CHAPTER XXIV.
WHITE FANG LEADS HOME.
Ted herded the Gray Wolves into one of the rooms and placed guards atthe door and at the outside windows.
The desperadoes were thoroughly cowed. Burk was so frightened that hewas willing to do anything Ted said, and cringed to the leader of thebroncho boys like a thrashed cur.
"What are you goin' to do with us?" he asked Ted.
"I'm going to put you where you will no longer disgrace the office youheld by the authority of the United States," said Ted promptly. "Youwill get all you deserve."
"Let me down easy," begged Burk.
"You don't deserve it. You will be in jail as soon as it gets lightenough to march you to Rodeo."
The first thing for Ted to do was to get rid of his prisoners, then togo after Mowbray, the archcriminal, and bring him to justice, and toarrest Ban Joy, the Japanese thug, whom he was convinced was themurderer of Helen Mowbray.
There was one more thing that demanded his attention for the safety ofthe live stock as well as the people of the Bubbly Well Ranch, and thatwas the destruction of White Fang, the demon wolf that was as well knownin that part of the country as a destructive agency as Mowbray, thethief and murderer, himself.
For years White Fang had preyed upon the ranchmen, exacting a heavy tollin cattle and sheep. Every huntsman in the country had taken to thechase for him, but the cunning old rascal had outwitted or out-footedthem all.
The following afternoon the broncho boys, led by Ted Strong, marched upthe main street of Rodeo to the jail with a score of desperadoes boundto their horses.
When they appeared a great many of the townspeople, friends of theprisoners, gathered and made a demonstration to take them away from theboys.
Ted immediately formed the boys in a circle about the prisoners.
With rifles trained upon the crowd the broncho boys held them off whileTed spoke to them quietly, but with a force that carried conviction. Hetold the people just what the prisoners had done, and what he expectedto prove against them, hinting that there were other men in the town whowould join them in jail if what he suspected proved to be true. Later inthe day a strange thing happened: Several men in high office disappearedfrom the town, and were never seen there more.
Having turned his prisoners over to the sheriff, the boys rode back tothe Bubbly Well Ranch, feeling safe from further depredations for a timeat least.
On the lower part of the ranch the wolves had been playing havoc withthe calves and the yearlings, and the major's cowboys were continuallybringing in news of the depredations of the pack.
The pack was led by old White Fang, the cowboys said, and they could donothing with him. Whatever traps they laid for him were upset by thecunning of the old rascal, and he made life miserable for the menresponsible for the cattle.
"What are we going to do about him?" said the major one day to Ted. "Isuppose we'd better organize a big hunt, and drive the wolves out of thecountry."
"No use," said Ted. "The old beggar would hide in the mountains until itwas over, and then renew the attack on you."
"What do you propose, then?"
"I'm going out after him myself, and I'll not come back until I gethim."
Stella, who was curled up in a big chair in the living room reading,looked up quickly when Ted said this, and smiled out of the corner ofher mouth, for she scented sport in this.
"I think I'll go along," said the major.
"I'd like to have you, major, but it won't do this time. You are tooheavy a rider. It will take a light rider to turn the trick with WhiteFang," answered Ted, and the major looked a bit taken back.
But Stella chuckled to herself. If it took a light rider, she was inthat class.
Later in the day she saw Ted and Bud go toward the corral. Ted carriedin his hand a new, strong Mexican lariat.
She watched them a few minutes before she realized their mission.
"I believe they're going on the wolf hunt," she said to herself, "andwithout me." Her eyes flashed. "We'll see about that."
She ran into her room, and soon emerged ready for a ride. But when shegot on the veranda Ted and Bud were galloping away across the prairie.
Without hesitating she ran to the corral, caught her pony and saddledit, and was in pursuit.
Ted heard the clatter of her pony's feet and turned to see her coming atwhirlwind speed, and slowed up to wait for her.
"Ha, ha!" she cried, as she came up with them, her face wreathed insmiles. "Thought you'd go without me, eh?"
"Didn't think you'd care about such a commonplace thing as chasing awolf," said Ted.
"Well, I'm going," she answered, putting her pony into a gallop.
They rode for the lower pasture, which ran up into the foothills ofSombrero Peak, where the recent depredations of the wolves had beenbothering the cow-punchers.
They passed small herds of cattle grazing here and there, attended byherders, who waved their hands to the trio as they swept past.
As they were entering the foothills Ted's keen eye caught sight of aslinking form on the rise of a hill running parallel with their path.
He reined in suddenly and looked long at it.
"By Jove, I believe that's our game over there," he said. "Take a lookat it, Bud and Stella. Don't you think that is White Fang?"
"It shore is, er his twin brother," said Bud, to which Stella noddedacquiescence.
"Take it easy," said Ted. "We'll ride toward him, and when we get asclose as we can without his bolting, put your spurs to it and chase himfor all you're worth. He can run like a scared rabbit."
They rode easily toward the wolf, who looked up at them with a wise,sidewise twist of his hoary old head, but did not increase his speedany.
"He's tolling us into the hills where he can easily get lost," said Ted."Don't let him do it! Head him off! Turn him back to the prairie."
Diverging, they rode parallel with White Fang again, and, before hesuspected their maneuver, they were ahead of him, and began to close in.
But finally White Fang stopped and watched them for a moment, thendeliberately turned and set off on the back trail at a smart lope alongthe ridge he had come.
"I wish we had a couple of Russian wolfhounds here," said Ted, as thethree were breezing along in the trail of White Fang. "That would makeit something like a chase."
"I'm bettin' that ole galoot will give us somethin' ter do before weketch up with him, at that," said Bud.
"Close up on him," said Ted. "He's having too good a time."
They let their horses out a notch or two, and closed up on White Fang,who was off the ridge by this time, and galloping across the prairie.
The old wolf did not seem to have as much steam in him as usual, andloped along in easy fashion, occasionally looking over his shoulder atthem, apparently gauging the distance and their speed.
"The only way to get close to him is to spurt when he isn't thinkingabout it," said Ted. "Let 'em out!"
A prick of the spur sent their horses forward on the leap.
Ted was coiling his rope in his hand ready for a cast, and Stella andBud followed his example.
"When we get close enough to throw, scatter out, and be ready to letyour rope go if either of us misses. All ready now!"
Ted dashed forward, swinging his rope around his head, and when he wasclose enough he made a beautiful cast and the rope went through the airas true as a bullet, hovering in a sinuous loop above White Fang. Butjust as it was about to settle the wily old rascal dodged to one side,and the rope fell into the sand.
"He's a cute chap," shouted Ted, bringing in his rope without slackeninghis speed, while Bud's rope flew through the air and missed the wolf byabout a foot.
Stella was in a bad position to throw, and withheld her rope.
Again they closed in upon the wolf, who had begun to grow more wary andhad hit up his speed, dodging and turning on his trail, making someswift turns and nimble feats of horsemanship necessary to keep withinroping distan
ce of him.
In this manner a dozen or more unsuccessful casts were made.
At last Ted got tired of the hide-and-seek game, and determined to endit.
"I'm going to get him this time," he shouted, gathering his rope firmly."Back me up!"
He dashed at White Fang, with Bud and Stella on either side of him.Swinging his rope about his head, Ted watched his opportunity.
Suddenly the loop left his hand and shot as unerringly toward the wolfas if it had left the muzzle of a rifle.
It soared through the air like a thing of life, twisting as gracefullyand sinuously as a serpent. For an instant the wide loop hovered overthe gray, swiftly running animal. Then it fell suddenly, and settledover and around the seemingly doomed animal.
But White Fang, king of the pack, was too old a villain to be caught soeasily. He leaped through the loop of Ted's lariat like a circusperformer through a hoop.
But Stella's rope whizzed through the air and caught the old fellowunawares.
Then it seemed as if all the forces of wild nature had been turnedloose.
The wolf leaped into the air as he felt the rope tighten around hisneck, and threw himself here and there with a violence inconceivable,snapping at the rope and trying to sever it. But Stella's lariat was ofMexican rawhide, and even White Fang's sharp teeth had no effect on it.
The rope tightened and slacked in the struggle, and, had it been ofordinary texture, it would never have stood the strain.
Ted had ridden up to the plunging beast, and began to belabor it withhis quirt, to take the spirit out of it. The wolf had never felt thesting of a whip before. It was such a new experience to it that itstopped bucking in sheer amazement. But Ted did not discontinue, and thewolf slunk upon the ground, its wild nature thoroughly tamed for thetime.
"Stop!" cried Stella. "Let us see what he will do now."
Ted rode away, and the wolf sat up on its haunches, and, lifting itshead toward the mountains, gave a long, wailing, dismal howl.
"He knows he's done for," said Ted. "That's his death song."
"Let him do what he will," cried Stella.
Presently White Fang rose, tried to shake the rope from his neck, andwhen he found that he could not do so, got up and started on a trottoward the mountains.
"Follow him," cried Ted. "He's leading us home. Who can say what we willfind there?"
They followed the wolf through coulees and over rocky ridges in thefoothills, and through a canon at the base of Sombrero Peak.
They climbed rocky paths, higher and higher up the side of the peak.White Fang's captors followed him silently. No more did he try to escapefrom the rope. He seemed to have given up hope, and was going home todie.
At last they arrived at the wall of a precipice, along which ran anarrow ledge just wide enough for their ponies to travel.
The path was well worn, as if many animals, including men, had passedthat way.
Suddenly it dawned upon Ted where the wolf was leading.
Where but to the rendezvous of the band of the Gray Wolves?
He straightened up and looked to his revolvers, and then the wolf slunkaround a bend on the cliff's side and walked into a cave.
Ted followed him closely, and stopped in the entrance in amazement. Justwithin sat Mowbray propped against the side wall, his face drawn andhaggard, his eyes half glazed with approaching death.
But he stirred as Ted appeared, and groped about for his revolver.
"Stop!" cried Ted. "The game's up!"
Mowbray's hand dropped weakly by his side, as the wolf slunk to him andlicked his face, at which the dying man raised his arm and placed itaround the neck of the king of the pack, the most savage wolf inArizona.
Ted could not but respect this strange exhibition of animal affection,so unusual.
There was a moaning cry from the depths of the cave, and Ted dismountedand went in to see what had caused it.
Chained to a rock he found the emaciated body of the Jap, Ban Joy, whomhe suspected of being the murderer of Helen Mowbray. Here was luck. Thewolf had led him to the two men whom he most wanted to capture.
"Now, Joy, I want you to tell me the truth," said Ted, when he hadreleased the Japanese. "Did you murder Miss Mowbray, and why did you doit?"
The Jap looked at him with growing intelligence in his eyes.
"Me no kill. Mistah Mowbray kill with cord. I see him, and he tly tokill me."
Ted looked at Mowbray, who had straightened up and was listening.
Then he nodded his head, and signaled to Ted to give him a drink ofwater. After he had drunk he seemed stronger.
"Come here," he said, in a hoarse whisper. Ted went to his side.
"I might as well confess," he said. "It will make the end easier. I willbe dead in a few minutes, for I am mortally wounded. I would havereleased that poor devil of a Japanese, but I hadn't the strength to goto him."
"Take it easy," said Ted.
"I murdered Helen Mowbray by strangling her with a cord," he said, aftera pause. "I did it because I had gambled away everything I had andneeded money--and she wouldn't give it to me.
"I lived for many years in India, and there I became a member of thesect known as the Thugs, who use a cord to strangle their victims. Shecast me off, and when she refused to help me I became enraged and killedher. I am sorry now, for she was a fine woman, but I needed money."
"Then Farnsworth had nothing to do with it?" asked Ted.
"Nothing."
"Tell me another thing. Did Farnsworth, so called, have anything to dowith the murder of the Spooner family in Somber Pass?"
"No, I and my men did that. Farnsworth has led a pretty clean life. Hehas stood for the crimes I committed for the sake of his sister.Wherever and whenever I got into a scrape I used his name, and put thecrimes I committed upon him, and he stood for them on account of hissister's name."
"Is he a bad man? Has he killed many men?"
"Only such as he had to, to defend his sister's name. I say it was I whowas guilty of the crimes charged to him. I hate him, and always havedone so, but I am dying, and it is only fair play to clear him."
"That is all I want to know," said Ted, trying to make the man morecomfortable. But he was beyond help, and in less than a half hour hesighed, and his wicked spirit passed away.
Ted and Bud buried him on the mountainside, and, after releasing WhiteFang, watched it for a few moments.
It went to the edge of a peak overlooking a deep chasm, and there sat onits haunches howling dismally.
Then, to the amazement of all, it straightened up and leaped far out,turning over and over in its descent until it fell in the rocky bottomof the chasm, crushed and broken.
Ted and the broncho boys, together with Stella, remained at the BubblyWell Ranch until well into the winter, when the entire party returned tothe Moon Valley Ranch to spend several uneventful weeks.
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