"It won't be much protection if it rains hard," grumbled the shipowner's son.
"Well, I don't see that we can do better."
"Neither do I."
Further conversation was cut off by the wind and the rain. The former shrieked and whistled through the woods, sending down branch after branch with tremendous crashes that awed the boys completely. The rain was light, but the drops were large and hit them with stinging force.
For fully half an hour the blow continued, and then it appeared to let up and the rain stopped entirely.
"Shall we go on?" questioned Phil, standing up and trying to pierce the darkness around them.
"Better hold up a while, Phil," answered Dave. "This is as safe a spot as any, with the wind blowing down the trees all around us."
They waited, and it was well that they did so, for presently the wind started to whistle once more, growing louder and louder. A small tree branch came down on them, and then came a crash that made them both jump.
"It's coming this way!" yelled Phil. "The tree behind the rocks!"
"Get down!" cried Dave, and threw himself flat.
Both boys crouched as low as possible. They heard the tree bend and crack. Then came a tremendous crash, and they felt one of the rocks moving.
"Maybe we'll be crushed to a jelly!" groaned the shipowner's son.
There was no time to say more, for an instant later the tree came down, directly over the top of the opening. Several small branches thrust themselves down upon the lads, pinning them to the bottom of the crevice. The rocks trembled, and for the moment the boys were afraid they would be crushed to death, as Phil had intimated.
"Safe, Phil?" asked Dave, as the rocking of the stones and the big tree ceased and the wind seemed to die down once more.
"I—I guess so! A tree limb is on my back, though."
"I've got one across my legs."
With caution both boys crawled from beneath the branches and out of the split in the rocks. They could see where the big tree had been uprooted, leaving a hole in the soil fifteen feet in diameter. The top of the tree was all of a hundred feet away from this hole.
"We were lucky to be between the rocks, Phil," said Dave, with a grave shake of his head. "Otherwise, if that tree had come down on us——"
"We wouldn't be here to tell the tale," finished the shipowner's son. "Ugh! it makes me shiver to look at it."
"Now it is down, we may as well get between the rocks until we are sure this blow is over," went on Dave, after standing several minutes in the rain.
This appeared the best thing to do, and they crawled back into the crevice and partly under the tree. Here the thick branches protected the lads, so that but little rain reached them.
A dismal hour went by, and then the storm came to an end. The wind died down into a gentle breeze and the rain was reduced to a few scattering drops, to which they paid no attention.
"If only that wind didn't blow the shack down on the other folks' heads," said Dave. He was thinking of how frightened the girls, and especially Jessie, must have been.
"I'll wager the trail is now a mass of mud and water," said Phil, and he was right, and as they progressed, they frequently got into the mud up to their ankles.
It was eleven o'clock when they gained the edge of the woods and came out on the plains. The sky was still overcast, only a few stars being faintly visible.
"Are you sure of the right direction, Dave?" asked the shipowner's son, as both paused to look around.
"I think this is the trail, Phil, don't you?" and Dave pointed with his finger to a deep rut in the soil.
"Yes. But that doesn't make it right," and Phil gazed around in some perplexity.
"What do you mean? This is the only trail around here."
"So I see. But, somehow, this edge of the woods doesn't look familiar to me. I thought we entered at a point where I saw a clump of four trees on the left."
"Hum! I rather think I saw those trees myself," mused Dave. "But I don't see them now."
"Neither do I, and that makes me think that perhaps we came out of the woods at the wrong spot."
Much perplexed, the two lads walked around the edge of the woods for a considerable distance. But they saw nothing of any other trail and so came back to the point from which they had started.
"This must be right, after all," was Phil's comment. "Anyway, it's the only trail here, so we may as well follow it."
They hurried on, the halt under the rocks having rested them a good deal. Out on the prairie the trail grew a bit drier, for which they were thankful. They got into their dog-trot once more, and thus covered all of two miles in a short space of time. Then, of a sudden, both came to a halt in dismay.
"Which one?" asked Phil, laconically.
"Don't know," was Dave's equally laconic answer.
Before them the trail branched out in three different directions, like three spokes within the right angle of a wheel.
"This is a regular Chinese puzzle," said Dave, after an inspection of the trails. "The one to the right looks to be the most traveled."
The two boys made every possible effort to pierce the darkness ahead of them, and presently Phil fancied he saw a light in the distance. Dave was not sure if it was a light or a star just showing above the clearing horizon.
"Well, we may as well go ahead," said the shipowner's son. "No use in staying here trying to figure it out."
They went on, taking the center one of the three trails. They had covered less than quarter of a mile when Phil gave a shout.
"It is a light, I am sure of it—the light of a lamp or lantern! Hurrah! we must be on the right trail after all!"
"Go slow, Phil," cried Dave, a sudden thought striking him. "That may not be a ranch light."
"Yes, but——"
"It may be something much worse—for us."
"What do you mean?"
"It may be the light from the camp of the horse-thieves."
* * *
CHAPTER XIX
A FRUITLESS SEARCH
Phil stared at Dave in consternation.
"Do you really think that?" he cried.
"I don't say I think so, I only say it may be," returned the youth from Crumville.
"If they are the horse-thieves, and we watch our chances, we may get the animals back!"
"Not unless it is a single thief, Phil. We don't want to run the risk of getting shot in the dark."
"That's true."
With great caution the two lads advanced along the muddy trail. As they got closer to the light they saw that it came from a log house, low and rambling. Not far away were several other buildings, and also a corral.
"We are on the right trail after all!" sang out the shipowner's son, joyfully, and commenced to run at the best speed he could command.
"Hold on!" called Dave, but Phil was so eager to get to the house first that he paid no attention to the words. Not until he had reached the very piazza of the building did he pause to stare around him.
"Why, it's not Mr. Endicott's place at all!" he exclaimed.
He had made considerable noise ascending the piazza, and now a door was flung open, letting a stream of light flood his face, momentarily blinding him.
"Hello! what do you want?" demanded a man Phil had never seen before.
"Why—er—what place is this?" stammered the youth, and as he asked the question Dave came up behind him.
"This is the Triple X Ranch," was the man's answer.
"What! Mr. Merwell's place?" stammered Phil.
"That's it. Want to see him? Why, say, you're all out of wind,—anything wrong?"
"I—I didn't know this was the Merwell place," murmured Phil. He knew not what else to say, he was so taken back.
"Who is that, Jerry?" asked another voice, and a moment later Felix Merwell stepped into view. As he saw Dave he scowled slightly.
"Why, Mr. Merwell, we—er——" commenced Phil, and then he looked at Dave.
"We were out an
d we lost our way in the darkness and got on the wrong trail," said Dave, quickly. "Will you be kind enough to direct us to the trail to Mr. Endicott's ranch?"
"Endicott's ranch is a good bit from here," growled Felix Merwell.
"But, Dave——" interrupted Phil, when a meaning look from his chum silenced him.
"Haven't you got no hosses?" asked the man who had first come to the door.
"No, but we don't mind that," said Dave. "We can walk."
"Jerry, show them the trail," said Mr. Merwell, shortly, and turned his back on the boys.
The ranch hand came out without waiting to get his hat or coat, and walked to a point back of the corral.
"It's a long, lonely way," he said, kindly. "You ought to have horses."
"How many miles?" asked Dave.
"About one and a half."
"Oh, that is not so far."
"Got caught in the storm, eh?"
"Yes."
"Link is out too and the old man is kind of worried about him. He sent Hank Snogger out to look for him."
"Then Link didn't come back this afternoon?" said Dave, quickly.
"No, he's been out since early morning. You met him, eh?"
"Yes, but that was about the middle of the forenoon. He was over in the woods."
"It was such a blow the old man is worried, thinking Link might have got caught under a tree in the woods, or something like that. There's your trail. Keep to that and it will take you right to the Endicott corral."
"Thank you," said both boys, and a moment later they and the man had separated. The ranch hand watched them out of sight, then returned to the house.
"Dave, why didn't you tell them about the horse-thieves?" asked Phil, as soon as he deemed it safe to ask the question.
"I didn't want to ask any favors of Mr. Merwell, that's why," was the reply. "I don't believe he'd want to go after them, and I didn't want to borrow any horses from him."
"Well, I don't blame you for looking at it that way. But we may be losing valuable time."
"We ought to be able to reach Mr. Endicott's place inside of twenty minutes. Come on," and Dave increased his speed.
"Did you note the fact that Link has not yet returned?" said the shipowner's son.
"Yes, but that doesn't prove anything. He may have crept into some place for shelter from the storm, just as we did."
The two youths kept on steadily and before long saw another light in the distance. Then they heard hoofbeats, and soon several forms on horseback loomed out of the darkness.
"Hello!" sang out the voice of Sid Todd. "Who are you?"
"Todd!" called Dave, and a moment later the cowboy rode up, followed by another ranch hand and Mr. Endicott.
"What is wrong?" demanded the railroad president, quickly. "Where are the others?" and his face showed his extreme anxiety.
"The others are safe, so far as we know," answered Dave. "But we have had quite an adventure." And then he and Phil told of how the horses had been stolen, and of how they themselves had been caught in the woods during the great blow.
"The horse-thieves again!" exclaimed Mr. Endicott, wrathfully. "We must get after them this time and run them down! Todd, tell the other men at once! We must lose no time in getting after them! And send word around to the other ranches!"
The railroad president smiled grimly when the boys told him of the brief stop at the Merwell place.
"I don't blame you for not wanting aid from Mr. Merwell," said he. "I want to leave him alone myself. I am only sorry I have him for a neighbor. I'd help him to sell out, if he wished to do so."
The boys went to the house and were speedily given something to eat,—for they had had nothing since noon. They also donned some dry clothing.
"It won't do any good for you to go out again," said Mr. Endicott. "I'll go out, and so will most of the hands. You can remain here with Mrs. Endicott, who is very nervous because of the storm and the absence of Belle."
"As you think best, sir," answered Dave; and so it was arranged. Truth to tell, both Dave and Phil were glad to rest, for the long walk and the experience in the woods during the storm had tired them greatly. Each threw himself on a couch, and almost before he knew it was sound asleep.
When the two boys awoke it was morning. They found that Mrs. Endicott had covered them up with light blankets. A sound outside had aroused them.
It was the other young people returning, on horses Sid Todd had taken to them. Dave and Phil sprang up to meet them.
"Oh, I am so glad to get back!" cried Belle, as she ran to embrace her mother. "Such a time as we have had!"
"Oh, yes, we were safe enough, after we got to the shack," said Laura, in answer to a question from her brother. "But, oh, how it did blow!"
"We were afraid the shack would be carried right up into the air," said Jessie. "And we were so worried about you—thinking a tree in the woods would come down on you."
"Well, one did, pretty nearly," answered Dave, and gave the particulars.
"The men have all gone off after the horse-thieves," said Roger. "But Todd hasn't much hope of tracing them, for the rain washed out all the hoofmarks."
The newcomers were tremendously hungry, and a hearty meal was gotten ready with all the speed of which the Chinese cook was capable. As they ate, the boys and girls told the details of their experience at the shack up the river.
"Did you see anything more of Link or that man with him?" asked Dave.
"No," answered the senator's son. "We've been wondering if they had anything to do with the disappearance of the horses."
"We have been wondering the same thing," said Phil.
"I spoke to papa about it, and he says he will interview Mr. Merwell—if they get no trace of the thieves," said the ranch owner's daughter.
Those who had been at the shack all night were so tired that they went to bed directly after eating, and Dave and Phil were glad enough to rest some more; so that the balance of the day passed quietly. It was not until after sundown that Mr. Endicott showed himself, followed by about half of the ranch hands.
"We thought we found the trail, but we lost it again," said the ranch owner. "Todd and some of the others are still at it, but I am afraid the thieves are out of our reach. I have sent word to the sheriff, and I suppose he'll put some men on the trail to-morrow."
"Did you stop at the Merwell ranch?" asked Belle.
"Yes, I stopped there less than an hour ago. Mr. Merwell had just come in from a hunt for Link."
"What! then Link isn't back yet?" cried Dave.
"No, and his father was a good deal worried about his absence. When I told about the loss of the horses, Mr. Merwell was worried more yet. He said we needn't think that his son touched them."
"It is queer where Link is keeping himself," mused Roger.
"That's true—unless he was hurt by the storm," answered Phil.
"Have you any idea who these horse-thieves are?" asked Dave.
"We have a general idea, yes," answered Mr. Endicott. "The gang who took the other animals was led by a bold cowboy named Andy Andrews. Andrews is a thoroughly bad egg, and there had been a reward offered for his capture for several years. More than likely this raid was made by him or under his directions."
"Then I sincerely hope they round up this Andy Andrews," remarked Dave.
"So do I—and that we get our horses back."
The night and the next day passed quietly. When it grew dark Sid Todd came in, followed by several of the ranch hands. The look on the foreman's face showed that he had had no success in his hunt.
"We got the trail once, but lost it ag'in," said the cowboy. "The sheriff has got a posse of six men working on the trail now,—but I don't think they'll make anything out of it." And then he told the story of how the woods had been scoured, and of a hunt along the river and over the plains. The men had ridden many miles and were all but exhausted.
"Did you see anybody from the Merwell ranch?" asked Dave.
"Saw Link and his fat
her just as we were coming home," answered Sid Todd. "Merwell said he had seen nothing of the thieves."
"Did Link say anything?"
"No. He was dead tired and he looked scared."
"Scared?" queried Roger.
"Yes. When he saw me I thought he was going to run away. I asked him if he had seen anything, and when he answered me his face went almost white. I reckon he was scared—thinking of the way he treated you folks on the trail. Maybe he thought I was goin' to pitch into him for it."
"Maybe," said Dave, slowly. "He hadn't seen anything of the thieves?"
"No. He said he didn't know the hosses was gone until his father told him. He said he got lost in the woods, and stayed in a certain spot till the blow was over."
"Humph!" murmured Dave, and there the talk came to an end. But Dave was not satisfied. He still wondered if Link Merwell knew anything about the taking of the horses.
* * *
CHAPTER XX
FISHING AND HUNTING
The remainder of the week went by, and the boys and girls amused themselves as best they could. During that time, Mr. Endicott received a visit from the sheriff of the county, and Dave and his chums were called upon to tell all they could about the missing horses. Then, after some whispered talk between the county official and the ranch owner, the lads were requested to describe the man who had been seen on the trail in company with Link Merwell.
"I really think the fellow was Andy Andrews," said the sheriff. "But if so, he had a big nerve to show himself in these parts."
"Didn't you ask Link about the man?" asked Dave.
"Yes. He says the fellow was a stranger to him, and they were just riding together for company. He says they were together about half an hour before he met you on the trail, and that the fellow left him about a quarter of an hour later and headed in the direction of the railroad station. He said the fellow didn't give any name, but said he was looking up some ranch properties for some Chicago capitalists."
This was all the sheriff could tell, and on that the matter, for the time being, rested. Fortunately, Star Ranch possessed a good number of horses, so none of the young folks were deprived of mounts. But Belle mourned the loss of her favorite steed, to which she had become greatly attached.
Dave Porter at Star Ranch Page 12