Bar-20 - Clarence E. Mulford (best e books to read .txt) 📗

pardners?”

 

Thereupon Hopalong enlightened his inquisitive companion as to what had

occurred and as to his reasons for riding south.

 

Pie immediately became enthusiastic and announced his intention of

accompanying Hopalong on his quest, which intention struck that gentleman as highly

proper and wise. Then Pie hastily turned and played at chasing coyotes in the direction of

the line-house, where he announced that his absence would be accounted for by the fact

that he and Hopalong were going on a journey of investigation into the Panhandle. Billy

Jordan who shared with Pie the accommodations of the house, objected and showed, very

clearly, why he was eminently better qualified to take up the proposed labors than his

companions. The suggestions were fast getting tangled up with the remarks, when Pie,

grabbing a chunk of jerked beef, leaped into his saddle and absolutely refused to heed the

calls of his former companion and return. He rode to where Hopalong was awaiting him

as if he was afraid he wasn’t going to live long enough to get there. Confiding to his

companion that Billy was a “locoed sage hen,” he led the way along the base of the White

Sand Hills and asked many questions. Then they turned toward the east and galloped

hard.

 

It had been Hopalong’s intention to carry out what he had told Red and to go to

Big Spring first and thence north along Sulphur Spring Creek, but to this his guide

strongly dissented. There was a short cut, or several of them for that matter, was Pie’s

contention, and any one of them would save a day’s hard riding. Hopalong made no

objection to allowing his companion to lead the way over any trail he saw fit, for he knew

that Pie had been born and brought up in the Panhandle, the Cunningham Lake district

having been his back yard, as it were. So they followed the short cut having the most

water and grass, and pounded out a lively tattoo as they raced over the stretches of sand

which seemed to slide beneath them.

 

“What do yu know about this here business?” Inquired Pie, as they raced past a

chaparral and onto the edge of a grassy plain.

 

“Nothin’ more’n yu do, only Buck said he thought Slippery Trendley is at th’

bottom of it.”

 

“What!” ejaculated Pie in surprise. “Him!”

 

“Yore on. An’ between yu an’ me an’ th’ Devil, I wouldn’t be a heap surprised if

Deacon Rankin is with him, neither.”

 

Pie whistled: “Are him an’ th’ Deacon pals?”

 

“Shore,” replied Hopalong, buttoning up his vest and rolling a cigarette. “Didn’t

they allus hang out together! One watched that th’ other didn’t get plugged from behind.

 

It was a sort of yu-scratch-my-back-an’-I’ll-scratch-yourn arrangement.”

 

“Well, if they still hangs out together, I know where to hunt for our cows,”

responded Pie. “Th’ Deacon used to range along th’ headwaters of th’ Colorado-it ain’t far

from Cunningham Lake.”

 

“Thunderation!” he shouted, “I knows th’ very ground they’re on-I can take yu to

th’ very shack!” Then to himself he muttered: “An’ that doodlebug Billy Jordan thinkin’ he

knowed more about th’ Panhandle than me!”

 

Hopalong showed his elation in an appropriate manner and his companion drank

deeply from the proffered flask; Thereupon they treated their mounts to liberal doses of

strap-oil and covered the ground with great speed.

 

They camped early, for Hopalong was almost worn out from the exertions of the

past few days and the loss of sleep he had sustained.

 

Pie, too excited to sleep and having had unbroken rest for a long period,

volunteered to keep guard, and his companion eagerly consented.

 

Early the next morning they broke camp and the evening of the same day found

them fording Sulphur Spring Creek, and their quarry lay only an hour beyond, according

to Pie. Then they forded one of the streams which form the headwaters of the Colorado,

and two hours later they dismounted in a cottonwood grove. Picketing their horses, they

carefully made their way through the timber, which was heavily grown with brush, and,

after half an hour’s maneuvering, came within sight of the further edge.

 

Dropping down on all fours, they crawled to the last line of brush and looked out

over an extensive bottoms. At their feet lay a small river, and in a clearing on the farther

side was a rough camp, consisting of about a dozen lean-to shacks and log cabins in the

main collection, and a few scattered cabins along the edge. A huge fire was blazing

before the main collection of huts, and to the rear of these was an indistinct black mass,

which they knew to be the corral.

 

At a rude table before the fire more than a score of men were eating supper and

others could be heard moving about and talking at different points in the background.

 

While the two scouts were learning the lay of the land, they saw Mr. Trendley and

Deacon Rankin walk out of the cabin most distant from the fire, and the latter limped.

 

Then they saw two men lying on rude cots, and they wore bandages. Evidently Johnny

Redmond had scored in his fight.

 

The odor of burning cowhide came from the corral, accompanied by the squeals of

cattle, and informed them that brands were being blotted out. Hopalong longed to charge

down and do some blotting out of another kind, but a heavy hand was placed on his

shoulder and he silently wormed his way after Pie as that person led the way back to the

horses. Mounting, they picked their way out of the grove and rode over the plain at a

walk. When far enough away to insure that the noise made by their horses would not

reach the ears of those in the camp they cantered toward the ford they had taken on the

way up.

 

After emerging from the waters of the last forded stream, Pie raised his hand and

pointed off toward the northwest, telling his companion to take that course to reach

Cunningham Lake. He himself would ride south, taking, for the saving of time, a yet

shorter trail to the Double Arrow, from where he would ride to Buck. He and the others

would meet Hopalong and Red at the split rock they had noticed on their way up.

 

Hopalong shook hands with his guide and watched him disappear into the night.

 

He imagined he could still catch whiffs of burning cowhide and again the picture of the

camp came to his mind. Glancing again at the point where Pie had disappeared, he

stuffed his sombrero under a strap on his saddle and slowly rode toward the lake. A

coyote slunk past him on a time-destroying lope and an owl hooted at the foolishness of

men. He camped at the base of a cottonwood and at daylight took up his journey after a

scanty breakfast from his saddle-bags.

 

Shortly before noon he came in sight of the lake and looked for his friend. He had

just ridden around a clump of cottonwoods when he was hit on the back with something

large and soft. Turning in his saddle, with his Colts ready, he saw Red sitting on a stump,

a huge grin extending over his features. He replaced the weapon, said something about

fools and dismounted, kicking aside the bundle of grass his friend had thrown.

 

“Yore shore easy,” remarked Red, tossing aside his cold cigarette.

 

“Suppose I was Trendley, where would yu be now?”

 

“Diggin’ a hole to put yu in,” pleasantly replied Hopalong. “If I didn’t know he

wasn’t around this part of the country I wouldn’t a rode as I did.”

 

The man on the stump laughed and rolled a fresh cigarette. Lighting it, he

inquired where Mr. Trendley was, intimating by his words that the rustler had not been

found.

 

“About thirty miles to th’ southeast,” responded the other. “He’s figurin’ up how

much dust he’ll have when he gets our cows on th’ market. Deacon Rankin is with him,

too.”

 

“Th’ deuce!” exclaimed Red, in profound astonishment.

 

“Yore right,” replied his companion. Then he explained all the arrangements and

told of the camp.

 

Red was for riding to the rendezvous at once, but his friend thought otherwise and

proposed a swim, which met with approval. After enjoying themselves in the lake they

dressed and rode along the trail Hopalong had made in coming for his companion, it

being the intention of the former to learn more thoroughly the lay of the land immediately

surrounding the camp. Red was pleased with this, and while they rode he narrated all that

had taken place since the separation on the Plain, adding that he had found the trail left by

the rustlers after they had quitted the desert and that he had followed it for the last two

hours of his journey. It was well beaten and an eighth of a mile wide.

 

At dark they came within sight of the grove and picketed their horses at the place

used by Pie and Hopalong. Then they moved forward and the same sight greeted their

eyes that had been seen the night before. Keeping well within the edge of the grove and

looking carefully for sentries, they went entirely around the camp and picked out several

places which would be of strategic value later on. They noticed that the cabin used by

Slippery Trendley was a hundred paces from the main collection of huts and that the

woods came to within a tenth part of that distance of its door. It was heavily built, had no

windows and faced the wrong direction.

 

Moving on, they discovered the storehouse of the enemy, another tempting place.

 

It was just possible, if a siege became necessary, for several of the attacking force to slip

up to it and either destroy it by fire or take it and hold it against all comers. This

suggested a look at the enemy’s water supply, which was the river. A hundred paces

separated it from the nearest cabin and any rustler who could cross that zone under the

fire of the besiegers would be welcome to his drink.

 

It was very evident that the rustlers had no thought of defense, thinking, perhaps,

that they were immune from attack with such a well covered trail between them and their

foes. Hopalong mentally accused them of harboring suicidal inclinations and returned

with his companion to the horses. They mounted and sat quietly for a while, and then

rode slowly away and at dawn reached the split rock, where they awaited the arrival of

their friends, one sleeping while the other kept guard. Then they drew a rough map of the

camp, using the sand for paper, and laid out the plan of attack.

 

As the evening of the next day came on they saw Pie, followed by many punchers,

ride over a rise a mile to the south and they rode out to meet him.

 

When the force arrived at the camp of the two scouts they were shown the plan

prepared for them. Buck made a few changes in the disposition of the men and then each

member was shown where he was to go and was told why. Weapons were put in a high

state of efficiency, canteens were refilled and haversacks were somewhat depleted. Then

the newcomers turned in and slept while Hopalong and Red kept guard.