Clarence Young

“ The train was about to start.
"Where have you been?" asked the conductor as the boys and the miner got aboard.
"We've been having a race with death and it nearly won," replied Mr.
Post, more solemnly than he had yet spoken.
"What's the matter with him? Is he one of those religious fanatics?" asked the conductor, as the miner hurried into the car.
"Not much," answered Jack. "We had as narrow a call as I ever want to experience." While the train was getting under way he told the ticket-taker what had happened. ”

“ You have perhaps heard of the celebrated Indian manifestation of making a plant grow in a few hours?"
"Not guilty," said Mr. Post solemnly.
"Then these young gentlemen have," the professor went on, turning to the three boys.
Jack nodded silently.
"It is a strange power that we mystics have over the forces of nature," the pretended philosopher went on. "We have but to plant a seed in the soil, and, lo! a plant bearing fruit shoots up."
"That would be a good thing to sell to farmers," said Mr. Post.
"It can not be sold. Only an adept can perform it," said Professor Punjab. ”

“ They don't know what they're saying," was Sam's comment.
"Vy do they shout for dot frog-eating nation?" inquired Mr. Garlach of Jack.
"Mistake I guess," was the reply. "The boys are not very good on language yet."
Then, before either of the instructors could protest, they found themselves side by side, being carried along in a press of students who marched around the academy, singing at the top of their voices, and each one rendering a different air.
"Whoop! Isn't this great!" shouted Jack in Nat's ear.
"The best ever!" was the answer. "It only happens once in a lifetime!" ”

“ The night before the day of the closing exercises, Jack's room was a gathering place for all his chums. Fred Kaler was so excited he tried to played a mouth organ, a jews'-harp and a tin flute, all at the same time, with results anything but musical, while Will Slade stuttered as he never had before.
"What will we do for a final wind-up?" asked Sam.
"Let it be something worthy of the name of Washington Hall," exclaimed Jack.
"We ought to work Professors Garlach and Socrat into it somehow," suggested Bony. "They're more fun than a bunch of monkeys."
"Get 'em to fight another duel," put in Sam. ”

“ Ranger's cabin. But the fever still held the old miner (for such his delirious talk showed him to have been) a captive, and locked his brain in an impenetrable mantle.
"It's hard to sit around and do nothing, when you know your father may need you," Jack said, one day. "I'm going to ask Mr. Kent if I can't go myself, alone, and find the cabin. I believe I could, from Mr. Tevis's directions."
"What do you want to go alone for?" asked Nat. "Why can't John and I go along?"
"I didn't want to take you on a dangerous trip," Jack replied. ”

“ To do this he had to get almost in the path of the car, and was struck by one of the projecting springs. He was knocked to one side, but not before he had pushed Jack out of harm's way, the latter being hit only a glancing blow.
"Why don't you look where you're going?" called an angry voice, as the car sped on.
"Are you hurt, John?" cried Jack, springing to pick up his friend.
"No, only bruised. They have nerve to go running without lights and then ask us where we're going. I wonder who they were."
"I have an idea." said Jack. "That voice sounded like Adrian
Bagot's." ”

“ Mr. Post had hurried from the car. He came back in a little while, just as the boys, who were feeling themselves to discover if any bones were broken, had made up their minds to follow him and learn what the trouble was.
"What is it?" half a dozen asked the miner.
"We side-swiped a freight car," was the answer.
"Side-swiped?" inquired John Smith, who was not so well up on
Americanisms as the others.
"Why a car projected over the end of a switch," explained Mr. Post. "Our train came along full tilt, and the engine hit it a glancin' blow, or a side-swipe, as the railroad men call it." ”

“ They're the ones we want!" exclaimed the foremost of the men, and at that Nat and Jack, who were in front of John, started. "Grab one Nate, and I'll tackle the other!"
Before Nat and Jack could make a move to defend themselves they found a rope circling their arms just above their elbows. The men had cast their lariats and pinioned the boys. The resulting jerk nearly pulled them from their horses, but when the men saw this, they urged their steeds close to their captives, and held them in their saddle, while they deftly bound their hands. ”

“ Kent and several cowboys came running into the room. Mr. Kent placed his hand over the sufferer's heart.
"He is alive, but that's all," he said. "Jim, ride for the doctor."
"He never told me how to find my father," said Jack in a low voice. "Oh, if he would only live until he can tell me that! I must go to him! He may be sick or dead, all alone in his cabin!"
"Now don't you go to fretting, son," said Mr. Kent kindly. "You just come away from here and go to bed. You're all tired out and worried. This thing will all come out right. The old man may not be so bad off as he seems. ”

“ They had valises with them, but their trunks had been sent on ahead.
"Bounding buffaloes and copper-colored cowboys!" exclaimed Nat, as the whistle of the train sounded. "Here she comes!"
"Well, I'm glad of it," observed Jack. "I was getting tired waiting for it."
"It will seem good to get out on a range again," spoke John. "I'm counting on it."
"Westward ho!" cried Jack, as he jumped aboard the train, and waved his hand in farewell to his aunts, while the other two boys shook their hats in the air in salute to several lads who had come to see them off. ”

“ The approaching horsemen seemed thrown into confusion. One or two of the steeds went down in heaps, throwing their riders. The shooting and yelling continued.
All at once there galloped into view a band of cowboys. At their head rode John Smith and Nat's uncle. Both were firing their revolvers as fast as they could.
"Hurrah!" cried Nat. "We're saved!"
"Just in time!" muttered Jack, as, weak and shaking, he dropped the rifle and sprang to his father's side.
There was a short, sharp struggle between the armed force from the ranch and the bad men. ”

“ Not that they're a bad sort, for they have both helped me a lot in my lessons. But men ought not to be such babies. Now what's the matter with a couple of us disguising ourselves as burglars and going into their rooms about midnight? The rest of us can hide and hear the fun."
"Maybe they'll shoot," suggested Sam.
"Shoot! They'd be afraid to handle a revolver," was Nat's comment.
"Well, as long as it won't do any real harm, and as we positively have to have something happen, let's go on with it," said Jack. "Who'll be the burglars?"
"Nat'll have to be one," spoke John Smith, as he proposed it." ”

“ Post.
"Ain't got any more of 'em there, have you, Professor?"
"There is only one," was the reply, as the man returned the handkerchief to his pocket and passed the orange to Mr. Post. "It is difficult to produce one, I assure you."
"Not when you have them concealed in your coat, where you probably put it when you were in the dining car," was Jack's comment, made to himself.
"Well you're a wonder," exclaimed the miner. "I'd like to take lessons off you."
"I can impart the secrets to only those of the inner circle," said the professor, with an air of great wisdom. ”

“ CHAPTER XXXI JACK AND NAT PRISONERS The three travelers came to a halt on the shelf of a high cliff that towered above their heads. It was a wide and safe road they had emerged upon, and it could be seen winding on and up, until it was lost in the mist which was rapidly being driven forward by the wind.
"There is the road to Golden Glow!" exclaimed Jack. "Come on. We are on the right trail now."
"Better go easy," cautioned John. "It's getting night, and we can't travel far. Here's a good place to camp, and we can start early in the morning. ”

“ At the same time they could hear the murmur of voices.
"Adrian Bagot, and his two cronies up to some trick!" whispered Jack, as he grasped Sam by the arm.
The two friends saw the three new students bending over a table, containing a pot of something, which they seemed to be stirring with a long stick.
"What are they up to?" whispered Sam.
"Experimenting with chemicals, perhaps," said Jack.
"Don't you believe it," retorted Sam. "They're up to some game, you can bet. I wonder if we can't get wise to what it is." ”

“ One evening, as Jack and Nat came back from a visit to police headquarters, they found John much excited.
"I think I'm on the right track," he said.
"How?" asked Jack.
"Listen to this" John went on, holding up a newspaper, and he read:
"Attention, all who suffer or are in distress. Professor Ali Baba, one of the descendants of the Forty Thieves, who has devoted his life to undoing the wrong they did, will give palm readings, star gazings, trance answers, locate the lost, and, by a method learned from an Indian Yogi, double your money. Readings one dollar up." ”

“ Jack's first inquiry was as to the condition of Old Peter Lantry.
"He's no better," replied Mr. Kent "You'll have to be patient, Jack.
All things come to him who waits. Did you have a good ride?"
"I got lots of practice," replied Jack, not caring to go into details.
"Can't get too much of it," replied Nat's uncle. "You can see some good examples this afternoon."
"How's that?" asked Nat.
"Some of the boys are going to have a little sport among themselves," replied his uncle. "They do every once in a while when the work gets slack. ”

“ They found a rag with arnica on it near the ding-dong, and Old Grimm jumped to the wrong conclusion, basing his belief on what he saw here last night in the first-aid-to-the- injured line. I've got until to-morrow to prove that I didn't do it."
"We can prove it easily enough," said Sam.
"Not so easily as you think," spoke Jack. "Grimm saw us out late, you remember, and if all of you joined in saying it wasn't I who did it, they wouldn't believe you. I guess they want to make an example of someone. ”

“ It was Jack Ranger's idea,—any one could have told that. For Jack was always up to some trick or other. Most of the tricks were harmless, and ended in good-natured fun, for Jack was one of the best-hearted lads in the world. This time he had promised his chums at the academy something new, though the term, which was within a month of closing, had been anything but lacking in excitement.
"Fred Kaler, have you got your mouth organ with you?" asked Jack, turning to a lad just behind him.
"He always has his mouth-organ, or how could he speak?" asked an athletic looking lad walking beside Jack. ”

“ Kent and Rattlesnake Jim were in the sitting room, a common resting place for all on the ranch, Jack asked:
"Are there really mountain lions around here?"
"There used to be," said Mr. Kent, "but I haven't seen any lately."
"I heard some of the boys from the upper range say they heard 'em, a few nights ago," spoke Jim.
"That ought to be looked into," said Mr. Kent. "They're nasty customers to get among a herd."
"Can't we go hunting 'em?" asked Nat.
"What do you know about hunting mountain lions?" asked his uncle. ”

“ Jim, who began to take interest in what the boy was doing, even if he did not believe in it, showed him where there was a pool of water. With this Jack bathed the old man's foot. It had a bad bullet wound in it, but the bleeding had stopped. Carefully bandaging the wound, Jack made a pillow out of a blanket he found rolled behind the saddle and with another covered the senseless form.
"Now let's hurry on to the ranch, Nat," he said, "and ask your uncle to send out a wagon. If none of the men want to come we'll drive." ”

“ Besides the house, there were stables for the horses, kennels for the dogs, a cook house, a dining shack, the sides of which could be thrown open in the summer, barns for hay and grain, and a big tall windmill that pumped water.
"Can we have regular horses while we're here?" asked Nat of his uncle, as he and his chums started for the stable yard.
"Sure," replied Mr. Kent "You just go over there and tell Rattlesnake Jim I said he was to fit you out with a horse and saddle each. He knows which will be the best for you, better than I do. I don't have time to keep track of the animals. ”

“ This world's an uncertain place. Anyway, I'm glad I met you, and if you ever get into trouble and I can help you, why just wire me. My general address, for a year or two, will be Chicago, care of Lemuel Liggins. He'll see that you get into the city from here, all right, and will take good care of you. Now I'm off," and shaking hands with the boys and with Mr. Liggins, the miner hurried away down the maze of stock yards.
"Come inside the office and rest a bit," invited Mr. Liggins. "You've got lots of time, and I'll drive you to town later."
"Wait a minute!" cried Jack, darting after Mr. Post. ”