The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail Part 23

But thanks to the great care of Uncle Fred, who knew steers from the ground up, not a loophole of a chance for such a thing happening had been left, unless human hands started to make the break.

As Adrian well knew, if the heavy animals had had the intelligence to form themselves into a "flying squad," such as proves so effective in football, nothing could have kept them within those flimsy bounds; but their efforts were all along the individual line, and therefore futile.

"That isn't a bad idea," was the way Adrian answered this proposition put forward by his chum.

"In the beginning, then," continued Donald, "we knew there were five of these unreliables in the fold, for Uncle Fred mentioned their names. We had our eyes on the bunch when driving in the herds, though they seemed to behave halfway decent, and did their share of the work at that time.

Now, one we heard had been sent with a message to Hatch Walker; that left four, didn't it, Ad?"

The other laughed softly.

"Say, do you know what you make me think of, when you put it in that way?" he remarked, still chuckling.

"How should I?" demanded Donald.

"Remember the old nursery rhyme we used to have long ago about the 'nine little Injuns swingin' on a gate; one fell off, and then there were eight!'"

Donald laughed too, at hearing that.

"Yes, this is something along the same order," he declared, "only instead of beginning with ten we start with only five; and I've already cut that number down a notch. Then there was that chap you wounded out by the haystacks-Uncle Fred fixed his arm, and has got Charley Moo standing guard over him in the bunk house, with orders to shoot him down if he even tries to cut out. You might think he'd use the big house for a prison, but-well, under the circ.u.mstances it would hardly be the safe thing to do."

"On account of my Aunt Josie, you mean, don't you, Donald?"

"Yes, to say what's on my mind, that's the stuff," replied the other.

"She's in league with this riffraff element, because her brother is Hatch Walker himself, and blood is thicker than water, they say. I reckon, now, the lady has been brought up to be in touch with rustlers and all such, so that she believes in their ways of getting other people's property without paying for the same."

"Don't be afraid to speak what's on your mind, just because she happens to be my aunt by marriage," said Adrian. "Uncle Fred as much as admits that he was played for and caught by the widow. He's been bitterly sore about it ever since; but since she's his wife he's tried to do the right thing. And if she hadn't happened to be related to the Walkers, and influenced to back up their schemes for robbing the Bar-S Ranch right along, he never would have gone back on her. Uncle Fred isn't that kind of a man, you see."

"Yes, I know," Donald went on to say, "but let's drop that subject now, and get back to where we started. Two of the hard crowd we can account for, and they're out of the game, I reckon. That left three more. We hope they've skipped, and gone over where they belong, with the enemy; but we don't _know_, and that's where most of our danger lies, in my opinion."

"Oh!"

When Adrian uttered this one word there was considerable significance in connection with it. The fact was he realized right then and there that his chum had not commenced this counting up the disposition of the enemy without some motive back of it besides mere curiosity.

"Now, three fellows may not stand for a heap when they're facing your gun, and you've got a fair chance to pepper the same as they come on,"

continued Donald; "but that number of snakes in the gra.s.s, lying low, and out of sight, ready to give you a tap on the head, or a thrust in the back with a knife, can demoralize almost any garrison. You know that, Adrian, don't you?"

"I think I know now what you're getting at," remarked the other. "You're afraid that when n.o.body was looking those three traitors have slipped into the ranch house and are hiding there right now, waiting to be tipped off as to when they ought to attack us in the rear, while we're fully occupied with defending our front-is that your idea, Donald?"

"Well, it'd be about like the lady of the ranch to fix up a smart game like that, and spring it on us when we weren't looking," the Arizona boy remarked.

"And you've got some sort of remedy up your sleeve, I'm sure of that,"

Adrian told his chum, with confidence in his voice.

"I admit it," replied Donald, immediately. "That was why I led up to this by telling how two of the five had been put out of the game, and meaning that according to my notions no army can do its best fighting till they've cleaned out any traitors in the ranks."

"And what's the answer; because I'm dead sure you've thought up a remedy, Donald?"

"One of us had ought to find out whether those three punchers are really hid away in the ranch house," came the prompt reply.

"All right! I think that's a good idea; and I'll select myself as the one to go and learn if it's so," said Adrian, as quick as a flash.

At that Donald grumbled a little.

"Now, see here, I didn't expect that you'd take me up like that," he objected. "It was my scheme, and I ought to have had a fair show of carrying it out. Even if we had to draw straws to see who'd get the longest, you shouldn't cut me off just like you thought I mightn't be equal to it, Ad."

"You know it isn't that," said his chum, laying a hand on his arm affectionately. "You're capable of doing anything that I dare attempt, Donald; but this happens to be a case where it seems like I should be the one to go."

"How do you make that out, I want to know?" asked Donald.

"First place, it's my property that's in danger, and that ought to count for something, hadn't it? Then stop and think, haven't I been all through this ranch house hundreds of times as a boy, and oughtn't it stand to reason that I'd know it better than you would? Own up, Donald, now; ain't that the truth?"

"I s'pose I'll have to," complained the other; "only I sort of hoped you'd agree to let me go, because I thought of the scheme first. But say, why couldn't we both take hold, and push it through? There's three of the dodgers in there if there's one; and that'd make it more even."

"But we wouldn't mean to try and capture them, you see," Adrian continued; "and one could do the spying better than a pair. Besides, every man is needed out here to guard the corrals, unless we want to have the cattle let out, when chances are, we'll never get half of the same back again."

Donald had to give it up at that point.

"Oh! well," he went on to say, whimsically enough, "I reckon I'm counted out this trip; but all the same, I'm not sorry I thought up the idea. Whether you find the bunch lying low in there or not, it'll be something to know the truth. If they ain't back of us, we'll be able to face the Walker tribe with more confidence, just because those three mule-skinners[1] can't rush us from the rear."

"Let's hunt up Uncle Fred," suggested Adrian.

"You want to tell him about it, I reckon, Ad?"

"Why, yes, he had ought to know; and p'raps now he might be able to give me a few pointers that would come in useful," the other went on to say, as they started to pa.s.s along the outside of the big corral which they were guarding.

"What if he offered to go himself; would you let him?" asked Donald, still feeling a little hurt because he had been deprived of the privilege of playing the part of spy.

"Honest now, I think I would," chuckled Adrian; "but between us there's a mighty slim chance of that happening; because, you must remember who's in the ranch house at this minute; and Uncle Fred isn't going to put himself in any position where he's likely to come suddenly face to face with his wife."

"That settles it, and you go," muttered Donald, as though realizing that what his comrade said was the truth.

They soon ran upon the ex-manager. Uncle Fred seemed to have quite forgotten the fact that he had been deposed from the command of the forces belonging to the cattle ranch, for he was bustling around at a great rate, giving his orders in a low but positive tone, and seeing that they were faithfully executed, too.

When he heard what Adrian proposed to do he immediately declared that it met with his approbation.

"I've been worrying some myself," he observed, "about what'd become of those three skunks, because they have sure enough disappeared like the ground had opened and swallowed the lot. And just as like as not they _are_ hid in the house somewhere; and ought to be yanked out by the heels, so we could put 'em alongside Burke. I'd feel a whole heap easier in my mind if I knew we had the four of 'em tied, neck and crop, so they couldn't do us any damage unbeknown."

"Then you approve of my going in to find out, do you, Uncle Fred?"

Adrian asked.

"Yes, only be very careful how you get around, son," replied the rancher. "When you make sure they're inside, come out right away, without trying to do a single thing. You press the b.u.t.ton, and we'll do the rest. Now, p'raps I had ought to go myself, as I'm best acquainted with the inside arrangements of the house; but-er, you see, I've got my hands full as it is out here; and something might go wrong while I was away. But you understand, don't you Adrian; so go ahead; and here's hoping you'll have the best of luck. Yes, I'm coming right away, Curly; just stay where you are a minute and I'll be with you," saying which the stockman hurried off, leaving the two boys chuckling to themselves.

"Yes," said Adrian, softly, "we know all about it, don't we, Donald?"

Footnote:

[1]: Mule-skinner is a name given to teamsters in the West, and as they prove to be pretty hard cases and tough citizens as a rule, it is sometimes used to contemptuously refer to one who deserves terms of reproach.