"Hello! what's the trouble?" exclaimed Jack, bringing his own steed to a
halt. "Are you hurt, Gif?"

"No. I'm all right. But what startled that horse?" demanded the other
lad, as he scrambled to his feet. Then he gave a sudden yell. "It's a
snake! Look out!"

All looked in the direction pointed out by Gif, and there saw a black
object wriggling away through the brushwood. As quickly as they could
Jack and Spouter, who were close by, pulled out their pistols and fired
at the snake. They saw the reptile rise up in the air, turning and
twisting, and then disappear from sight between the rocks.

"What's up? What are you shooting at?" cried Fred, galloping to the
spot.

"A snake. He scared Gif's horse and threw Gif into the bushes."

"Where is he?"

"I guess he got away, although I think we wounded him," answered Jack.

"It's funny how that horse shied," said Spouter. "Maybe he stepped right
on the snake."

"That might be," put in Fred. "Maybe the snake was sunning himself and
didn't notice our approach until the horse stepped on him. Then he
switched around, and that must have started the horse off. I wonder if we
can catch him."

"I think so," answered Spouter. "Gosh! I'm glad no one was bit. That
snake looked to be of pretty good size."

While Spouter and Jack hurried forward to capture the runaway horse, Gif
was assisted to the back of the steed Randy rode.

"I'm glad I didn't go out on my head on the rocks," remarked Gif, as the
boys went forward. "I might have broken my neck."

"Yes, you picked out just the right place to fall into," answered Andy.

"I didn't pick it out. I went where I was sent," returned the other lad
calmly. "After this I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more snakes."

"I think we had better all do that," said Fred. "Gee! I'd forgotten all
about those pests."

When they reached the runaway horse they found him still somewhat
skittish. But he was soon calmed down, and then Gif remounted him, and
they set off along the trail as before.

"Well, we didn't exactly meet a wild animal," remarked Randy. "But we met
something just as bad."

Presently the boys came to a spot where the river wound around the hill,
and beyond this was a broad stretch of plains, apparently many miles in
extent. Far to the southward they could see some tall timber.

"The Bimbel ranch must be somewhere in this vicinity," declared Jack.

"Yes, and the Bangs place can't be so very far off," returned Fred.

But distances in the open air are deceiving, and the boys rode along over
the plains for the best part of an hour before they reached a spot where
the trail branched in several directions. Here they came to a halt,
wondering which way to turn next.

"It's too bad they don't put up a few signboards out here," grumbled
Randy. "How is a fellow going to know where he's heading?"

"I suppose the natives know these trails just like we know the main
streets of New York City," answered Jack. "And that being so, they don't
need any signboards."

Jack had consulted the rude map given to him by the ranch foreman, but
this did not seem to have upon it the forks of the trail.

"I suppose those cowboys would know at once which was the main trail and
which were only side trails," said Gif.

The boys were still uncertain which way to turn when Fred set up a cry of
amazement.

"Here comes an auto, boys! What do you know about that?"

"An auto!" several of them repeated. "Where?"

The youngest Rover pointed with his finger, and there, to the
astonishment of every one in the party, they beheld a small touring car
coming across the plains at a speed of twelve or fifteen miles an hour.
It was running in a curiously haphazard fashion.

"What a way to run an automobile!" ejaculated Randy.

"Maybe the driver is getting out of the way of holes," answered Jack. And
then he added quickly: "There isn't any driver!"

Completely mystified, the boys stared at the oncoming automobile. For a
moment it seemed heading directly for them, but suddenly swerved and
started off across the plains in another direction.

"It is empty!" ejaculated Andy. "It's running by itself!"




CHAPTER XXIII

JARLEY BANGS


"What do you know about that!"

"Who ever heard of an automobile running around by itself?"

"It's gotten away from somebody," came from Jack. "Just look at it
skating over the ground!"

"Come on! Let's stop the blamed thing!" shouted Andy, and started off on
horseback after the runaway car.

"You'll have a sweet job catching that auto," declared his twin.
Nevertheless, he followed Andy, and, not knowing what else to do, the
others did the same.

The automobile was of a cheap variety, and clattered noisily on its way,
with one cylinder occasionally missing fire. It had been running in a
snakelike course, but now it seemed to be making something of a circle.

"By jinks! I think it's coming back here!" exclaimed Fred suddenly.

"It isn't running as fast as it was," declared Spouter. "Maybe it's going
to stop."

"I'm going to see if I can't get aboard!" cried Jack, with sudden
determination, and headed his horse behind the touring car, which was
still moving at a fair rate of speed.

Once one of the front wheels went down in a hole, and then the car slued
around and started off, heading almost for the boys.

"Look out!"

"Get out of the way there or you'll be run down!"

Wild cries rent the air, and the young horsemen scattered in every
direction. But Jack was watching his chance, and as the car slued around
once more he managed to leap from his horse and clutch the side of the
automobile. Then he leaped into the car and turned off the power, and in
a few seconds he brought the automobile to a standstill.

"This is the queerest adventure I ever heard of," declared Gif, when the
brief excitement had come to an end. "Who ever heard of meeting a runaway
auto like this?"

"I guess we can be thankful that we weren't run down," returned Fred.
"You took a big chance, Jack, in jumping on board as you did."

"Oh, it wasn't such a risk," answered his cousin modestly. "I think the
auto was getting ready to stop anyhow."

"I wonder where the owner is?" questioned Andy.

"Perhaps the auto struck a stone and threw him out!" exclaimed Spouter
suddenly. "He may be lying along the trail somewhere stunned or dead."

"I guess the best thing we can do is to see if we can locate the owner,"
declared Gif, after a pause.

"Come on, Spouter. You get in the auto with me and we'll run it back in
the direction it came from," said Jack. "The other fellows can follow and
bring our horses."

"Do you think you can run this car?" questioned Spouter.

"Sure I can! It isn't much different from the cars I'm used to even
though it's a cheap one," was the reply.

Spouter dismounted and was soon beside Jack. The power was again turned
on and the car moved on with many a little jerk and jangling of
metal-ware.

"It's next door to a bit of junk," remarked Jack, as they moved forward
along the trail at a rate of about fifteen miles an hour. "I think if a
fellow tried to make real speed with it it would fall to pieces."

"Sounds to me as if it needed oiling," ventured Spouter.

"Yes, it needs oiling, and new springs, and a new engine, and a new
chassis and a few other things, and then it would be quite a good car,"
answered Jack, with a grin.

The two lads in the car had covered less than a mile, and the others were
coming up behind them, when they saw a man running toward them and waving
his arms wildly.

"Hi there! Stop!" called out the man. "Stop, I tell you! If you don't
stop I'll have the law on you!"

As soon as he saw the man Jack slowed up and came to a standstill by the
side of the fellow. He was a tall, lean man of about fifty, with a
strangely wrinkled and sallow face and long, drooping, reddish mustache.
He had a pair of greenish-brown eyes that seemed to bore the boys through
and through as he gazed rather savagely at them.

"What do you mean by running off with my car?" he demanded, as he shook
his fist at the lads.

"Is this your car?" questioned Jack.

"You know well enough it's my car!" blustered the man. "And I demand to
know what you mean by running away with it!"

"We didn't run away with it," answered Spouter.

"Yes, you did!"

"We did not!" put in Jack. "We found it back there on the plains running
around all by itself."

"What? You expect me to believe such a story as that?" exclaimed the tall
man, glaring at them more ferociously than ever. "Running around by
itself! How could it be doing that? You took it from where I left it, up
by the trees yonder!" and he pointed to a quantity of tall timber some
distance away.

By this time the other boys were coming up, bringing with them the two
unused horses. The man gazed at them in surprise and also noted the two
steeds that were not being used.

"Maybe you're telling the truth and maybe you ain't," went on the man
sourly. "I'd like to git at the bottom of this." Thereupon the boys
related what had taken place and Spouter mentioned the fact that his
father was the owner of Big Horn Ranch.

"Oh, then you're Mr. Powell's son, eh?" cried the man. "Are you the boy
who went to Colby Hall with my nephew, Lester Bangs?"

"Is Lester your nephew?" queried Spouter. And as the man nodded shortly,
he added: "Then you must be Mr. Jarley Bangs?" and again the man nodded.

"I think you ought to thank our chum here, Jack Rover, for bringing your
car back to you, Mr. Bangs," remarked Gif. "If he hadn't jumped from his
horse into the car the machine might be racking itself to pieces out on
the prairie now. It was doing all sorts of stunts when he jumped aboard
and shut off the power."

"I can't understand this nohow," grumbled Jarley Bangs. "If what you say
is true, how in thunder did that car git started? I left it by the edge
of the woods while I went in to look over some timber that we thought of
gitting out this fall. All at once I heard the engine go off with a bang,
and when I ran out of the woods to see what was doing the car was gone."

"Was any one with you?" questioned Spouter.

"No. I came out alone. Lester wanted to come along, but I told him to
stay at the ranch and do some work. He seems to think that all he's out
here for is to play."

"Oh, then Lester is staying with you, is he?" queried Fred.

"Yes. His folks let him come up for a couple of months. Then he's going
back to his home in Wyoming, and after that he's got to return to that
military school. I think it's a fool notion to send him to that school.
If I was his father I'd make him stay out here and go to work."

"You don't suppose Lester tried to start the car, do you?" questioned
Andy.

"How could he if he was at the ranch? But wait a minute! He said
something about going fishing in that brook that flows through the woods.
Maybe he did come up that way, after all."

"Does he know how to run the auto?" asked Randy.

"Yes, he does. But I don't let him run it very often because he's so
careless I'm afraid he'll ruin the machine--he bangs her over the rocks
something awful. I ain't got no money to waste on a new car. This has got
to do, even if it is kind of used up."

"Maybe Brassy--I mean Lester--came up and tried to start the car while
the gears were in mesh," suggested Jack; "and then when the car started
to run away perhaps he got scared and ran away, too."

"If he did anything like that he'll have an account to settle with me!"
exclaimed Jarley Bangs, his eyes glowing with anger. "That boy is getting
too fresh. I said he could come up here, thinking he'd do some work
around the place and so earn the money that I promised him for his
schooling. But evidently he thinks more of having a good time than he
does of working. He is forever fooling around the car and wanting to run
it; so I wouldn't put it past him to do what you suspect. As soon as I
git home I'll ketch him and make him tell me the truth," continued Jarley
Bangs, with a determined shake of his head.

After that he questioned Spouter concerning the ranch Mr. Powell had
purchased and spoke of the men who had previously owned the place.

"These city fellows think they kin come out here and make a fortune on a
ranch," he growled. "But after they've owned a place a year or two they
find it ain't so easy. A man has got to hustle like all git-out to make a
living."

"Where is your ranch located?" asked Fred.

"Our buildings are right behind that patch of timber," was the reply.
"It's not so very much of a place, but it's good enough for me."

"And where is the Bimbel ranch?" questioned Gif.

"That's up to the northward, over the top of yonder hill. But you young
fellows had better give Bimbel a wide berth," went on Jarley Bangs, with
a shake of his head.

"Why?" asked Spouter.

"He don't like no strangers hanging around, that's why. If a stranger
comes up to his door Bimbel always reaches for his gun. He had trouble
years ago with some tramps, and he never got over it."

After that Jarley Bangs had but little more to say. The boys had left the
touring car, and now the man jumped inside, saw to it that everything was
in order, and then asked Spouter to crank up for him.

"Ain't no use to waste time here," he remarked. "I've got to git back to
what I was doing. I'll tell Lester I saw you, and if he wants to he kin
come over to Big Horn Ranch and visit--he ain't of much account around my
place. And I'll git at the bottom of what happened to this auto, too,
even if I have to lick it out of him."

"I don't think Lester will care to visit our ranch," answered Spouter
coldly.

"Well, I ain't got nothing to say about that one way or the other. Now
I'm off," and with a short nod of his head Jarley Bangs threw in the
gears of his machine and rattled away, slowly gathering speed as he
proceeded.

"A kind, considerate man, not!" exclaimed Andy in disgust.

"How politely he thanked Jack for returning his car," added Spouter.

"And the beautiful invitation we got to visit his place," put in Randy.

"I wonder if Brassy really started that car on him?" questioned Fred.

"It might be," answered Gif. And then he added: "Gee, I'm sorry for
Brassy if he has to live with such an uncle as that! Wouldn't you think
he'd rather stay at home?"

"Perhaps it's a case of money," put in Randy. "Didn't you hear what Mr.
Bangs said about paying for tuition at Colby Hall? Brassy's folks may be
quite poor, and they may be depending on this uncle for financial aid."




CHAPTER XXIV

A NEW ARRIVAL


After the disappearance of Jarley Bangs the Rover boys and their chums
continued their trip on horseback.

"Let's move over the hill in the direction of the Bimbel ranch,"
suggested Spouter. "I'd like to get a bird's-eye view of that outfit."

"Perhaps we had better not go too close," advised Fred. "Bimbel may be
getting out a shotgun for us."

"I guess it isn't as bad as all that, Fred. Those things might have
happened years ago when the country was more sparsely settled and when
there were more bad men around. I don't take much stock in what Bangs
said. Probably he and Bimbel have quarreled. He struck me as being a man
who could get into a dispute very easily."

"Oh, I was only fooling," answered Fred. "I wouldn't be afraid to ride
right up to his door. That is, in the daytime. Of course, if we did it at
night he might become suspicious."

"Say, do you fellows know that it's five minutes to twelve?" questioned
Andy, after consulting his watch. "I move that we keep our eyes open for
some place where we can take it easy and have lunch."

"And I second the commotion," returned his brother, joking in a way their
father had made familiar to them.

The boys rode on for half an hour longer, and then reached the top of the
hill they were ascending. Here they could look a long distance in all
directions.

"Some view, I'll say," declared Jack, as he surveyed the panorama. "What
a picture for an artist to paint!" and he pointed to the majestic
mountains to the westward.

"Just look at the river--how it glistens and sparkles in the sunshine,"
burst out Spouter. "See how it winds in and out like a silvery ribbon
among the hills and brushwood and then comes out to cut the broad and
fertile prairie in the far distance."

"Spouter, you'll have to write an essay about this when you get back to
the Hall," said Fred, with a grin.

"Gee, don't mention school at a time like this!" burst out Andy. "I want
to forget all about studying until it's absolutely necessary to go back
to it. And don't forget it's high time to eat," he added.

They moved along slowly and presently selected a spot for their temporary
camp. This was a short distance from the trail they had been following.
It was at the edge of a patch of timber where they were sheltered from
the rays of the sun which were now quite warm.

"We'll be in the shade here, and yet just see the view we'll have," cried
Gif.

"Suits me," announced Spouter promptly; and the others agreed that the
spot was a first-rate location.

It did not take the six chums long to give the horses their feed and then
to empty the saddlebags and prepare their mid-day meal. They had brought
along chicken as well as roast-beef sandwiches, hard boiled eggs,
pickles, and a large cake, and also a bag of doughnuts which Hop Lung had
learned to make from Mrs. Powell and of which the Celestial was justly
proud. They also had with them a thermos bottle of hot cocoa and another
of coffee, all fixed ready to drink.

"Well, Hop Lung certainly spread himself for us," said Jack, as he took
up one of the fat chicken sandwiches and surveyed it with satisfaction.
Then he turned to the twins. "What are you grinning about?" he questioned
quickly.

"Oh, I was only thinking about the trick we played on the Chink,"
chuckled Andy.

"And I was thinking of the same thing," put in his twin.

"It's a wonder he didn't try to get square with us for that," came from
Fred. "An American would be sure to try it."

The long ride in the open air had made all of the boys hungry, and it was
not long before they had disposed of a large part of the sandwiches,
pickles and eggs, washing the meal down with cocoa and coffee and also
with water from a regular water bottle Spouter carried.

"Now I guess it's about time we passed around some of the cake," remarked
Jack, presently.

"I think I'll start on a doughnut," answered Gif.

The cake was in a square tin and had been cut ready for use. In a few
seconds all of the boys were munching away lustily.

And then something happened! It was Fred who was the first to notice that
the piece of cake he was devouring had a peculiar puckery taste. He
rolled some of the cake around in his mouth, and then suddenly ejected
it, and just as he did this Andy dropped the doughnut he was devouring.

"Oh my! What's the matter with that cake?"

"Say, this doughnut tastes like fire!"

"Gee, my mouth is burning up!"

"Give me some of that water, quick! My tongue is getting blistered!"

"What do you suppose is in this cake, anyhow, and in the doughnuts?"
demanded Jack, as he, too, made a wry face and stopped eating.

"Gracious me! do you suppose Hop Lung put the wrong stuff in the cake and
in the doughnuts?" demanded Spouter anxiously.

"Oh, this is awful!" groaned Gif. "I'm burning up inside!" And he put
both hands on his stomach.

"Maybe we're poisoned!" suggested Randy. He made a wild dive for the
water bottle, and this was passed around from hand to hand, each lad
drinking eagerly in an endeavor to wash the burning taste from his mouth
and throat.

"I know what's the matter," said Jack, after the most of the excitement
was over. "Hop Lung doctored the cake and the doughnuts to get square
with us for the trick we played on him."

"I wonder if that's so?" questioned Andy soberly.

"Sure, it's so!" broke in Gif. "That Chink wasn't as slow as you thought,
Andy."

"Gosh, my mouth burns yet!" grumbled Randy, taking a drink of cocoa.
"That's the worst dose I ever chewed. What do you suppose he put in the
cake?"

"Tasted to me like a combination of cayenne pepper, mustard, and a few
things like that," answered Jack.

"Then the whole cake and all the doughnuts must be no good."

"That's too bad! And I had my heart set on a nice doughnut," answered
Spouter. "Just the same, I can't blame Hop Lung."

"Well, anyway, let's be thankful the sandwiches are all right and so are
the eggs," remarked Fred.

"Maybe some of the sandwiches that are left are doctored," put in Andy
suspiciously.

"No, they look all right," announced Gif, after an inspection. "And he
couldn't do much with the eggs while they were in their shells," he
added.

While he was speaking, and while some of the boys were still taking
drinks of various kinds to clear their mouths and throats of that awful
burning taste, Spouter made an inspection of the paper bag containing the
doughnuts.

"Hello! here's another little bag at the bottom of the big one," he
cried. "Let's see what it contains."

He dumped out the doughnuts and drew forth the smaller bag. Opening this,
the lads found it contained six pieces of golden yellow pound cake,
neatly wrapped in tissue paper.

"Gee! is that more of the doctored stuff?" questioned Fred.

"Maybe. But I don't think so," answered Spouter. "I think Hop Lung put
this in for a peace offering, to be found after we had chewed on that
other stuff."

And in that surmise Spouter proved correct. The pound cake was delicious,
and, having sampled it with caution to find that it was all right, the
boys ate it to the last crumb with great satisfaction.

"We'd better dump all that other stuff away," said Fred. "No use of
carrying it if it isn't fit to eat."

"Maybe some of it is good," returned Andy.

"Do you want to sample it and make sure?" questioned Jack, with a grin.

"Not on your life! I wouldn't want that burning taste in my mouth again
for a hundred dollars."

The boys threw the highly-seasoned cake and the doughnuts away, repacked
what was left of the other food, and then continued on their ride. The
trail led through the patch of timber and then over some rather rough
rocks and through some brushwood. Among the rocks they found a spring
where the water was clear and cold, and here they had a most refreshing
drink and watered their horses.

"It's queer this spring is away up here on the top of the hill," remarked
Spouter. "That water must flow underground from the mountains yonder."

"What a lot of underground streams there must be!" returned Fred.

While moving along those in the lead had kept their eyes open for more
snakes. But no reptiles appeared, for which they were thankful.

"But I'm sorry we didn't see some sort of wild animals," said Randy, in
speaking of this. "I thought sure we'd see a bear or a deer or something
like that."

Even birds seemed to be scarce in that vicinity, and the only sound that
broke the stillness as they advanced was their own voices and the clatter
of the horses' hoofs on the rocks.

The trail was a well-defined one, and they could see that it had been
used only a short while before.

"Half a dozen horsemen have been this way within the last few hours,"
declared Gif. "Most likely they were on their way to Bimbel's ranch."

"I wonder if that man Haddon has gotten here yet," said Jack.

"More than likely," answered Fred. "If you'll remember, those men didn't
expect to stay in Arrow Junction very long."

"I'd like to know more about that chap, and know exactly how he's mixed
up with Brassy Bangs," went on the oldest of the Rover boys.

"I guess we'd all like to know that," put in Randy.

Presently they came to a turn of the trail. Here they could see across a
wide stretch of prairie to where there was a collection of low buildings,
seven or eight in number. To the rear of the buildings was a corral for
horses.

"It doesn't look much different from lots of other ranches," said Fred.

"Do you want to go any closer to it?" questioned Gif.

The boys talked the matter over, and while Andy and Randy were rather
curious to get a more intimate view of the place, the others decided that
they would not ride any closer on this trip.

"It's now nearly two o'clock," said Spouter. "And if we want to go any
distance up the river it will take us until sundown to get back home."

They turned back, and an hour or so later reached the point where they
had parted from Jarley Bangs. Then they took a trail up the river and
followed this until the sun, sinking over the western mountains, warned
them that it was time for them to head for home.

"Say, I've got an idea," announced Andy, when they came in sight of the
ranch house. "Don't let on to anybody about that doctored cake. If Hop
Lung or anybody else mentions it, just act as if nothing unusual had
happened. Say the lunch was as good as any we ever had."

"That's the idea!" returned his twin. "We'll keep that Chink guessing."
And it may be added here that the boys kept their word, and Hop Lung
never knew how his little joke had terminated, although he felt sure in
his own mind that they had received the full benefit of the trick he had
played.

The six boys were still some distance from the house when they saw a man
come out on the veranda and wave his hand to them. At first they thought
it might be Sam Rover. But then, of a sudden, Jack let out a yell.

"Boys, what do you know about this! Do you recognize that man?"

"It's Hans Mueller!" ejaculated Fred.

"Uncle Hans!"

"Who would have thought he was coming to the ranch?"

"Hans Mueller!" murmured Andy. "I'll be glad to see him. He's as full of
fun as a stray dog is of fleas!"

Hans Mueller was a man who in his boyhood days had been a boon companion
of the Rover boys' fathers. When he had gone to Putnam Hall with the
Rovers he had spoken very broken English, and his improvement in speech
had been slow and painful. But Hans had prospered in a business way, and
was now the sole proprietor of a chain of delicatessen stores in Chicago.
He was unmarried, and, having no family of his own, had insisted upon it
that all of his young friends call him "uncle."

"Hello der, eferypody!" called out Hans Mueller cordially, as he came
down from the veranda to greet them, his fat face beaming genially.

"How are you, Uncle Hans?" cried Jack, leaping to the ground and shaking
hands. "This is certainly a surprise."

"Yes, Songpird tol' me you wouldn't know I vas coming," was the answer.
"How you been alreatty?"

"Fine as silk," answered Andy gayly. And now all the boys clustered
around to shake hands.

"You're just the man we want here to help us enjoy our vacation," put in
Fred.

"Dot's nice, Fred. I tink I vas going to haf a fine time alreatty. And I
need him," went on Hans Mueller. "Since I come from de war back from
Europe, where I fights for Uncle Sam, I work like a steam horse in mine
delicatessen stores. But so soon like Songpird says come out here and
meet dem Rovers and you udder friends, I say to my clerks, 'you got to
run dem stores by yourselfes alreatty yet awhile. I go oud to Pig Horn
Ranch and git some fresh air mine lungs in.'"

"You'll get the fresh air all right enough," announced Spouter. "And
we're mighty glad you're here," he added, and then led the way into the
house.




CHAPTER XXV

PROFESSOR DUKE'S SECRET


The girls had already returned from the woods and met Uncle Hans, as they
called him.

"I got somet'ing by mine trunk in for you young ladies," said Hans
Mueller, with a broad smile. And later on when his trunk arrived he
presented each of them with a bottle of the highest grade of olives. He
also had some olives for Mrs. Powell, for use on the table.

"I import dem olives myself alreatty yet," he vouchsafed. "Nopody by
Chicago has olives half so goot."

"I knew you'd be surprised to see Uncle Hans here," declared Songbird
Powell. "And I knew an outing on the ranch would do him a world of good.
He has been confining himself too closely to business since he got back
from the war."

"It was grand of you, Uncle Hans, to fight for Uncle Sam," declared
Martha.

"And vhy, I like to know?" demanded Hans Mueller. "Since I come by der
United States over I been just such a goot American like anypody."

"That's the way to talk, Uncle Hans!" cried Jack, and slapped him on the
shoulder.

The next day the young folks took great pleasure in showing Hans Mueller
around the place.

"He vas chust like a farm, only different," remarked the delicatessen
man. "Dot iss a nice lot of cows you got, Songpird. I dink dos cows vould
make apout a million pounds of frankfurters, not?" and at this remark
there was a general laugh.

A few days later Jack noticed that Songbird Powell seemed to be worried
over something. The owner of Big Horn Ranch held an earnest consultation
with Joe Jackson, and then the foreman of the ranch rode off in hot
haste, accompanied by two of his cowboys.

"What's the matter--is something wrong?" questioned Jack of Spouter.

"Four of our best horses are missing," answered Spouter. "The men are not
sure whether they strayed away or have been stolen. Jackson and the
fellows with him are going to ride along the river and see if they can
find out."

"Didn't you say something about other horses being stolen before we got
here?"

"Yes. But they didn't belong to my father. They belonged to the men who
formerly owned this ranch. They left them here, but at their own risk."

"Were the animals now missing the horses we rode?" questioned Fred.

"No. They were the mounts used by Jackson and his men. That is, three of
the horses were. The other was that beautiful black my father
occasionally rode."

"You mean Blackbird?" exclaimed Randy.

"Yes."

"Why, I think Blackbird is the finest horse on the ranch," declared Gif.

"He certainly is a splendid nag," answered Spouter. "And my dad thinks a
great deal of him."

The horse in question was a three-year-old, shining black in color, with
a peculiar diamond-shaped spot of white on his forehead and a similar
spot on his chest. Because of these spots some of the cowboys often
referred to him as Two-spot.

"I suppose those horses are worth some money," remarked Fred.

"Indeed they are!" declared Spouter. "I heard my father say he wouldn't
take four hundred dollars for Blackbird. And the other animals must be
worth at least a hundred and fifty dollars apiece. You know they always
had pretty good horses on this ranch."

"I certainly hope they get some trace of the horses," said Jack.

But this hope was not fulfilled. Jackson and those with him came back
disappointed, saying that they had found no trace of the animals.

About a week later came another surprise. The young folks, including the
girls, had gone off to the woods for the best part of the day, and when
they returned, much to their astonishment, they saw seated in rocking
chairs on the veranda Ruth and May.

"My goodness!" screamed Mary. "Ruth and May! Glory hallelujah! How in the
world did you get here?"

"And you never let us know!" wailed Martha, as she bounced up the steps
to embrace her school chums.

"We got started sooner than we expected," answered May.

"Did you come alone?" questioned Jack, as he, too, came forward, his
pleasure showing on his face.

"No, we didn't come alone," answered Ruth. "We came with Mr. and Mrs.
Rover. They are inside with the others."

"My mother and dad!" burst out Andy. "Where are they?" And he raced into
the house, followed by his twin.

There followed a joyous reunion all around. Everybody was happy to see
everybody else, and for a while it seemed as if all were trying to talk
at once.

"We had a splendid trip over," declared Mrs. Nellie Rover. "Not a single
hitch all along the way. Tom had everything mapped out to the last
detail." And she gave her husband an affectionate glance.

"That's what army discipline did for me," answered Tom Rover. "I didn't
used to be so particular. But now I've got in the habit of walking a
regular chalk mark."

"Yes, I've walked me a chalk mark, too," put in Hans Mueller. "I run mine
delicatessen stores chust like they vas by army regulations alreatty. And
it pays, belief me!"

"It's a regular touch of old times to see you around, Hans," said Tom,
grabbing his former school chum by both arms. "How is that new pickling
machine getting along?"

"Vot pickling machine you mean, Tom?" questioned Hans, looking at him
blankly.

"Why, that machine you're going to invent whereby you can grind up old
oilcloth and automobile tires and make dill pickles of them."

"I don't vas got no machine like dot, Tom," answered the delicatessen man
in bewilderment. "I buy mine dill pickles by der barrel. Dem dill pickles
grows, you can't make 'em by no machine."

"Oh! Then maybe it was a new sourkraut stamper," went on Tom innocently.

"Oh, Tom, you vas joking chust like you alvays vas!" exclaimed Hans, a
light breaking in on him. "Vell, I don't care. You vas a pretty goot
fellow anyhow," and Hans smiled as broadly as ever.

"It sure is a touch of old times," declared Songbird Powell. And then,
unable to restrain himself, he burst out:

    "From among the mountain tops
    Where the brooklet flows,
    There I love to linger long--"

    "Counting up my toes,"

broke in Tom, with a twinkle in his merry eyes.

"Counting up my toes!" snorted Songbird. "Nothing of the kind! You always
did knock my poetry endways, Tom. That last line was to read like this:

    "Where the sunset glows."

The young folks had a grand time that evening singing and dancing, and
did not retire until the older heads had hinted several times that they
had better do so.

"Oh, Jack, it's a splendid place to come to!" said Ruth, when she was on
the point of retiring. "I know I'm going to have the best times ever."

"And to think my Uncle John owns the place!" put in May. "Isn't it simply
glorious?"

After that the days seemed to speed along swiftly. The boys and girls
made up various parties up and down the river, and on the hills and in
the woods. Once they got up a grand family picnic, and everybody
attended.

During those days the boys often wondered whether Brassy Bangs would show
himself. But Brassy kept out of sight, and for the time being they heard
nothing further concerning him. But they did hear through Joe Jackson of
Bud Haddon. That man had been met on the trail to Bimbel's ranch in
company with several other persons.

"They were a bum-looking bunch," declared Jackson. "I wouldn't give one
of 'em house room on this ranch."

"Haddon certainly didn't make a very good impression on me," declared
Jack. "I'm frank to admit I think he's a thoroughly bad egg."

From time to time the boys had been sending letters to some of their
other school chums, and a number of letters had come in return. One day
Gif received a long communication from Fatty Hendry which he read in
wonder.

"Here's something that will interest all of you," he declared, after he
had finished. "I guess it clears up the mystery surrounding Professor
Duke."

"What is it?" questioned Fred eagerly.

"It's a letter from Fatty Hendry. He's been staying at a place named
Ellenvale, which, as you know, is about thirty miles north of Haven
Point. He says that Snopper Duke came from that place, and has an aged
father living there."

"Has Duke been taking care of his father?" questioned Jack.

"Yes. And his father has been very sick and has had to have several
operations. It seems the operations cost a lot of money, and Duke wanted
two of his younger brothers to help pay for them. But they wouldn't
contribute a cent."

"Gee, that was certainly rough!" declared Randy. "No wonder the professor
was grouchy at times."

"That isn't all of it," went on Gif. "Fatty got interested and made a
little investigation, and he found out that there was another brother, a
little older than the professor, who had gotten into difficulties with
the firm he was working for. That firm was on the point of having him
arrested, so Fatty heard, but at the last minute Professor Duke came
forward and settled up for him, so he wasn't prosecuted.

"But Fatty adds in his letter that he heard this not only took every cent
the professor had, but it also placed him in debt to Colonel Colby and
some of his friends."

"Well, that's what I call hard lines!" declared Jack emphatically. "The
poor professor must have been worried half to death."

"Does Fatty say anything further about Duke's father?"

"Yes. Since the last operation the old gentleman is feeling quite like
himself again."

"And what became of the brother who got into trouble?" asked Spouter.

"He disappeared, and Fatty says there is a report that he went to
England, where the family originally came from. I suppose Professor Duke
was glad to have him go."

After this Gif handed around the letter so that all might read it. After
its perusal Andy was the first to speak.

"It's too bad," he said, with a deep sigh. "I'm mighty sorry now that I
didn't treat the professor with more consideration. That poor man
certainly had as much of a load as anybody to carry."

"We'll have to make it up to him when we get back to Colby Hall,"
declared Randy. "I'm going to show him just what I think of him," he went
on. "He certainly was a fine fellow to help his old father and to get his
brother out of that hole."

The boys were still discussing this matter when they suddenly saw Joe
Jackson dash up to the ranch house on his horse and dismount in great
haste.

"Hello, something is wrong!" declared Jack.

Songbird Powell and Tom and Sam Rover had seen the approach of the
foreman, and men and boys ran out to listen to what he might have to
say.

"Four more horses are gone!" declared Joe Jackson. "The best horses on
the ranch! And, boss, I'm certain this time that they didn't stray away.
They were stolen!"




CHAPTER XXVI

THE CATTLE STAMPEDE


"Four more horses gone!" cried Songbird Powell in consternation. "When
did this happen, Jackson?"

"Less than half an hour ago, over on the three-tree range," returned the
foreman.

"And what makes you certain that they were stolen this time?"

"Because the horses had been left all properly tethered. Billy Brown and
his crowd had 'em, and I know Billy is a very careful man. He's positive
they couldn't have broken away."

"This is certainly getting to be a serious matter," declared Sam Rover.
"Songbird, if these last four horses were stolen, it's more than probable
that the first four went the same way."

"Any clue to the thief or thieves?" asked Tom Rover.

"The boys looked around and picked up a quirt that they say don't belong
to our outfit. But it's a very ordinary quirt and might belong to almost
anybody. Of course, they found a good many hoof marks, but they were so
mixed up with the marks from the other horses they couldn't tell one from
the other."

"I'll ride over to the place with you and investigate," returned Songbird
Powell after a moment's thought. "Perhaps we can get on the trail of the
thieves."

"Can we go along?" questioned Spouter quickly.

"No, Son. We want to use the horses. And, anyway, I think it would be
better for you lads to remain behind."

Songbird and the foreman hurried down to the horse corral accompanied by
Tom and Sam. And thus the boys and girls, as well as the ladies of the
household, were left by themselves.

"Gee! I'd like to go on a chase after those horse thieves," burst out
Andy.

"You might get a pretty warm reception if you did that," remarked Fred.
"Horse thieves and cattle rustlers are usually a bad bunch."

"It isn't likely they'll get on the trail of the horses very quickly,"
put in Jack. "Those fellows have too much of a start. The most they can
do is to advertise the loss as widely as possible and trust to it that
some one will recognize the horses, especially Blackbird."

The boys had spoken about going fishing, and Ruth and May had asked if
they could go along. As a consequence the young folks spent the remainder
of the afternoon along the river. They managed to catch a good mess of
fish, of which they were justly proud.

"And just to think! I caught two of the fish myself!" exclaimed Ruth. "I
never knew I was going to be a fisherman."

"You mustn't say 'fisherman;' you must say fisherlady," put in Andy
mischievously.

The men did not return until ten o'clock that night. All were tired and
hungry and glad to sit down to the meal which Mrs. Powell and the cook
provided.

"It was a wild-goose chase," answered Tom Rover in reply to a question
from Andy. "We followed half a dozen clues, but they didn't get us
anywhere."

"What are you going to do next, Dad?" questioned Spouter.

"We sent word to Arrow Junction and several other places, and they'll
post notices giving a description of the stolen animals," answered
Songbird. "And I've offered a hundred dollars reward for any information
leading to the recovery of the horses."

The next day one of the cowboys came in with more information. This was
to the effect that a ranch in that neighborhood, owned by a man named
Cheltham, had suffered the loss of three horses, one a mare of
considerable value.

"Say, this certainly is getting interesting," said Jack, when the lads
heard the older heads talking it over. "First thing we know, all the
horses on the place will be gone."

"Years ago they used to suffer from the cattle rustlers in this
neighborhood," said Spouter. "But horse stealing is something new."

"I wonder if that fellow Bud Haddon had anything to do with it?"
questioned Fred.

"I was thinking of that," broke in Randy. "I think they ought to make an
investigation."

The boys spoke to the men about this, and there was a long discussion
which ended when Songbird said he would ride over to the Bimbel ranch
with his foreman and interview the men.

The visit to the Bimbel ranch occurred the next day, and the boys waited
impatiently for the return of the two men to learn what Bimbel and Bud
Haddon might have to say.

"Another wild-goose chase," announced Songbird Powell, on the return that
evening. "We saw Bimbel, and he seemed as much surprised as anybody to
learn of the horses being taken."

"And what about Bud Haddon?" asked Jack.

"We didn't see Haddon. But Bimbel said he had been at the ranch house
early in the morning and he was certain Haddon knew nothing about the
loss. He said Haddon and the other men were out on a range to the
westward, looking after the cattle. Of course, if Haddon was away out
there he couldn't have been here taking our horses."

"And you didn't see any trace of the animals?" asked Spouter.

"Nothing at all. They said they hadn't heard of the theft nor of the loss
of the horses over at Cheltham's ranch."

After that a week passed swiftly, during which time the young folks
enjoyed themselves thoroughly, not only in tramping and riding around and
in fishing, but also in other sports around the ranch home. With so much
level ground available, a tennis court had been laid out, and also a
croquet ground, and the boys and girls enjoyed these games immensely. The
lads also pitched quoits, a sport which at times had been popular at
Colby Hall.

One day the boys accompanied Joe Jackson on a round-up of some cattle far
down the river. This was a day full of excitement, for some of the cattle
broke away and Andy and Fred happened to be separated from the rest of
the crowd and got directly in line with the runaway steers.

"Hi there! Hi there! Ride out of the way!" yelled Joe Jackson at the top
of his lungs.

Andy and Fred were looking in the opposite direction and did not notice
the cattle until the beasts were within a hundred yards of them. Then
they heard the foreman's cry and also the beating of the hoofs on the
prairie.

"My gracious!" gasped Fred. "Look what's coming!"

"We've got to get out of the way and be quick about it," returned Andy,
and struck his horse on the flank.

The steeds the boys were riding needed no urging, for the sudden rush of
the cattle filled them with alarm. Away they bounded across the grassy
plain with the maddened cattle thundering after them.

"Let's ride to one side and let 'em pass!" gasped Fred, who was badly
shaken by this sudden turn of affairs. He had not dreamed that the herd
of cattle would head for them in this fashion.

But to get out of the way was not easy. To one side of the plains was a
series of rough rocks, while to the other side there was a brook flowing
into the river, and here the ground was soft and treacherous.

"Don't go that way!" cried Andy, as he saw his cousin heading toward the
brook. "You'll get stuck and you'll never get out."

"I'd rather get stuck than be trampled under foot by those beasts,"
panted Fred.

"No, no, Fred! Turn this way! I'm sure we can get up on the rocks
somehow!" declared Andy.

The boys continued to advance with the thoroughly frightened cattle not
far behind them. While being rounded up both cattle and cowboys had come
upon a nest of small rattlesnakes. These had, of course, frightened the
beasts, and they were still more frightened when the cowboys had begun to
shoot at the reptiles. Then a few of the cattle had started the stampede,
and the rest, terrorized by the pistol shots, had followed.

As the two lads galloped on, they looked anxiously to the side where the
rocks were located. Most of the places they passed were too steep to
ascend. But presently Andy caught sight of a point where there was
something of a trail leading upward.

"Come on this way!" he yelled to his cousin. "I think we can get up on
the rocks here!"

In the meanwhile Joe Jackson and his men, followed by Jack and the
others, were doing their best to get the cattle to turn back to the point
from which they had started. The best herd riders were circling the edge
of the rushing animals, shouting at the top of their lungs and firing
their pistols. But so far this demonstration had had little effect.

"Oh, Jack! do you think they'll be run down?" gasped Randy.

"I hope not."

"They're on a pair of good horses; they ought to be able to outrun the
cattle," came from Gif.

"Don't be so sure of that," cried Spouter. "A mad steer can go some,
believe me."

"Who ever thought they would start off like that?" went on Randy.

"It was firing at those rattlesnakes did it," declared Jack. "Of course,
I can't blame the cowboys for doing that."

Andy and Fred found the rocks anything but easy to ascend. They went up a
few feet, and then the horses began to slip and were in danger of rolling
over, carrying their young riders with them.

"Look out!" screamed Fred. He had to catch his horse around the neck to
keep from being flung headlong.

But the horses were as anxious to escape the maddened cattle as were the
lads, and the steeds continued to scramble upward until they reached a
ledge of rock where the footing was comparatively level.

"Do you think we'll be all right here?" panted Fred, when he could catch
his breath sufficiently to speak.

"We shall be unless some of those steers take it into their heads to
climb the rocks the same way we did," answered Andy. He was suffering
from a slight bruise on his left leg where he had brushed some of the
roughest of the rocks.

The horses were still alarmed, and continued to snort and stamp their
feet, and the two lads for a few seconds had their hands full quieting
the animals. They looked below them and saw the cattle coming on in a
great mass. Some had already passed, but others were huddled close to the
rocks as if on the point of making an ascent.

"I really think they'll try to come up," said Fred.

"Come ahead! We'll see if we can't get a little higher up," answered
Andy. "I don't think the steers will follow us very far, even if they do
come. We can shoot at them if we have to," he added, for each of them
carried a pistol.

Beyond the ledge were more rough rocks, and here the two lads had to
proceed with caution for fear one of their horses might slip and perhaps
break a leg. As they advanced they looked back and saw that the cowboys
were coming closer and were beginning to drive a part of the cattle to
the rear.

"Oh, if only they can drive them back!" sighed Fred. "Just look at 'em,
Andy! There must be a hundred of the steers directly below us! And see
how angry that big black fellow looks! He acts just as if he'd like to
come up here and gore us!"

"Listen!" ejaculated Andy, pulling back on the rein. "What's that funny
noise?"

Both listened, and, mingled with the murmurs of the cattle at the foot of
the rocks, came to their ears a peculiar whine or growl that was entirely
new to the lads.

"It's a wild animal of some kind!" cried Fred, as the growl was
repeated.

"Where did it come from?"

"I don't know. But it was close at hand."

Thoroughly scared, both boys looked on all sides. Then, of a sudden, Fred
let out another exclamation.

"There it is! Right on the shelf of rocks yonder! Oh, Andy, it's a
mountain lion!"




CHAPTER XXVII

THE MOUNTAIN LION


It was a time of extreme peril, and both of the Rover boys realized it.
The shelf of rock was not over twenty feet ahead of them, and on this
rested the mountain lion, crouched as if for a spring.

Fred had scarcely spoken when both horses began to snort and stamp their
feet as if wanting to turn and run away.

"Look out!" screamed Andy, "or the horses will take us right back among
those mad cattle."

With the discovery of the mountain lion, that lay close to the rocky
shelf with glaring eyes and tail that swept nervously from side to side,
the boys had noted that the animal was as much penned in as they were
themselves. Beyond the shelf was an overhanging cliff, so that further
progress in that direction was cut off completely. Had this not been so,
it is more than likely that the mountain lion would have turned and slunk
away, for like all wild beasts they do not fight unless they think it is
necessary to do so.

"Come on--give him a shot!" exclaimed Fred, as soon as he could recover
from his astonishment.

His weapon was handy, and in a moment the pistol rang out sharply, and
this shot was followed by one from his cousin.

Had the two boys been on the ground their shots might have been more
effective. But it was another task to aim from the back of a restive
horse that was threatening every instant to bolt, and so both bullets
merely grazed the mountain lion's side.