A quick, violent tug at the other end, a wild, frightened howl from the cowardly beasts, and all but one, with tails between their legs, fled over the desert.
"I've got one, Chunky," yelled Tad. "Quick! Help me here, or he'll get away!"
It required all the strength of the two boys to hold the animal that Tad had roped in the dark. Gradually they shortened up on the rope, Tad standing in front of his companion until he felt the animal dangerously near. Then he let out a swift kick. By good luck, it laid the coyote flat.
Tad was upon the beast before, in its half-dazed condition, it could rise. Together they tied the animal's feet, its jaws snapping at them viciously before their task was completed.
There was no more sleep for the lads that night. They feared the coyote would gnaw the rope in two, if left alone. All during the night the boys were obliged continually to jerk on the line about its neck to keep the beast from doing this very thing.
Morning came at last. Making a harness from a piece of the rope, they bound up one of the animal's forefeet, just as Bud Stevens had done with wild horses. Then they released the hind feet. Mr. Coyote hopped about like a rabbit for a time, snarling and snapping, to their keen delight. They felt no fear of him, though Mr. Coyote had several times expressed a willingness to fight his captors.
After eating their remaining crumbs of bread, the boys decided to move on. Tad, believing that he knew the direction to follow, did not wait for the sun to rise. Yet, although they were not aware of the fact, they already had strayed far from the trail.
"I'm afraid the coyote is going to be a drag on us, much as I should like to take him along," said Tad.
Stacy begged to keep the animal, and Tad decided to try it. The next question was, how to move it. It was finally decided that one boy should lead the coyote while the other prodded it from the rear when the animal lagged.
At noon they halted to rest, draining the last drop from their canteens. Then they started on again, suffering more and more from the heat as they proceeded. About the middle of the afternoon Tad halted, gazing helplessly about him.
"Chunky, we're lost in the Desert Maze. I don't know where I am any more than if I were in the middle of an ocean. I'm pretty nearly exhausted, too."
"So's the coyote," comforted Stacy.
"But we've got to keep on going. My watch is missing. I must have lost it where we slept last night. I can only guess at the direction we ought to take. Have you any idea where we are?"
Stacy gazed at the sky meditatively.
"On a rough guess, I should say we were on the Nevada Desert."
"Oh, come on! Come on!"
Still clinging to the angry coyote, the lads took up their weary tramp. The baking alkali burned their feet almost to the blistering point; the burning, withering heat made their heads whirl; the desert began to perform strange antics, while the halo that they had seen a few days before again appeared before them, first whirling like a giant pin wheel, then oscillating in a way that made them giddy.
"Chunky, I can't stand this any longer," cried Tad, suddenly sinking to the ground. "I'm ashamed of myself to give way like this."
Stacy moved around to the sunny side of his companion, placing his own body where it would shade Tad's head from the sun. The fat boy took off his sombrero, unheeding the burning rays that were beating down on his own head, and began to fan Tad with the hat.
"I don't believe I can go any further, Chunky. You are still in fairly good shape and you'll be able to make the camp if you go on. Leave me and make a try for it."
"You—you want me to go on without you? Want me to leave you here to—Say, Tad, do you think I'm that kind of a coyote? I'd thrash you for that if you weren't already properly done up. You'll feel better when night comes and your head gets cooled off. In the morning we'll make another attempt to get out of the Desert Maze. You lie still, now."
Thus admonished, Tad closed his eyes. At last the sun went down, and with its passing, came a breath of refreshing air. They inhaled long and deeply of it. After a little, Stacy got up.
"Where you going?" demanded Tad, opening his bloodshot eyes.
"Going to tie up my dog, then go to bed."
Five minutes later both were sleeping the sleep that comes from utter exhaustion of mind and body.
Stacy awakened first, his eyes opening on the burning blue above him. After a few moments he rolled over on his stomach to gaze at the coyote. Instantly something else attracted his attention. What he saw was a crossed stick on a standard. The whole resembled a cross, standing barely six inches above the ground.
The lad eyed the strange object inquiringly, then wriggled over toward it.
"Maybe there's water here. I'll see," he muttered. Stacy began digging industriously with knife and hands.
After a time the knife struck some hard substance. This, upon further digging, proved to be a bottle. The boy pulled his find out quickly.
"There's a piece of paper in it," he exclaimed in surprise. "Guess somebody must have thrown it off a sinking desert schooner."
Stacy drew the paper from the bottle.
"'To the lost on the Desert Maze,'" he read "That's me and the coyote. 'Water ten paces to the east. Grass Peak fifteen miles to the east. Belted Range about eighteen miles west. Cross piece on stick, points due east and west. A Traveler.'"
With a sharp glance at his sleeping companion, Stacy tramped off ten paces. There being no sign of water, the lad began stamping about with his heels. Suddenly the alkali crust gave way beneath him. One leg went through. He felt it plunge into water.
"Y-e-o-w!" howled Stacy.
Tad Butler scrambled to his feet, rubbing his eyes.
"Water! Water! Water! I fell in!" shrieked the fat boy, dancing about joyously. "I've found a key to the Desert Maze, and I've unlocked one blind desert alley with my foot."
The lads drank and drank of the villainous, brown fluid. Then, after having laved their faces and filled the canteens, they set out on their journey. Grass Peak was the hill from which the Professor's pajamas had been unfurled to the idle desert breeze.
Twilight was descending when two gaunt-eyed, hollow-cheeked lads, each with an arm thrown about the other's waist for support, were described, staggering across the Desert Maze. Behind then, at the end of a lariat, slouched a disconsolate, cowardly coyote.
A great shout went up from the camp of the Pony Riders.
They dashed out to meet their exhausted companions. Hoisting the two boys to their shoulders, they carried them triumphantly to camp.
Tom Parry, the guide, had been thrown by his pony stepping through a crust on the alkali, and had lain all night on the desert. Next day he had staggered back to camp, where he found his pony, and after a few hours' rest had taken up his fruitless search again.
Stacy's pony in the meantime had come in. The boys never knew how the animals got away, though from the fact that Tad's rifle was missing, it was believed that the hermit had ridden the pony off, turning it adrift later.
But the brave lads had found their way through the Desert Maze to camp, having passed through hardships and perils that would have daunted stronger and more experienced desert travelers.
Next morning the Pony Rider Boys struck their tents and broke camp. A few days later they crossed the line into California, where, after loading their stock and equipment into a large stock car, they started for the East.
Yet, though their summer vacation was rapidly drawing to a close, the Pony Rider Boys had not seen the end of their thrilling adventures. Another exciting trip lay before them; one which was destined to linger in memory for many years to come. The story of this, the end of the Silver Trail, will be related in a following volume entitled, "THE PONY RIDER BOYS IN NEW MEXICO."
THE END
Dave Darrin Series No. 3
ByH. Irving Hancock
1 Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz2 Dave Darrin on Mediterranean Service3 Dave Darrin's South American Cruise4 Dave Darrin on the Asiatic Station5 Dave Darrin and the German Submarines6 Dave Darrin after the Mine Layers
Aviator Series No. 3
ByCaptain Frank Cobb
1 Battling the Clouds2 An Aviator's Luck3 Dangerous Deeds
Boy Scout Series No. 3
ByGeorge Durston
1 The Boy Scouts in Camp2 The Boy Scouts on the Trail3 The Boy Scouts to the Rescue4 The Boy Scout Aviators5 The Boy Scouts Afloat6 The Boy Scouts' Victory
Idle Series No. 3
1 Hilda's Mascot—Ireland2 Betty the Scribe—Turner3 Peggy-Alone—Byrne
Ivy Hall Series No. 3
ByRuth Alberta Brown
1 Tabitha at Ivy Hall2 Tabitha's Glory3 Tabitha's Vacation
Peace Greenfield Series No. 3
ByRuth Alberta Brown
1 At the Little Brown House2 The Lilac Lady3 Heart of Gold
Pony Rider Boys Series No. 3
ByFrank Gee Patchin
1 The Pony Rider Boys in the Rockies2 The Pony Rider Boys in Texas3 The Pony Rider Boys in Montana4 The Pony Rider Boys in the Ozarks5 The Pony Rider Boys in the Alkali6 The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico7 The Pony Rider Boys in the Grand Canyon8 The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers9 The Pony Rider Boys on the Blue Ridge10 The Pony Rider Boys in New England11 The Pony Rider Boys in Louisiana12 The Pony Rider Boys in Alaska
Circus Boys Series No. 3
ByEdgar B. P. Darlington
1 The Circus Boys on the Flying Rings2 The Circus Boys across the Continent3 The Circus Boys in Dixie Land4 The Circus Boys on the Mississippi5 The Circus Boys on the Plains
The Battleship Boys Series No. 3
ByFrank Gee Patchin
1 The Battleship Boys at Sea2 The Battleship Boys' First Step Upward3 The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service4 The Battleship Boys in the Tropics5 The Battleship Boys Under Fire6 The Battleship Boys in the Wardroom
The Submarine Boys Series No. 3
ByVictor G. Durham
1 The Submarine Boys on Duty2 The Submarine Boys' Trial Trip3 The Submarine Boys and the Middies4 The Submarine Boys and the Spies5 The Submarine Boys' Lightning Cruise6 The Submarine Boys for the Flag
Young Engineers Series No. 3
ByH. Irving Hancock
1 The Young Engineers in Colorado2 The Young Engineers in Arizona3 The Young Engineers in Nevada4 The Young Engineers in Mexico5 The Young Engineers on the Gulf