CHAPTER II
A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE
Yellin' Kid looked at Bud in surprise.
"You heard someone talkin' about this here shootin', Bud?" he asked.
"Not exactly about the shooting of the marshal, but last night Nort andDick and myself were wandering down by the new shack that Dad put up,and inside two men were talking--one of them was a Mexican. We heardthis Mex say something about getting some money for the delivery ofChinks. That sure means smuggling, doesn't it?"
"That's what it means all right. Couldn't you see who the two menwere?" the Kid wanted to know.
"We tried to, but they got away," said Dick. "We went in the frontdoor and they ran out the back."
"Aw say, do you know what I think, fellows? I'll bet what we heard wasjust some rancher asking a friend to send him a Chinese cook,"suggested Nort, with a faint grin.
"Cook, hey? Why did they sneak in a deserted bunk house to talk abouta cook? And how about that remark of 'double crossin'?' And what didthey run for? Why?" demanded Dick.
"Oh, all right--all right!" cried Nort, who was now grinning widely."Have it your own way, Dick. It was probably a great Mexican plot tosend a million Chinese to this country and form an army to captureTexas. And after they captured Texas they'd set up a kingdom and theking would have Snake Purdee sing 'Bury Me Not' for him every morningbefore breakfast."
"You can jolly all you like, Nort--just the same, I'm willing to layodds that we see some excitement when we reach Roaring River. Let'sgo, boys--that bacon will be frozen by the time we get to breakfast."And Dick led the way toward the dining room.
Although they were cautioned several times by "Ma" Merkel to eat moreslowly, the boys hurried through the meal. Each of them was "rarin' togo," as Kid expressed it, and lingering over the ordinary occupation ofeating seemed a waste of time. Within an hour the five--Bud Merkel,Nort and Dick Shannon, Yellin' Kid and Old Billee Dobb--were standingby their ponies, ready to spring to the saddles and be off.
There was a sudden cloud of dust as the five urged their mounts into agallop. With one last yell to those watching, they streaked across theground in a typical "cowboy start." Within two minutes they were lostto view behind a ridge.
Now for a moment let us leave them while we learn something of theirearlier adventures. The three boys, Bud Merkel, and his easterncousins Nort and Dick Shannon, were introduced to you in the first bookof this series, called "The Boy Ranchers; or Solving the Mystery atDiamond X." In that book was related how Nort and Dick Shannon went ontheir vacations to the Diamond X ranch, owned by Mr. Merkel, Bud'sfather. While there they were confronted with a strange situation,regarding the searchings of a college scientist, Dr. Hendryx Wright,who was discovered digging near the Diamond X holdings. At first itwas thought that he was looking for a lost gold mine, but laterdevelopments brought to light the fact that his purpose was to unearththe bones of a prehistoric monster for his college museum.
The adventures of the boys while on the ranch were also concerned withDel Pinzo, a villainous half-breed, who nearly succeeded in bringingthe career of all to a sudden close. After successfully overcoming alltheir difficulties, Nort and Dick decided to form a partnership withtheir cousin Bud, and they located on a ranch in "Happy Valley" whichBud's father bought for them.
In the several volumes following was related how the boy ranchers wentto camp, and how they took the trail, and the exciting times they hadin rounding up a band of Yaqui Indians who had escaped from theirreservation and were raising havoc with the neighboring territory.Following this the boys went to Spur Creek, where they had manystartling adventures among the sheep herders. The book immediatelypreceding this present one is called "The Boy Ranchers in the Desert,"and tells of the difficulties they had in their search for some lostgold.
After the first wild dash, the five travelers pulled their ponies intothat long loping stride which carries the cowboy for days and days overmany miles. Bud and Dick were in the lead, with Nort and Kid and OldBillee Dobb following close behind.
"Say, Kid," Bud called back, after a while, "what would you do if yousaw a smuggler come along now with a herd of Chinks with him?"
"Tell you what I'd do, Bud," Yellin' Kid replied, "I'd stop the Chinksand find out what happened to a shirt I sent out to be washed the lasttime I was in Dallas!"
"You mean that shirt with the yellow dots on, Kid?" Dick asked with agrin. "If that's the one, I can tell you what became of it. Theythought it was an oil painting that got in the wash by mistake, andthey had it framed and hung up in the picture gallery!"
"Never you mind about the color of that shirt, Dick--it was a shrinkingviolet compared with the vest you bought over to Alamito. Purple andgreen--wow! First time I saw it it was three o'clock in the afternoon,and I had to look at a watch to make sure it wasn't morning. Thoughtthe sun was comin' up."
"Got you that time, Dick!" Nort laughed. "That's one you owe him.Say, is that a new pony you're ridin', Kid?"
"Yep! What do you think of her?"
"Looks good. How far can she go on a gallon?"
"Twice as far as yours can--and twice as fast!"
"Think so? Try it--see that bush up ahead? Race you to there!"
"Right! Let's go!"
"Hey, hey! Wait a minute, you fellows! We're not goin' on a picnic,you know. We've got a good long ride before us. Take it easy." Thisfrom Billee.
"What's the matter, Billee? Gettin' old?" asked Bud mischievously.
"Old? Who, me? Say, young feller, I can give you a head start halfway to that bush and still beat you there!"
"How about me? If there's a race, I'm in it too!" cried Dick.
"All right. Tell you what--we'll start from here, and the last manthere has to kiss a sheep!"
"Right! All set? Ready--go!"
"Ye-e-e-ow!"
"Yip-yip-yip-yipee-ee!"
"Ride 'em cowboy!"
"Leggo that leather!"
"Gangway--gangway!"
The five riders flashed over the ground almost on a line. Kid's mountwas running easily, head well up. Dick pulled a little ahead. Nortjust touched his pony with the spurs, and in a moment he was even withDick. There was a sudden rush behind them--and Old Billee Dobb, hatfanning his pony's withers, hair streaming in the wind, streaked to thefront!
"Look at the old boy go!"
"Stay at it, Billee--stay at it!"
"Two bits he wins!"
And win he did. He reached the bush a full length ahead of the others,who were laughing so hard they could hardly stay on their horses. Thespectacle of the gaunt, elderly man sitting straight up in the saddle,teeth clenched and bowed legs wrapped around his pony, was too much forthem. They leaned on their pommels weakly and roared with laughter.
"Attaboy, Billee!"
"Golly--did you see the old boy streak it out!"
"Oh, cracky! hold me up, somebody, or I'll fall off!"
"Now--who's gettin'--old!" panted Billee. "Beat me, hey? Not in--amillion years!"
"What do you say, boys--we give Billee a salute!"
Four guns flashed out of the holsters and were raised aloft.
"Bang!"
They roared as one.
"Sure sounds like a celebration," chuckled Nort as he blew the fewremaining grains of burnt powder from his smoking barrel, and replacedthe gun. "Billee, accept my congratulations!"
"Granted, youngster--if that's what I'm supposed to say," Billeeretorted, his eyes twinkling. "And just remember--a man's not old outhere until he can't ride no more."
"You look as though you might be good for several hundred years yet, ifthat's the case," laughed Dick. "Anyway, you sure showed me a fewthings. Say, that race made me pretty thirsty. Is there a water holenear here, Kid, or shall I use my canteen?"
"Save it--I think I can find water for you. Guess the ponies could usea little too. Let's see now--'pears to me there should be a water holeright over here to the left. You boys stay here w
hile I go look. Beback in a jiffy."
Leaving the four on the trail, Yellin' Kid rode swiftly away to theleft. Water holes are few and far between in that section, and acowboy who rides a country a great deal knows the location of everysingle one. Often that knowledge means the saving of a human life.
The Kid had been gone ten minutes when Bud said:
"Thought Yellin' Kid said he'd be right back? I guess he's all rightthough. He knows the country about here pretty well, doesn't he,Billee?"
"Like the palm of his hand, Bud--like the palm of his hand! But maybehis pony broke his leg in a prairie dog hole--seein' as how it's a newpony, he might do that. Tell you--I'll just have a look. You fellowswait here for me."
The three boys watched Billee ride off in the direction the Kid hadtaken. It was a deserted, lonesome place.
Fifteen minutes later Billee rode back--alone.
"The Kid show up yet?" he asked as he pulled up.
"No--couldn't you find him?" Dick asked, a look of anxiety on his face.
"Nope! Neither hide nor hair! Something sure must have happened. TheKid isn't one to go wanderin' off and get lost. I'm afraid he's introuble, boys!"
Boy Ranchers on Roaring River; Or, Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers Page 2