The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 9, 1902, Page 10

UNDAY CALL. R VI.—Continued. ont he made as If to d wait for the com- companion, but as he chorus of hootings set and he dropped the re- d leaned far to lash the leaders. ad, the most willing threw up his snorted, swerved ¥ drew_the whole In another t startied coy- and sent them a vanguard of m the seat over wagon tongue. He the near mule ide the pole and the sharp he clung on, their harness and rise; the wheelers, g, sides heaving and in a state of col- back into the wagon the sacks of cornmeal big revolver and a beit hen he made a barri- sions and crawled into e wolves died away in n bright and in the fleld the boy in his nity. He fan- the rents in a through way; now the ta id it from view e wondered on which side he next would see f at the rear He eckoned t« mov The intersperse mpling cf we got any of them,” Lang- = he rode up to the boss herd dev are you doing here? on? Dalton asked, in gone on,” said Brockmar take it through all right i 10 get one of ghose bucks C e, quick,” command ire made a fool play this war pa been more than They've sure split may be in betwee: t now was aske the sun did you pick up told.. As thex ockman replied. “H: he wanted to ranch him. He’s a queer lit way with & short- : y say at the post, and left shift for himeelf. He's all righ a Half-Diamond L. a fellows were In- just about to crack loose ved your lives. Btopped am v i them yelling devils be s just £0'S to be able to pull you on awfu] if anything happens to ' Dalton said. “You shouldn’t sent him on alone.” we had them all behind us,” jed. “I might have known ®ll worked up, and I 1 was born with when a heap better than gford, who had been Yot a man hit. Bud horse h got a bullet in him, ddle horn is smashed. That's ze of the damage.” hree of you lope on ahead a you can hear the wagon,” sted. “I'm sure getting at youngster. He can’t of wyou,” said Dalton; I'm carrying double, so ot. llop, pulling up occasion- men rode for nearly an by oth- t hand. That first shot was the boy. The others t close range at the cowboys. Lord, here they are again!” Brockman. ““They must have caught the wagon. Remember that little chap and give them— Before he had ceased speaking e men in the outfit was charging, xe nfi thought thrilling them all. The rush was too much for the enemy, and they broke cover at once, scattering in the mesquite like quail. It was an- other small party, and one already was dead in the wagon. In a few minutes there were only two left, and these were slipping through the brush like foxes, doubling, twisting and turning, but all the time holding a course al}fiue south of and almost parallel to the trail. “Watch out, boys'” Dalton cautioned his men, after a while. “They act lke they might be trying to lead us into an- other bunch. Let them go.” “Stay with ‘em, Dalton” pleaded Brockman. “Think of my maverick!” “Leave it to the boys,” sald Dalton. “What do you say?’ appealed Brock- man. “We're with you,” cridd Bud Willett, and the others assented. It was after daylight when that hunt ended and the Half-Diamond L outfit again struck the trail. “There ain’t no fresh tracks here,” said Brockman, scanning the earth. 'Only those you made going out yesterday. “We'll have to go back somewhere be- tween here and where they jumped us to find what'’s left of the wagon and—"" Dalton never finished the sentence, for: “Look! Look!"” cried Brockman excit- edly, pointing back along the trail. There, a quarter of a mile away and just breasting a gentle rise in the prairie, came the tired mules at a slow walk, the torn canvas cover of the wagon waving streamers in the morning breeze. In the air above circled a flock of buzzards. Langford put a hand on Brockman's boy. And in that way Brockman’s mav- erick was taken home to the Half-Dia- mond L ranch. CHAPTER VIIL A LITTLE JOKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. The ranch was built of undressed logs— that is, logs with the bark on. It really was two oblong buildings under one roof, with a wagon-way between that was open to the rafters. There were four rooms, two on each side of the wagon- One of these was kitchen and din- ing-room; adjoining it was a storeroom; the other two were sleeping apartments, The furniture was home-made—what there was of it. The chairs had once con- ained soap. The beds were built into the house; stakes had been driven into the th floor about four feet from the sides walls and a cap piece laid across them, and over this the bed slats (which were into a skillet and set it down over a bed of live cedar coals. “It won't be anything like what the cook Tould have slurig up for you.” he went on. “Beans and sow-belly’s my limit, you see. But she’d have got you up some. scrambled chicken and Sparrow-grass be- fore you could bat your eyes twice. She ain’t slow none, she ain’t. It sure is sur- prising what that cook can do,” he added, in a musing way. ‘“When the rangers was out here last we was almost out of grub, and -what did she do but run down an old “he-antelope and dish it up to 'em Gave it to 'em fricasseed, and fried, and stewed, and jerked, and hashed, and with the hair on, and plumb naked. Kinder confused ’'em with variety. Some of them thought they was getting bear, and some of them thought it buffalo a grease. Three of 'em died that night— from overfeeding, she sald. But, between vou ’'n’ me. I think that antelope must i horses. Here Brockman dropped hand- fuls of salt in little piles a few feet avart, “AWhat's that for?" askedethe mav- erick. “That's to make 'em willing to stay on the bed groyid,” was the answer. ““They're just crazy for salt. They’ll lick at it tiN they get enough, and then they'll just lle around and grow an appetite for more.” Forty cow-ponies came galloping up, squealing, kicking and snapping at each other as they ran, and the truth of Brockman’'s statement was soon demon- strated. Following them came the cow- boys. “How's the maverick, Ed?’ Dalton asked, as he dismounted and unsaddled. “Bet he's eaten -us out of house and home." Plumb lost his appetite when T told him about our gay girl cook what's taking her afternoon off,” and he winked at the others. “Did up his grub myself, but he's waiting to see what she can do, “Haven't got any.” “Well, you'd better get one pretty quick if you're going to mix into this muss about the cook, for there's no tell- ing when Langford will break out. Take my advice and keep away from her Petticoats was only invented to mak trouble.” The boy looked up at Brockman inquir- Ty S fhat's how wise experience makes a chap,” said Ed, shakipg his head “Therg's a man as knows what's what. There "ain’t nothing in that line he aint investigated. We dassent let him go to town no more, because why? He just stands staring in the store window where them there same petticoats a-hanging. We thinks as how he sure spends all his money for 'em. Bet he's got a box full of 'em cached somewherc the prairfe.’” “YFresh mounts were selected, and Lang- ford and Allen were assigned to the first s%‘;!t at night herding the horses. Daltun BENOIS, WHO HAD TAKEN A STRONG FANCY TO THE BOY, READILY GAVE UP TO HIM A LIGHT 32 CALIBER REVOLVER. shoulder and pointed to the carrion birds. Without a word Brockman turned away. Dalton got out his glasses. ““There’s your maverick, Ed,” he called out a moment later. “And he's as right as we are.” Brockman, who had dismounted to in- spect the trail, turned hurriedly at this, took a long look to meke certain, an then started on a run for the wagon. The others followed. The mules saw them apd came to & stand. The boy looked igald and saw them, too. He rose wear- ily on the seat d waved his hand. As they came up, reeled and fell over backward. “He's hit,” cried Brockman; blood on him.” In two jumps he was on the wagon. The others saw him reach forward to pick up the boy, and then start back in surprise. Next minute he had the boy in his arms and was on the ground. “I knew he was the right sort, the little “I saw cuss!" he shoyted. “Kilied his meat was toting it home to cure. Look in the wagon.” They did, and found there the stark Kiowa warrior. the matter with you? Brock- asked, the boy opened his eyes. "Ygl‘:.:.ln't h!tlll I can see.” ok % tired, I guess,” murmu e lt- tle chap faintly, and off he went n. ““The excitement of the ride wi that there was too mu?‘ for him,” Bud Wil- l;tt said, jerking his thumb towara the n. The Kiowa was thrown out and a bed of blankets made in the wagon for the simply trimmed lengths of sapling) were driven into the chinks between the wall logs. The ‘“dining” room also was fur- nished in primitive fashion, the table hav- ing been constructed in the same manner as the beds, except that it had pleces of plank laid across the slats instead of hides and blankets. Brockman was slicing bacon in the kitchen when the maverick came out of his long sleep and began to study his sur- roundings. There were no windows in the apartment in which he found himself, and no door had yet been hung in the space left for it when the ranch wag put up. Through the opening where ‘the door should have been came the aroma of steaming coffee. As it assalled his nos- trils the boy discovered that he was fam- ishing, and he rolled off the bunk and stood in the doorway: He saw Brockman in the kitchen, and walking into that apartment he studied its rude equipment with a curlous interest. “‘Well, gir, how do you find yourself feel- ing?"” Brockman asked, as he turned io whet the bacon knife on his leather leg- gings. “Eingry,” said the little ehap. “All rmt." said Brockman. “T'll fix you out with some grub pretty quick now." Then, as he noted the wonderment in the maverick's eyes, he added with a smirk: “You'll have to excuse the look of things, for, you see, we weren’t expecting no vis- itors to-day. It's our cook's aftermoon out, too, and I dare say she’ll go_to the opry and be late getting home; so I'll just rustle you up & bite myself. He chuckled as he dumped the bacon [ have been snake-bit. Dalton, now, he lows it was the Trinity claret that fetched ’'em.’” i “What's that?” the maverick asked. That? Oh, that's the wine we get out of the branch. Looks red, runs thick, tastes bitter, and hl‘,l?s you to get your peck o' dirt down quick and have done with it. But there's your sow- belly,” he added, as he dumped the fried bacon out on a tin plate, “and here's your corn-dodger and coffee; 5o Squat and graze The boy nibbled at the bacon and munched & morsel he broke off the pone of, corn-bread. Brockman_ looked on. Sorry I told you about that there ¥ said after a time. ‘“You're :'",,"1112 up’ your appetite for her, I can I ain't so hungry as I was, the boy said, remembrance of the fate of the three brave rangers who had fallen victims to Half-Diamond L holgiumy stron, n him. As he was. finishing his meal there came & thunder of hoofs across the pral- ries from the west. He looked up anx- lously at Brockman, who said: ‘““That’s only the boys running in the horses. We herd 'em right here against the corral at night, when the moon’s this :;wly. éo keep the Indians from driving em off.” Brockman picked up & gunny sack of goarse salt S0 et anl TR e followed. e south resting against gome sorub oak that grew along the west bank of the uren&. To the west of the corral the gru: had been u-ampes off by the %oo of cattle and }hough I told him she'd be late getting n.” ‘Better send him after her if she ain’t lnlby dark,” sald Bud Willett, with a gr“x!)’.e!' and have Virgil Allen or Jack Langford shooting holes in him out of jealousy,” put in Dalton. ‘“Better keep your hand on your gun, Mister Maverick, if they catch you l‘parklns her.” And he toted his saddle into the ranch, laughing as he went. What are you looking at?” the boy asked of Langford, who was shading his eyes with his hands and staring into the south. “Thought I saw her,” replied Lang- ford. ‘Bhe comes in that a-way. & you ‘see her before I do, just you tell her that I'll scalp that feflow Allen if she doesn’t, ston drinking coffee out of his I'm tired of this game of kissing it can't go on while I'm a-doing business here.” And he stalked gloomily "He's a terribly fealous cuss” Brock- man said to the boy in a half-whisper. “Got_a private graveyard somewhere, and he's a-rustiing up funerals half the me. ‘“‘He'll be golnghto his own if he doesn't stop coddling that there cook,” Virgil Allen put in. “Keep your eye on him, youngster, or he'll be getting the drop on you one of these days. It's all right i you pull on him first. Just throw down on him once and he'll shut up tighter than a ote with his head off.” ‘Throw what down on him?" “Why, your gun, for certaln. What have you done with 1t? and Willett were to take the second, and Brockman and Frank Ringer were to have the middle watch, from twelve to two. Four others—Al Gentry and Tom McCarthy, Joe Griner and Dave Kirby— were to divide the last two watches be- tween them, and a fiftth—Benois—was to- be held in reserve to take the horses out to grass in the morning while the others were at breakfast. No provision was made for the maverick in this schedule. “T'll go out ‘on herd with you,” he sald to Brockman. ‘All right, my maverick,” said Ed. “T'll see what I can rustle up for you in the shape of a saddle. There's an old pueblo tree around here somewhers, but the boys have robbed it of sweat-leathers and stirrups. Still, there’s hide enough lying about to patch it up. What you need most is a gun. Benois has a town gun in his saddle-bags, and I guess we can muked dl':lim give It up.” The saddle was repaired easily, Bhenoél, who :‘x‘!d taken a strong rimy“éfi the boy, readily gave up to -3 caliber revoiver. Mp L o “Now's your time,” Allen suggested to the boy; “throw down on Langford have it over wm;." o If a fellow shot me with a thi ke that, and ever I found it out,” L.nn!xflord said, lying back lazily and regarding the minutive weapon with great contem chase him out of the country wrtk a about that coox, you ses,” going out on the nm.-'-hin,‘ n:'ng s0's ena“ can't get to see her before of 'em oth: d There sart But had been 1 Brockr no ex ground. “Don't youngste ple. * Keep your e and he swe south. “I and that west had the appearance of an immen field of wav yellow gra ready f. the har At intervals scudding clouds obsc things for a few onds. It was like passing from sun into shadow ar ust as ome of these clouds swept across the moon boy ght a glilmpse of a human rm on the edge of the scrup oak to the southeast. He waited for the moon to show again, so as to be sure. When it came, he saw the figure fading into. the snadow of the trees. It was moving swittly. ““Here comes yo! he said n demanded, then out aga. “What's that?” Brockm: puzzled “The cook,” the maverick repeated, “They sald she would come in that way." Brockman vaulted into the saddle and was in time to catch a movement among the scrub oak. ““Get back to the ranch quick; but go easy, don't lope,™ sald he. ““T to come around on this side in t way, and then pull the boys o em to hustle; and then you sta: there's going to be some more Without !tODDlflg to ask a ques b maverick did as he was told. He went away at a trot, and In three minutes Ringer had joined Brockman. What is It. E4?" he asked ndians,” sald Brockman. “And they'd sure a-been on top of us before we knew it only for the maverick. He spotted 'em. Took one of them for that cook we e stuffing him about. Lucky joke, tha The boy rode into the wagonway be- tween the kitchen and the sleeping quar- ters, witho dismounting called to istle_out, Mister Brockl for there's going to say urry, fn a minute.” xr me shooting CHAPTER IX. THE 1 APP ht horses of the different relets BENOIS AND MAVERICK DIS- AR. first call the cowboys the ranch. Head them out er of the he gal- boss herder 1 reckoned they were up n. “But we'll fool " up on the divide, 1 dare to come within range They'll burn the ranc said “Not_much,” replied Dalton. keep clear of that for fear we've I Ringer. “They'li - ne the men were driving Lhu a gallop out on the prairfe. Oy , @ mi.e and a half from ¢ herd was_rounded up the and yrought to a stand. Ringer and Broc man having worked out on the poin ar the lead and headed the bunch. cowboys rode around and arot them many times before Brock- man_again ranged alongside of Dalton. “Where's the maverick?’ he asked. Then for the first time It dawned on Dalton that he had not seen the boy since - alarm had been sounded by him. the others know,™ ; and rved their ride and questioned each turn. Only Virgil len had noticed him at all. “The litile fellow was behind Benois on the right point as we turned ‘em out on the prairie,” he sald. “One of the bunch iried to bolt back by me, and be- :r} e 3 him headed right I lost sight of them ““Call Benois,” Brockman sald; ‘he may know something.” Then the startling discovery was made that Benois also was missing. They couldn’'t have been shot down, for not a shot had been fired in the hearing of the cowboys. Benois would never have de- serted the herd without good reason, and no reason presented itself to the minds of the cowboys that could be accepted as good. It was a queer situation. Some- thing must be done, but no one could sug- gest what that something should Daylight was beginning to show in the east when Brockman solved the problem to his own satisfaction. “I'm going back to the ranch,” he sagd. “They may both be there; and if ti ain’t, why, we'll have to find their trail— where they turned off.” - g0 with you,” sald Dalton. *T' rs can bring in the horses at sun-up. t then a distant whinneying was It was answered from the bunch, repeated. Then came a clattering of fs, and the herd turned toward the heads up and ears extended as horse galloped into sight. A ance away he halted and neighed little dis again, and then, as a famillar whinney came in reply, he plunged ug and joined the herd. It was the horse the maverick had been riding, for on his back was the old pueblo tree that Brockman had rigged up for the boy. “He's been thrown,” said Brockman, staying with him. won't be hard k id Dalton. “Unles r maverick is hurt, there’s no harm done.” “Come on, then,” sald Ed, “and we'll soon know what's up.” Half a mile from the ranch Dalton saw a dark heap on the prairie to their left. “That's either a man or a horse,” said he, pointing to it. “It's a horse, all right,” Brockman de- clared, “and there’s something on it. That p looks like a saddle.” t's Benois’ mount,” Dalton said, as they rode up to_the prostrate animal. “That's the last of his stumbling buck- skin.” They dismounted and studied the si, Although the horse was lying on his d grass stains on An saddle. YA there were dirt horn and on the cantle of tr few yards back the ground was torn up. as if_a struggle had taken place there. The Winchester carbine had been taken from the leg scabbard and was missing. Off to one side there was a flattened spot in the dew-damp grass, and leading away from it to the northwest, toward a small the grass was beaten down where object had been dragged off. On the other side, too, the grass had been trampled, and still further to the south was the broad trall made by the herd of horses as they were driven out on the divide. They examined the dead horse carefully, even turning him over to search for a_wound, but none was found. “What do you make of it?" asked. “I can see part of it,” Brockman sald. “It's the maverick that puzzles me. Heo doesn't seem to figure. The old buck- skin got tangled up and turned over with Benols, falling on top of him. You can see from the way the head hangs that his neck’s broken. Benols worked from under him, got out his gun and dragged himseit oft toward that bunch of brush on th bottom. You ecan read his trall easy. H figured on their making a run out after us, and his play was to get out of the way. But this doesn’t give us the maver- ick at all. He doesn't show between here and the horses, so he must have tumbled oft between this and the ranch. From the sign I reckon that Benols is sure used bad. f he made for tHat brush, it's Jikely there yot. We had better get in t,” Dalton said. Dalton - (Continued Next Wealk)