CHAPTER XXIX.
THE COMING OF THE RUSTLERS.
"You don't think it'd pay for somebody to sneak out there and learn ifthe rustlers are really hanging around?" suggested Donald, after sometime had crept on, without anything happening to change the conditionsas they existed.
"No use, Donald," said the other, immediately. "There'd always be moreor less risk that you'd get in a peck of trouble; and if the attack camewhen you were away, why, we'd miss your helping hand."
"But I'd like to go the worst kind, Adrian."
"I'm right sure you would," answered the other, quickly; "but the moreyou get to thinking it over the sooner you'll make up your mind thatit'd never pay. When I crawled into that house it was of primeimportance that we found out if those three renegades were hiding there,waiting to attack us from the rear when we had our hands full of otherbusiness. That was an important thing; but we already feel dead certainthat the Walkers are hanging out yonder, so what good could it do tojust crawl up and find this out? Perhaps, now, you're thinking ofcorraling the whole bunch, and beating my little game five times over,eh, Donald?"
"I give it up, Ad; so don't speak of it again, please. Just as you say,we feel they're waiting out there, hidden by that measly gloom; and Icouldn't really do any more than make sure of that. Forget it. I'mwondering what their dodge'll be when they get busy. I've known more'n afew games being played by rustlers; but believe me, in all my life downin Arizona, where the Mexicans come across the border and steal cattle,to rush it over the line so that we can't go after 'em, I never heard ofsuch boldness as these Walkers show. Why, they just up and tell aranchman they are in need of about sixty fat beeves, and that his seemto fill the bill; so if he knows what's good for him he'll turn over andgo to sleep again, in case he wakes up some fine night, and hears astampede taking place outside where his corral lies. Yes, and they getthe habit, too, for they come back again and again."
"Well," said Adrian, grimly, "something's going to happen before morningto make a change in this program, even if we're left to fight it outalone. If that posse only shows up it's a dead certainty the end of theWalker trail has come."
"How long now to midnight?" queried Donald.
"You seem to have got your mind made up they've picked out that time tobegin work," remarked the other, taking out his watch again.
"Because I know the breed so well; perhaps that's why," the prairie boywent on to say, positively; "they had to set some time, you see, so thatthe other bunch in the ranch house would know when to get busy; andsomehow midnight seems to be the favored hour. Pretty close to that,ain't it, Adrian?"
"I should say yes, because it'll be here in ten minutes more, Donald."
"Well, I'm glad of that, because, to tell the truth I feel a heap likeUncle Fred said he did; and the sooner we know the worst, the better. Bythe way, have you seen Billie lately?"
"That reminds me I haven't; and I wonder what he's doing with himself,"Adrian went on to say; for events had chased after each other so quicklythat for the time being he had forgotten all about the stout chum.
"We might take a walk around and see if he's crawled into one of thebunks over at the men's quarters; because you know, Billie's failingnext to stuffing at dinner time is trying to 'make up for lost sleep,'as he calls it, though where he ever dropped any beats me. But as it'sso near the time we look for trouble we'd better let things go as theyare. If there's any shooting he's bound to be waked up by Charley Moo,who, you remember, is in there guarding the wounded fellow."
"That's right," replied Adrian, who often found this thing of lookingafter the fat chum rather wearisome, and fancied Billie ought to be leftmore frequently to take care of himself; since of late he had shown suchmarked improvement that he must be considering it quite unnecessary tohave one of his chums forever holding out a helping hand, when they cameto a muddle of any sort.
"Everything seems quiet over at the house where you left yourprisoners," Donald next remarked, as he turned his head in thatdirection.
"Oh! not much danger of their breaking out through _that_ door," Adrianassured him. "Once or twice I've wondered whether the woman in her blindrage would think to set fire to the place; hoping that she might get outin that way; but those punchers would put a stop to any risky game likethat, I should think."
"They would if they had their right sense," averred Donald; "because thechances are three to one that instead of getting free they'd all besmothered there in that store-room."
"Shall we make our stand here, and together?" asked the other, fingeringhis repeating gun as though under the conviction that he must speedilyhave use for the same.
"That was the program, as I understood it," replied Donald; "we've gotthe choice place, too, where we can command a wide sweep; and when Ipicked it out I was pretty sure the attack would swing down from outyonder, though you never can tell where lightning'll strike."
"Then let's get down behind all this trash, and lie low," suggestedAdrian; "for if they come riding along, they'll be apt to send some leadsinging in this direction, you can be sure."
As they had before this time arranged certain nesting places in themidst of the old lumber and such things, thrown into a great heap untilit could be taken away at some future date, all the boys had to do nowwas to snuggle down.
Then, resting their guns over the top of the barricade, they awaiteddevelopments, still confident that they would soon have plenty ofexcitement on their hands to satisfy any desire for action that mightexist in their venturesome young hearts.
So the minutes dragged along, and at last Adrian announced that the hourof midnight had really arrived.
"They may come crawling up like snakes in the grass," he said; "andagain, p'raps they'll go galloping past like the Indians used to do,down your way, when they had a caravan stalled--hiding behind theirhorses, and banging away with their guns to beat the band."
"Well," said Donald, firmly, "I hate to hurt a poor horse the worstkind, as you know right well, Adrian; but if they go to trying that sortof dodge, there's only one way to break such a game up, and that's todrop their mounts so fast they'll soon get sick of it."
"And when one of us does that, perhaps the other might get a chance tosend his compliments to the rustler when he goes pitching over the headof his mount?" suggested Adrian, showing that he had fallen in with hischum's idea.
"Good enough; and we'll try that same if we get the opening. Now, let'swatch out, so that no crawler gets in close enough to start cutting thewire corral open. In some places it wouldn't take only a few minutes atmost to slash things wide; and by the way the cattle keep moving around,chances are they'd be pouring out through the gap before you could thinkfive times."
Again silence fell upon the two chums. Not the slightest sound came butthey listened carefully to place it, under the impression that it mighthave a significance far beyond its apparent nature.
"There, did you see that?" whispered Donald, suddenly.
"That light flashed up three different times, sure it did," replied theother.
"A signal different from any of the others, too," added Donald.
"And p'raps it means for them to come along; they'll be apt to whoop itup pretty lively too, mark my words; because they'll expect their palsin our camp to take notice, so they can carry out their part of theslick game. What did I tell you, Donald?"
The night was suddenly broken by a series of loud cowboy yells, such asalways cause the herd to take notice and show immediate signs of beingready to stampede. Then came the pounding of horses' hoofs on theprairie, and the two Broncho Rider Boys, crouching there, waited to gettheir first glimpse of the coming rustlers.
The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail Page 29