CHAPTER XVI
“Yore dad took this mighty well,” Nick declared, riding close to Roy. Teddy, Gus and Bug Eye drew up in the rear.
“He never does show much of what’s going on inside him,” Roy answered slowly. “You notice he didn’t say hardly anything on the way over. Dad’s hard hit, I know that. And—and so are we.” He turned his head away for a moment and stared long and hard at something on the other side of the rugged canyon.
Nick moved uneasily in his saddle. At a time like this he was speechless. He did not know what he could say to console his friend, for his own heart was none too happy. His lips opened, but words would not come.
To punchers on the X Bar X, the ranch was as much a home as a place to work. Troubles were shared equally. Mr. Manley treated his men not like employees, but as friends who were helping him, and the boys appreciated this attitude.
Now that this cruel misfortune had come to the Manley family, every cowboy on the ranch felt it. Belle was loved and respected by every man on the place. Sing Lung, the cook, not excepted. When word had gone around that Belle had been kidnapped, a hot rage filled the hearts of the inmates of the bunk-house. Belle—little Belle, she of the raven black hair and laughing eyes—taken by rustlers! At first there had been a wild rush for horses and guns were out and ready in a moment. But cooler heads prevailed, and finally the boys had come to Mr. Manley, offering themselves quite simply for whatever he planned to do, whether it meant facing a rain of lead or not. He had thanked them huskily and told them to make ready.
These thoughts were running through Nick’s mind as he rode along. If it was that they were to see Belle no more, if she were killed by the gunmen— He moved from side to side, as a caged animal moves. They’d run those jailbirds down, if it took them all their lives! And when they found them—
“Reckon there’ll be any scrappin’?” Gus drawled, watching Teddy guide Flash carefully over bad ground.
“Expect so.” The boy looked casually at the gun in his saddle holster. “Shots will make an awful roar in this canyon. Gus, what would happen to a man who fell that far?” He looked down toward the bottom of the dark space beneath him.
“Nothin’—that is, nothin’ that he’d know about,” Gus answered promptly. “Why, ain’t aimin’ to jump, are yuh?”
“Not any.” Teddy laughed shortly. “But those caves, as I remember, are pretty close to the edge. Might be that one of those gunmen would lose his balance, accidental like, and slip. I was just wondering.”
Gus nodded.
“Such might happen. Get a better view of it if a man was to watch the fall from the rear.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Teddy called to his brother. “Say, Roy, let’s cut over to the right. The going is easier there, and we can move faster.”
Roy considered this for a moment. He had not heard Teddy’s conversation with Gus. Bug Eye explained matters in no uncertain terms, however, and Roy soon saw the advisability of approaching the caves from the rear. “But we don’t want to lose touch with dad,” he stated. “When the action starts, he’s to take a stand on the other side of the canyon.”
“An’ pop away at us?” Nick asked wonderingly.
“Hum,” Roy pulled his pony to a halt and pushed back his hat. “That’s a point, Nick. Now let’s see. Those caves, if I remember rightly, though I haven’t been through here in three years, are almost at the end of this canyon. How about it?”
“Check.”
“How many of ’em are there?”
“Well, I can’t just say. No one knows exactly, ’cause they haven’t all been explored. But I got a sort of idea they’re all connected, somehow.”
“Now if we ride in from the rear, as you said, Teddy, and dad’s gang starts to shoot from the other side, it’s going to be mighty uncomfortable for us. Nope, we’ll have to stick close to the edge of the gorge. Then, when we get nearer, we can decide on our plan of action. But, golly, maybe the rustlers aren’t there at all! We may be all wrong. At any rate, it’s the only clew we have, so we may as well go by it. Anybody got any other suggestions?”
“We might send a man ahead when we get there to sound things out,” Bug Eye said.
“I was counting on that. Teddy or I will reconnoiter and report back. If we only could make sure that we’re going right! All this time, while we’re in here, the thieves may be—” Roy stopped, and shook his head.
“But what can we do?” Teddy asked helplessly. “Natick said he saw the car head this way and Pop claims those caves are about the only place around here that the outlaws could use for a stronghold. If we’re wrong, we’ll have to start over again, that’s all. It may take time, but we’ve simply got to sit tight and work our way over every possible spot where they could have hidden the girls. And we’ll get ’em—we’ll get ’em, by jinks!”
“I’ll tell a maverick we will!” Roy burst out. “Come on, boys, let’s hit it up!”
“How far is that narrow place from here, Nick, where we were going to see dad?” asked Teddy.
“Oh, quite a piece yet.”
Once more they started, in single file now, for the trail was getting narrower. As they rounded a bend they caught sight of the stream below, which up to this time had been hidden by an overhanging ledge. They were riding downward now, and gradually they approached the bottom of the cut. But a little farther on they hit an up-grade where the path hugged the side of the rock so closely that the boys had to proceed with infinite caution. Their ponies were sure-footed, however, and they passed this dangerous spot without a mishap.
“Sun’s goin’ down,” Bug Eye remarked, after a while.
No one replied to this, each man contenting himself with a single glance toward the west. They had expected to spend at least one night in the gorge, but Roy hoped they would get in touch with his father before darkness overtook them. They might easily lose track of each other if they tried to travel after nightfall, as the woods on the other side of the canyon were heavy and deep.
“See anything of the other gang?” Teddy asked, when they had ridden for some time in silence.
The others shook their heads. They were watching the opposite side eagerly, but the trees prevented them from obtaining a view of any riders that might be across from them. Besides, the gorge widened here, and they scarcely expected to see their companions until they reached the narrow part near Gravestone Falls, which was still a long ride ahead.
“If they get there before we do they’ll wait,” Roy remarked. “Dad wants us to be all together when we come in sight of the caves. He’ll be a mighty disappointed man if Ike’s hunch turns out wrong.”
“So’ll we all,” Teddy agreed, with something strangely like a sigh. The long ride had given the boys ample time to think, which was the worst thing in the world for them. They needed action, and more than one man among them felt his hand wandering down toward the gun on his saddle or his hip. Thinking about the girls seemed to bring all sorts of wild fancies to the mind, though both Roy and Teddy were wise enough to know they must not harbor thoughts of failure. Worry would only use up their energy, and they would need all of that later.
Presently Roy, who was leading, held up his hand. Those behind him halted their horses and peered ahead.
“Remember this place, Nick?” the boy asked.
The puncher slowly shook his head.
“No, I don’t, Roy. Seems like it’s been widened since I rode over here last. As I remember it, this here path led right along the edge. Now she branches out, kind of.”
They had come to a clearing on the side of the canyon. For a short space in front of them the ground was bare of bushes and trees, as though it had been purposely cleared. Motioning the others to follow, Roy rode on. A moment later, those behind Roy gave an exclamation.
“What’s up, Roy?” Teddy asked quickly, springing his horse forward.
Roy pointed in silence. Just within the fringe of trees on the very edge of the clearing was a small cabin. Smoke was issuing from the chimney. And as the boys watched, a woman, old, stooped, and white-haired, her face creased with lines, came to the door.
“Mex!” whispered Nick excitedly.
To their surprise the woman suddenly disappeared into the hut. Roy started to urge his pony forward. Then quickly he pulled the reins taut, bringing Star to a halt.
The woman had come to the door again, and the boys could see her mouth twisted in rage. Her shoulders were thrown back and her eyes blazed. In her hands she held a long-barreled rifle, and, as the riders remained motionless, she lifted and leveled it with a steady hand.
CHAPTER XVII
The auto containing the three girls came to a dead stop. The driver turned to his companion, an old woman in a dress resembling a Gypsy’s gown.
“This the place, Cleopatra?”
The woman nodded. Then she turned on him fiercely.
“My name Clovita! You no call me that other. Clovita my mother’s name, and her mother’s name before her. You no—”
“All right, allright! I’ll call you Clove for short. That do?Cloveswould just about suit you.”
The woman made no reply, but, instead, turned and gazed stolidly at the three girls who sat in the rear seat and who were listening to this conversation with wildly beating hearts. Half an hour ago they had known that the man driving was not taking them home, but he had put them off with excuses that he had to stop some place first. Now Belle leaned forward and looked at him squarely.
“Mr. Richmond,” she said firmly, “we want to know the meaning of this. We are not going home. This is nowhere near the X Bar X. Where are you taking us?”
“Well, now, I wouldn’t just say you’re not goin’ home,” the man drawled. “Let’s say you’re not goin’ home yet. That sounds better. Now what else did you want to know?”
Belle felt the blood leave her face. She turned to the others.
“Don’t be frightened,” she said in a low voice. “He may be just trying to scare us. He won’t dare keep us away long. Dad would kill him!”
“He would, hey?” The man laughed nastily. “So sure of that, Miss Spitfire? Maybe there’s others around that can do a little killin’ on their own hook.”
Ethel gave a slight scream and began to tremble. Nell, taking her cue from Belle, clenched her teeth and remained silent.
The man spoke to the woman at his side.
“When were they coming?”
“T’ree ’clock.”
“Well, it’s four now. Sure this is the right place? If you’re foolin’ me, I’ll—”
“Listen!”
The man bent his head sideways. In the distance sounded the beat of horses, evidently traveling toward the car, as the noise increased rapidly. The woman, not troubling to speak, jerked one thumb in the direction of the approaching ponies. The man nodded.
Belle, taking her courage in both hands, suddenly alighted from the car. She saw, out of the corners of her eyes, that the man had opened the door on his side and had slid himself out a bit from under the steering wheel. Belle knew that any attempt at escape would be met with instant violence, and she had no notion of giving this man an opportunity of tying her up. She simply stood by the side of the car and looked about her.
The place they had come to was familiar. It was the entrance to Thunder Canyon. Belle felt her heart give a jump of anxiety, for this was many miles from the X Bar X. She had known that something unusual was happening as soon as the car had stopped and had taken on the old woman, whom the driver explained by saying she was a relative of one of the cowboys and was going over to see him.
The woman, thinking such subterfuge unnecessary, had cackled shrilly, only to be silenced by a fierce frown from the man. It was then that Belle realized the turn affairs had taken. But she had refrained from alarming Nell and Ethel, both because it would be useless and because she hoped that if their driver could be lulled into thinking his motives were unsuspected, the girls might have a chance to escape. For it was certain that Richmond was no puncher on the X Bar X.
It had all happened so casually and so naturally that it was some time before the girls had become suspicious. The man had called at the 8 X 8 in the flivver with a note which Belle Ada was certain had been sent by her mother. The explanation, too, was natural.
The girls, eager for a change, had hurriedly packed and gotten in the car, chatting merrily and not paying much attention to the driver who, it was remembered now, had regarded them grimly as he drove off with them.
So merry had the trio been, anticipating much fun with Roy and Teddy at the Manley ranch, that they scarcely noted the direction taken by the driver. It was not until he stopped at a hut in a lonely place and the gaudily attired woman came out that Belle Ada glanced at Ethel and Nell strangely.
Then, with the woman in the car with them, had followed a long ride with suspicions increasing.
Belle realized that they were in a serious predicament—just how serious she could not yet tell, for, except for the knowledge that the driver was not connected with the X Bar X Ranch and that the note had been a forgery, the girl was as much in the dark as ever. But she did not lose heart.
Swiftly she glanced about her. Those hoofbeats were coming closer, and she knew if an escape were to be attempted, it must be soon.
“Mr. Richmond,” Belle said slowly, turning toward the front seat, “I suppose it is useless to ask you for an explanation.”
Before the man answered, he hitched up his belt, and Belle saw the butt of a revolver protruding over the door of the car. She pretended not to notice, and waited for his reply.
“What’s the matter—ain’t you comfortable?” the man countered. “I even brought Cleopatra along to—all right, Clovita, then! Don’t go bitin’ my ear off. I say I brought Clove along to keep you company. She’ll make a fine travelin’ companion, won’t you, Cleo—won’t you, Clove?”
Ethel, who was almost as pale as her white collar, put her hand to her throat.
“Traveling—traveling companion?” she faltered. “What do you mean? Where are you taking us? Oh, Nell, I’m so frightened!”
“You nice lady,” came from the old woman, who was grinning widely. “You no get scared. Everyt’ing all right. You maybe go on a visit for a little while with me, and I show you pretty things. See!” and she held out her hand. Nell took from it a bracelet, apparently of finely wrought gold. Out of curiosity the girls examined it until they felt Richmond observing them strangely. With a shudder Nell handed it back. The moment the woman had it in her hand again Richmond seized it viciously.
“Tryin’ to get away with somethin’, hey?” he snarled. “We was to go fifty-fifty on all stuff you picked up, an’ you know it. Where’d you get this, hey? Some fool lady who wanted her fortune told, I reckon.”
The woman nodded, and grinned. Then she shrugged her shoulders and spread her hands wide—disdainfully.
“What would you? I must live. People say Clovita has the gift of prophecy. As to that—”
She was interrupted by the arrival of four men on ponies. They rode swiftly up, looked at the car and its occupants for a moment, then turned to Richmond.
“Good work,” one of them said. “Yuh shore know yore doggies, Jack. We all set?”
“Yep. Hey, Clove, pile out. Here’s where you get yore liver shook up good. Sheldon, slide off that war horse an’ let a lady up. Come on, Cleo, shake yore stumps. When you get up there, hang on. Don’t let ’er throw yuh. Ready?Alley-oop!”
With a groan, the old woman, assisted by Sheldon and Richmond, climbed to the back of the pony Sheldon had just quit. Once in the saddle, she took the reins with a practiced hand and settled her dresses about her with supreme confidence. Evidently she had been a rider in her day, but now she made a strange picture sitting proudly on the horse, her head thrown back, surveying with a scornful eye those on the ground.
Richmond grinned widely.
“Quite a gal,” he said to Sheldon. “Feel O.K., Clove? That bronc’s gentle, an’ you won’t have no trouble with her. If she rears, sock her on the head.”
“Clovita know,” the woman replied with dignity. “But I not hit a horse on the head—never. They die from that. Clovita rode horses before you were born. Wild horses, that ran like fire! No one could ride like Clovita, I—”
“Hang it up,” Richmond said brutally. Then: “Miss Manley, I must ask you to change cars at this station. Sorry, but the road ain’t so good fer autos. The other young gals too. Boys, pile off. We go back in the car. You girls ride with Clove. We’ll see you later, so don’t pine too much when we leave. And now—adios.” He bowed mockingly.
“What do you mean?” Belle demanded, the blood coming to her cheeks like a flame. “You won’t dare take us! We must go home immediately! If my father hears about this, you’re life won’t be worth a plugged nickel!” Unconsciously she had quoted Roy. “Dad’ll kill you!”
Richmond looked at her, a grudging admiration in his eyes.
“Just take it easy, girlie,” he said gently. “Nothin’ is goin’ to happen to you or your friends. You’ll be as safe here as if you were home. This is just a little matter between yore father an’ us, an’ we take this way to settle it. See? But don’t get fretful. We may be rustlers an’ all that, but we’re men. I just want to add one thing.” His eyes narrowed.
“As long as you behave yourselves, you can do pretty much as you please an’ nobody will touch you. But if you try to escape—” He took a heavy gun from his pocket and handed it up to Clovita as she sat on the pony. “Clovita,” he continued sternly, “take a pot shot at that hunk of wood stickin’ out by that rock.”
The gun roared. Wide eyed, the girls looked to where Richmond pointed. The stick had disappeared.
“That white blaze on the tree over there.”
Another roar. A tiny dot appeared in the center of the blaze.
“I guess you girls see she can shoot some. Clovita, you know what I told you. Let ’em ride ahead an’ keep their distance. If they bolt, bring down the horse an’ let ’em walk the rest of the way. If they start to run, just nip ’em aleetlebit. Then you won’t have no more trouble. You know where to head for. We’ll meet you there later.”
He stopped and looked at the girls, who stood by the car, Belle defiant, Ethel frankly trembling, Nell pale, but game.
“I’m sorry to have to do this, but you’ll understand why later,” Richmond went on. “When we hear from yore dad an’ if he answers the way we think he will, you’ll be home right soon. If not—” He shrugged his shoulders. “But I’m not worrying about that. Now, climb aboard, you girls. I guess you all can ride. If not, you’ll have to learn quick. The ponies are gentle an’ won’t buck none. Come on, boys.” He entered the car. From behind the wheel he stuck his head out. “Clove,” he called sharply, “remember what I told you! Don’t let ’em get funny, or you’ll wish you hadn’t! Keep that gun out! Hop in here, you birds. We got to get this car back. Well, girls—” and he grinned and removed his hat—“see you later! So long! Have a nice trip!”
CHAPTER XVIII
The small group of riders in that clearing in Thunder Canyon sat silent on ponies that pawed the ground restlessly. The old woman who stood before them, gun in hand, whistled shrilly. Out of the cabin bounded a dog, a huge mastiff.
“Kind of thinkin’ things over now, ain’t ye?” the woman cackled. “You fellers jest keep yer hands on the pommels of yer saddles—no lower. What’s the idee, scarin’ peaceful folks outen their sleep?”
“Well, ma’am,” Gus drawled, “course we didn’t know you was restin’. But it seems to me like we didn’t have no band playin’ when we rode up. An’ if it’s all the same to you, keep an easy finger on that trigger. She might be loaded, an’ accidents will happen.”
“You bet she’s loaded! Heavy buckshot, too! Don’t make no mistake about that! What you-all want?”
“Nothing, of you,” Roy spoke up loudly. “We didn’t even know you were here. We were riding up the canyon, and just happened on your place.”
“Ye did, hey?” The woman considered this, but did not lower the rifle. “Don’t sound likely. There’s not many folks ride by here nowadays. What’s yer business?”
“Sellin’ seed catalogs,” Nick answered.
“Seed catalogs? Ain’t never heard mention of ’em. But let me tell you—this here canyon ain’t healthy fer strangers, especially them that carry guns in saddle-holsters. If I was you, I’d turn right around and ride the other way. The scenery is fine at the other end.”
“We’re not looking at scenery,” Teddy said shortly. “And we’re anxious to get on. So if you’ll just depress that cannon of yours, we’ll be on our way.”
“In a powerful hurry, ain’t ye? Sol—” this to the dog—“jest you do a little investigatin’.”
To the surprise of the boys, the dog walked forward, stiff legged, and sniffed loudly at the ponies and their riders. The horses watched him with suspicious eyes, but made no attempt to bolt. The inspection over, the dog returned to his mistress and casually flopped down at her feet. Then, and not till then, did the rifle butt rest upon the ground. The woman leaned on the barrel, her eyes glittering strangely.
“Lucky fer ye my dawg gives ye a clean bill,” she said, with a little laugh. “Sol, here, is my outpost, an’ nothin’ goes by here that he don’t give the once over—not nothin’!” She spat energetically. “Now, if you-all have a mind to, ye can ride on. But stay clear of the cabin. Sol don’t like strangers.”
Bug Eye cast a quick look at Teddy.
“Maybe we ain’t in such a hurry as we was,” he stated carelessly. “Kind of hot, ridin’.” He dismounted slowly, and gave the reins of his mount to Gus to hold. “I guess you won’t mind if I go around back an’ help myself to a little water outen the pump, ma’am?”
“Hold up!”
The rifle barrel menaced the figure on foot. Bug Eye started in simulated surprise. “You’re goin’ to stay right where you air,” the woman said viciously. “Don’t you come snoopin’ around me! Sol, watch him!” The dog trotted forward, teeth bared, growling menacingly. “Puncher, if you want to stay whole, don’t move! My dawg ain’t had a workout in two weeks, an’ he sure craves action!”
Bug Eye looked down at the animal, thrust out his hand experimentally, and then quickly withdrew it.
“I ain’t exactly aimin’ to take on no dog,” he muttered. “I guess you don’t like visitors, ma’am, from the looks of things. Well, I stay thirsty, I can see that.” Keeping an eye on the dog, he remounted. “You ain’t never heard of the book of etiquette, I reckon. Ought to get it, ma’am. Do you a lot of good. It says in there to always treat a guest with the utmost consideration.”
While he was talking, Bug Eye glanced rapidly toward the cabin. He gave an almost imperceptible jerk to his head, and the others gradually worked their horses a bit nearer the hut and in a wider circle. “You must be right lonely here, all alone. Got a radio? You ought to get one. Heard a new song on the radio only last night. Goes something like this:” He threw back his head, and raised his voice almost to a shout:
“Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary darlin’,Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary Ann.Come out—”
“Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary darlin’,Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary Ann.Come out—”
“Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary darlin’,
Come out o’ the kitchen, Mary Ann.
Come out—”
“Stop that yellin’!” the woman cried fiercely. “Stop it, I tell ye! If you don’t—” She raised the gun, her face twisted into a snarl of rage.
“I’m stoppin’,” Bug Eye said quickly. “I thought you might like to hear it. No need to get nasty. An’ that gun makes me nervous. Snakes, you sure are touchy, ma’am! Objectin’ to a little singin’!”
Once more his eyes roved in the direction of the cabin. The interior was dark and the windows gave no indication of what was within. Bug Eye waved his hand expressively, so that it would be visible to any one who might be watching.
“With all this canyon to fool around in, you oughtn’t to be so touchy over a song,” the puncher went on.
“Well, I am!” the woman snapped. “I don’t like noise—especially that kind. I think you-all mentioned somethin’ about ridin’ on, a ways back. If I was you, I’d do jest that. Soon be dark, an’ it ain’t nice to be alone in the canyon at night,” and the woman snickered.
“No, I reckon not,” Gus drawled. He winked at Teddy. “Is there any place we could stop if we didn’t make the end by night?”
“Don’t know.” The woman backed into the doorway and glanced swiftly behind her. Then she faced the riders again. “Good-bye. Don’t come no closer as you go along. My finger ain’t as steady as it once was, an’ this gun might go off.”
Roy whispered to the others:
“Come on, let’s be going. We’re wasting time here. She’d just as soon pepper us as not. I’d like to come by here later, when she isn’t so lively.”
Teddy chirped to Flash. Slowly the five riders filed past the cabin. Their last vision of the woman was as she stood in the doorway, her rifle held in the crook of her arm, her lips compressed tightly. As they turned their backs to her, each felt a prickly sensation run up his spine, as if those black eyes were boring into him.
When they rounded a bend, out of sight and hearing of the cabin, Roy called a halt.
“Well,” he said, laughing shortly. “That’s that! What a friendly customershewas! What the mischief do you suppose she was afraid of? I wonder—” His face flushed, as an idea came to him suddenly. “Do you suppose—”
“I was supposin’ that all along,” Bug Eye answered dryly. “The girls! It sure looked like a likely place to hide ’em. But they’re not there—not now, anyways. I made sure of that. Unless they was tied up tight an’ couldn’t move,” he added, his face serious.
“I kind of thought you had an idea behind that crazy song of yours,” Teddy remarked. “And when you waved, too. But I couldn’t see a thing through those windows. I’m afraid there’s not much to it, Bug Eye. If I thought there was a possibility of Belle being hidden in there, I’d rush it, woman or no woman! But what’s the use? We’d only get into trouble and maybe some one would have his head blown off. That was a powerful gun she had there. Besides, if the girls were there, there’d be men about to prevent any rescue or escape. What do you think about it, Roy?”
“I’m willing to admit I didn’t get it at all,” his brother answered. “But now you speak of it, there’s nothing more likely than that the girls would be taken to some such place as that. Then with that old woman and all—you remember what Ike Natick said about the woman? There she was, as big as life, and then some. But I reckon it was another woman. That was a clever idea of yours, that song, Bug Eye. It proved one thing to me—that the girls are not there now, whether they will be later or not. Even if they were bound, they would have made some noise when they heard us. We came up too suddenly to allow that gunwoman any time to gag them. But it looks suspicious! As soon as we come into her yard, she’s out with her rifle and tells us to make ourselves scarce. What for? She must have had some reason!”
Teddy shook his head, and Nick said:
“She’s too many for me. But there’s something in the wind besides the smell of fryin’ onions, or I’m a ring-tailed dodo-bird. That hag’ll bear watchin’. It ain’t natural for a woman to be as suspicious as she was without havin’ something on her mind, an’ I’d give a lot to know what it is. I’ll bet if we knew, we wouldn’t have so far to go to find Belle Ada and the others! But—” He shrugged his shoulders expressively. “You can’t go over an’ threaten to shoot her unless she tells all she knows. It ain’t bein’ done this season.”
“Nope, boys, we got to ride on to the caves. Maybe when we get there we can discover somethin’ to go by. This Ike Natick—he’s with our outfit, you know—strikes me as a level-headed cow puncher. Besides that, there ain’t no ribbons tied on him, he’s all man. When he says a thing, I listens. An’ he said he’s got a hunch the rustlers headed for Sholo Caves. That’s enough fer me. What do ya say, Roy—do we go?”
“We do, Bug Eye. Dad might be waiting for us when we get near Gravestone Falls. I hope so, anyway. Hit it up, boys, it’s getting dark.”
Once more the riders, single file, made their way up the canyon. The sun threw its slanting rays on the brown stone walls, streaking them with gold. Below them the stream gurgled over the rocks. Back of them, in a small clearing an old woman stood in the doorway of a cabin, leaning on the barrel of a rifle, her eyes fixed toward them in a malevolent glare.
CHAPTER XIX
The rocky walls of the gorge echoed to the sound of the slow, deliberate hoof-beats as four horses were urged over the trail on the edge of Thunder Canyon, the steeds carrying three girls followed by an old woman.
Two days later this same trail was to be the path of another group of riders, who, doggedly pursuing, were to find this same deep gulch the scene of a desperate fight for the rescue of these present travelers.
Slowly they went, those ahead riding unwillingly. In the extreme rear rode the woman, a striking counterpart to another of her sex who dwelt in a lonely cabin on the edge of a clearing, long since passed by the wayfarers.
They had halted for a moment at this hut, and their guard, who carried before her a heavy gun held in a firm hand, had whistled to the cabin’s occupant. When the second woman appeared Belle started, as did the others, at the remarkable resemblance between the two. They were exactly of the same height and their faces were strangely similar, as though the lines in each countenance had come of the same experiences. “Sisters—maybe twins,” Nell had whispered, and the others nodded.
For a few minutes the two old hags remained in close conversation, the one who had come with the girls never for a second relaxing her vigilance or allowing the gun to point in any direction but toward the horses. With that blue barrel menacing them, the girls knew that escape was out of the question. They seemed in no present danger, however, and Ethel had largely recovered from her first fright. Belle, tight-lipped, was occupied with furious thoughts.
That such a thing could happen in a civilized country! They were kidnapped—neither more nor less! Kidnapped! Belle bit her lips and her face clouded. Mother! How she would worry when she found out! Theymustescape somehow, and get back home before her mother heard they were missing!
It was characteristic of the girl that she gave her own safety scarcely a thought. Richmond had said they were not to be harmed, but that they were to be held until her father did the rustler’s bidding. Belle smarted at the indignity of being a weapon in the hands of the horse thieves, for she now realized who her captors were.
Of course she had heard of the note her father had received, and gradually the conviction had grown on her that this was the means the rustlers had taken to “square up” matters between them and the X Bar X. The cowards! To use girls to effect their revenge! Belle’s lips curled in contempt. If that was the kind they were, they couldn’t stand up long against the punchers on the X Bar X! Why, Teddy and Roy would soon send them running for cover.
As the girl thought of her brothers, her heart beat rapidly with hope. They would hear of their disappearance and ride after them. If they only knew which way to head! All sorts of wild ideas surged through the girl’s brain, but she realized that it would be impossible to send word to the ranch. All they could do was to wait and pray that the boys started in the right direction, when they took up the chase.
All this time the two women were talking. Now and then their guard would nod in the girls’ direction and the other woman would grin evilly. Of the two, Belle much preferred the one who was riding with them. Somehow, she seemed more kind, even though, thus far, she had treated them with small consideration. Still, Belle felt that she would do nothing cruel as long as they made no attempt to escape.
At last the conversation was concluded and Clovita returned to her horse. After several attempts, and with much grunting, she succeeded in regaining the saddle, her sister, if such the other women were, watching her amusedly, making no offer of assistance. Then, with the gun pointing at their backs, the girls continued their weary ride.
Nell made several efforts at finding out their destination, but each question was received in stony silence. At length she desisted, and the girls talked in low tones among themselves. As they rode on, their courage returned to them, and even Ethel seemed brighter. Belle Ada comforted her with the declaration that Teddy and Roy and her father and Peter Ball would soon be aware of their capture—she preferred that word to kidnapping—and would ride in search of them. With both ranches, the X Bar X and 8 X 8, in pursuit, their rescue was but a matter of time. But even while she was speaking, Belle realized how slim was the chance of any one finding them in this wilderness, and her heart sank within her.
Mile after mile along the canyon the girls, followed closely by their guard, rode in silence. As night approached and they still went on, Belle saw Ethel’s shoulders shake with dry sobs. The woman in the rear gave no sign, but Belle rode to her friend and, reaching out, seized her hand.
“Don’t give in, Ethel dear,” Belle whispered. “Look at Nell! She’s taking it like a veteran. After all this is over and the boys are with us again and those rustlers are back in jail, think of the experiences we’ll have had. Why, when you go back to New York and tell people that you’ve been captured by a bunch of real outlaws and made to ride for miles along a canyon, to—to—”
“That’s just it,” Ethel replied. “Where are we going? Where is she taking us? I’m so frightened!”
“What, you frightened?” Nell scoffed, although her own voice was none too strong. “How about that time you and I were out sailing on Long Island Sound by Fire Island and the storm came up? You weren’t scared then, Ethel. And that waslotsworse than this is! Why, I think this is sort of fun! As Belle says, Teddy and Roy will find us, and I guess we can take care of ourselves. Come on, Ethel, don’t let that horrid old woman see that Easterners aren’t as brave as Westerners! Buck up!”
“That’s the talk!” Belle exclaimed, giving Ethel’s hand a squeeze of encouragement. “Here—” She passed Ethel a tiny handkerchief, seemingly inadequate, but with a smile Ethel dabbed at her eyes and handed it back.
“I’m all right—now,” she declared, patting the pony she was riding. “Belle, did you notice this horse? Isn’t he a positive beauty? I wish I owned him!”
“Something tells me you will, later,” Belle answered giving a laugh. Ethel’s smile had cheered her immensely and things seemed not nearly so dark. After all, this certainly was a unique experience.
Belle thought of the Western books she had read and how she had scoffed at the adventures the heroes and heroines had gone through.
“As though we of the West lived in a land of nothing but rattlesnakes, cyclones, and rustlers!” she once exclaimed. “Those things they write about just don’t happen!”
And now here she was, riding through a canyon to some unknown, far-off place, with a savage old woman forcing them on with a pistol!
“I guess they do happen, after all,” she said to herself ruefully. “Although I’d rather read about this than be where I am!”
She was wise enough, however, to keep her fears from the other girls. Indeed, she did all in her power to cheer them, and insisted that they would be rescued as soon as the boys and her father and Mr. Ball found that they were missing.
“And that’ll be as soon as Mrs. Ball telephones home to see that we arrived safely,” she added. Had she known at the time that two whole days were to elapse before the kidnapping was discovered, her courage might not have been quite so high. Perhaps it was fortunate that she remained in ignorance of this fact.
They were nearing the end of the canyon now, and Belle looked sharply about her. Here the cut seemed deeper than at any other place and the trail narrower, as though Nature wanted to end this scene with a setting of more than usual grandeur. The canyon walls fell straight away, ending at the gurgling stream far below them, and on either side the mountains arose, forming a protection from any storm which might try to invade this fastness. Belle, gazing for a moment down into the tremendous depths, shivered in spite of herself. A misstep here would mean quick, sure death.
Now the path dipped sharply for a short space, and, when they reached a level spot once more, the woman with the gun called:
“You stop here. Get off ponies.”
Wonderingly, the girls obeyed, noticing that the woman herself stayed mounted.
“Go ahead. Leave ponies,” was the next command. As the girls proceeded, their guard kept a careful eye on them. Not for a moment did the gun relax from its threat.
Before they had gone fifty feet Belle and the others saw the reason they were told to dismount. Ahead of them, hewn in the solid rock, was an entrance to a cavern of some sort. Behind its rough, wooden door it was intensely dark, and the girls caught themselves thinking that if they were compelled to enter this cave they might never see the light of day again. But as they approached they saw that the entrance led to a wide, airy room of rock, beyond which a light of some sort glowed. This light was not visible from the outside.
Now the woman slid from her horse and walked toward the girls.
“You go in,” she said shortly, motioning with the gun barrel.
“In there?” Ethel gasped, her face pale.
The woman nodded firmly, then bent to explain:
“You no worry. I here. I no hurt you nor let any one else hurt you. I not a bad woman, but—” She seemed about to say more, then closed her lips tightly. Once more she indicated the mouth of the cave.
The girls had no choice. With fear in their hearts and with faltering steps, they entered.
CHAPTER XX
Once within the cave, Belle took a deep breath. Nothing had happened yet. They were still alive, at all events. She led the way toward the light they had seen, and, to her amazement, she discovered that on the left a passageway led to another cavern, larger than the first, which also was illuminated.
Hearing a shuffling step behind them, the girls turned swiftly, but it was only the old woman, the light from the lamp in the wall shining on the metal of her leveled revolver. Whatever else might be said for her, she allowed her charges no chance to escape.
“Ahead,” she grunted, and slowly the girls entered the second cave. This had a high, rocky roof. Several lighted lamps were fastened to the walls. There was furniture of a sort, there being a heavy table in the center, while arranged along the wall were makeshift cots, five of them.
With a slight gasp, Ethel leaned against the table. The woman grinned.
“No get scared,” she said. “All right. You safe in here. We wait now till men come. But you no worry. I here. You all safe.”
“That isn’t much assurance,” Nell whispered to Belle. “What a strange place! Surely they can’t mean to keep us here! Ethel will almost die of fright.”
She cast a swift look at her cousin, but the girl seemed more courageous than she had been, probably realizing that nothing could be gained by showing her fear. So, although her underlip trembled pitifully, Ethel suddenly approached their guard.
“Do you think we’re going to submit to this?” she demanded, a high color in her cheeks. “That you—an old woman—can keep us here? Don’t think we’re afraid of you! We could— What’s that?” she broke off suddenly, pointing to the doorway.
Unsuspectingly, the woman turned. The next moment Ethel’s two hands had closed over the gun, and, with a fierce look of determination in her eyes, she struggled fiercely. In a flash the other two leaped to her assistance, and the woman was disarmed. Ethel, the one who had been most frightened, had done what the others dared not do!
“Now,” she panted, trembling so that she could scarcely stand, “the tables are turned! Let us out of here!”
The woman shrugged her shoulders stolidly, and stood to one side.
“Where you go?” she muttered. “Horses gone. They go by themselves where you no find them. You want to walk, all right. Long ways,” and she grinned.
Ethel threw the gun on the table in despair.
“We could never make it,” she stammered, her breath choked in her throat. “It’s too far! This horrible canyon—” she could not finish.
“Where are the horses?” Bell asked, stepping forward.
Once more Clovita shrugged her shoulders, spreading her hands wide.
“You look,” she said indifferently. “You no find. They far away. Besides—” she stopped, holding her hand to her ear—“I hear men coming,” she concluded, with another grin.
“The rustlers!” Nell gasped, seizing Belle’s arm. “They’re coming here!”
A clatter of horses’ feet sounded on the path outside. There were some muttered sentences, which the girls could not catch, and a figure filled the doorway. It was Richmond, the man who had driven the car.
“Evenin’ ladies,” he greeted them, smiling sardonically, his hat sweeping the ground. Another smile was on his face as he turned to the men behind him. “Our guests,” he added, and the girls detected a sarcastic note.
Belle recognized the four men who had met them at the entrance to the canyon, but this time there were two others with them. One of them looked vaguely familiar, but Belle could not remember where she had seen him before.
Ethel shrank against the wall.
“Don’t be scared—we’re not poison,” Richmond sneered. “Though your dad seems to think we are,” he added, looking at Belle Ada. “I see you got here all right,” he said to Clovita.
The woman nodded, but made no answer. She glared at Richmond from beneath beetled brows, her head bent low. Belle, observing this by-play, was at a loss to account for the woman’s apparent antagonistic attitude toward Richmond until she recalled the episode at the canyon’s mouth, when Clovita had protested at the garbling of her name. Yet it did not seem reasonable that any one would hate a man simply because he had called her by a name not her own.
Richmond motioned Clovita to him, and for some moments the two remained in low-voiced conversation. Then Richmond spoke to the girls:
“We have to leave now, sorry as you are to see us go,” he said, grinning. “But remember this—two of us will be on guard all night at the door of this cave. If any of you try to get out—” his eyes glittered dangerously—“you’ll wish you hadn’t, that’s all. Clove, here, will get you anything you want in the line of food. She knows where the grub an’ water is. As for beds—” he motioned toward the rude cots. “This ain’t no hotel, an’ you’ll have to make out the best you can. The sooner yore dad comes through, the sooner you’ll be out of here. We’ll send him a note to-morrow or the next day—give him a little time to think it over first. In the meanwhile, as long as you girls behave, you’ll be safe. If you don’t—well, that’s up to you. Come on, boys—we vamose.Adios, señoritas! Hasta mañana!”
He was gone. The old woman walked slowly over to the table and casually picked up the gun Ethel had thrown there. She carried it to one of the couches and tossed it down as though it was of no consequence. Then, shuffling across the cave, she disappeared into the other room.
The three girls, with heavy hearts, watched her depart. Escape seemed impossible, and even rescue appeared unthinkable in this dismal cave. Ethel struggled hard against tears, and succeeded for a time in holding them back. Belle and Nell themselves were not far from weeping. Outside, the sun was casting its last rays on the walls of the canyon, but those within the cavern knew nothing of this. They were held in a rocky jail, and guarding them were two outlaws who would not hesitate to shoot if the prisoners tried to escape. Small wonder that hope departed from them and for the first time they clung together, at length finding relief in the tears which had been for so long repressed.
Until far in the night the three girls sat on one of the cots, huddled close. The supper they had been given was coarse, but there was plenty of it. Yet they could not have eaten much had the meal been a royal banquet. It is impossible to feast when a lump keeps coming into one’s throat and tears to the eyes.
But as time went on, and they still remained unmolested, they took heart again and conversed more cheerfully. True, it was lonesome and cold in the cave. But to-morrow, surely, help would come. To-morrow—that seemed so far away, looking now into the blackness of the cave. Even the friendly stars were hidden from them!
But morning came at last, and with it hope. Clovita, who had slept near them, greeted them with a toothless smile and informed them that breakfast would soon be ready. With shudders, they disclaimed any desire to eat, but when they saw the food before them their appetites conquered and they fell to with a will. About two hours after sunrise Richmond appeared and suggested they “come out an’ get a breath of fresh air.”
Realizing that they must preserve their strength, the girls walked slowly to the mouth of the cave. The canyon was drenched with the morning sun, and it seemed impossible that any villainy could exist amid such pleasant surroundings. Belle caught Richmond watching her with an amused smile on his lips, as though he read her thoughts, and she turned her back on him coolly.
“As you please,” he said shortly, as he walked toward one of his companions. “Like it or not—you stay here until we hear from yore dad. We send the note to-morrow, askin’ fer a certain amount of money. And if you’re wise, you’ll hope he sends it,pronto! We’ve got to get paid for the time we spent in jail, due to your respected parent’s activities,” and he grinned again sardonically.
“You’ll not get dad to send you any money!” Belle exclaimed hotly. “The only thing he’ll send you will be hot lead!”
For a moment Richmond looked at her, then he laughed.
“What d’you think of little Miss Spitfire?” he asked his companions. “I’ll be sort of sorry to see her leave, I’m gettin’ so used to her!” Then, changing his tone, he added:
“As far as slingin’ lead goes, we got two men who are experts in that line. They come from—well, not from around here, at any rate. An’ if yore old man wants to try a little gun play, we’re all set. In fact, anxious! I ain’t forgot the fact that he rode all the way over to Hawley just to see that we got ours. Nor we ain’t forgot—some other things, too. So let him come on.” His eyes narrowed. “But if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll bring an army when he arrives, ’cause if we start shootin’, it ain’t goin’ to be safe fer himself nor fer them two brothers of yours, either!”
Turning on his heel, he walked up the trail, his heavy colt swinging at his side. Belle felt a shudder pass over her.
How much longer were they to be kept in the lonesome place with only a fierce old woman as a companion? How long?