Edward Stratemeyer

“ A long freight train was just slowing down. Many of the cars were empty and the doors stood wide open.
"Up you go, Nat!" cried Dave.
"Me? Where?"
"Into one of the empty cars. You are going to have a ride for your health."
"Not much! Why, that train don't stop short of Jack's Junction, twelve miles from here!"
"I know it. You can walk back—the exercise will do you good."
"I—er—I don't want to go!" And Nat made as if to run away. But Dave and Phil held him.
"But you are going!" cried Dave. "In you go!"
He and Phil forced the money-lender's son toward one of the open cars. ”

“ The wind was now blowing with almost tornado force, and with it came a few scattering drops of rain. Just as they gained the rocks something whizzed past their heads.
"What was that?" gasped Phil, ducking after the object had passed.
"It was a small tree limb," answered Dave. "We've got to watch out. Hark!"
They listened, and above the whistling of the wind heard a great crash.
"It's a tree being blown down!" cried Phil. "Come on, let us get between the rocks, before something hits us on the head!" ”

“ DAVE AND HIS CHUMS
"Why, Dave, what are you going to do with that revolver?"
"Phil and Roger and I are going to do some target shooting back of the barn," answered Dave Porter. "If we are going to try ranch life, we want to know how to shoot."
"Oh! Well, do be careful!" pleaded Laura Porter, as she glanced affectionately at her brother. "A revolver is such a dangerous thing!"
"We know how to handle one. Phil has been painting a big door to represent a black bear, and we are going to see if we can do as well with a revolver as we did with the rifle." ”

“ Merwell, these young gentleman are my guests," put in Mr. Endicott, bluntly. "While they are stopping at my ranch I trust they will not be annoyed by any one."
"Mr. Endicott, I shall respect your wishes so far as I can," returned Felix Merwell, with great stiffness. "But if these young men have done my son an injustice, they will have to suffer for it. I bid you good-day." And having thus delivered himself, the man wheeled around his coal-black steed and was off in a cloud of dust down the road.
"Oh, Dave, what do you think he'll do?" ”

“ Looking around carefully, Dave set off once more, and presently reached a spot that looked familiar. On the ground he could see footprints and these he commenced to follow. But in a few minutes he found himself in a thicket he was sure he had never seen before.
"I am mixed up, and no mistake," he murmured, his face falling. "I shouldn't have been so sure of myself at the start. It isn't so easy as one thinks to find a trail among these rocks and bushes. I guess I had better call to Todd, and to the others." ”

“ He had been told to bring out a certain animal for Dave, but instead led forth a bronco that was as wild and fiery as any used the day previous.
"If he rides that beast, he's a good one," Yates murmured to himself, and then he beckoned to some other cowboys to watch the fun. Half a dozen quit work to draw closer, each with a broad grin on his sunburnt face. They expected to see Dave get the shaking-up of his life and felt positive he would not be able to stay on the bronco's back two minutes.
"He certainly is a wild one," said Dave, as he advanced and eyed the pony. ”

“ Taking the bit of halter with them, the three chums continued on their way along the trail. They covered another quarter of a mile, but saw no game excepting some birds on which they did not care to waste powder and shot.
"We'll have to go back, I suppose," said Phil, with a sigh. "Gracious, I wish we'd see a bear, or something!"
"How would an elephant and a few lions do?" quizzed Roger, with a grin.
"Or a couple of man-eating tigers," suggested Dave.
"I don't care! You can make fun if you want to, but I came out to this ranch to have some hunting," said Phil, stubbornly. ”

“ The three set out, and when within sight of the other ranch home they caught sight of Link Merwell, riding slowly along on his pony. He scowled as he recognized them.
"What do you want here?" he asked, looking at Dave.
"We came for our horses," answered Dave, boldly.
At these words Link grew pale and shot a swift glance at Hank Snogger. Then, in a sudden rage, he shook his fist at the cowboy.
"What have you been saying about me?" he cried angrily.
"Telling the truth," answered Snogger.
"It's false! I didn't touch the horses!" gasped Link, but he grew whiter than ever. ”

“ The salt dropped to the floor, and Nat found himself confronting Dave, with Phil but a few steps away.
"You contemptible rascal!" cried Dave, his eyes flashing.
"Why—I—er——" stammered the moneylender's son. He did not know what to say.
"Going to spoil the cream, eh?" came from Phil. "It was a mighty dirty trick, Nat."
"On a level with what you did to Professor Potts," added Dave.
"I—er—I wasn't going to do nothing!" cried Nat, with little regard for grammar. "I—er—I was looking at the ice-cream, that's all."
"A poor excuse is worse than none," answered Dave, grimly. ”

“ In the past, visitors to Star Ranch had been numerous, consequently the most of the men were not as shy as they might otherwise have been. They gladly answered all the questions the boys and girls put to them, and offered to do all sorts of things to render the visit of the newcomers pleasant.
After lunch the girls felt like resting, for it was rather warm, but all the boys were anxious to get into the saddle. They had heard that Sid Todd was going to a distant part of the range, to see about two steers that had fallen into a ravine, and asked to be taken along. ”

“ Why aren't you more careful of your money?"
"He's got my gold piece and I know it!" declared Link Merwell, loudly. "If he don't pass it over, I'm going to have him arrested."
Quite a war of words followed, the loud talking attracting a crowd, including Phil and Roger and the girls. The ragged newsboy broke down completely and commenced to cry bitterly.
"This is a shame, Merwell," said the senator's son. "I think as Dave does, that the newsboy is honest. If you are so hard up, I'll give you five dollars out of my own pocket," and he produced a roll of bills. ”

“ Hank Snogger hugged his boy to his breast and wept for joy, and Charley cried too, and so did the girls. Then it was learned that Snogger was really a carpenter by trade. He said he would settle down in the city, and did so, and to-day he is a steady workman, and he and Charley have a good home. The father is giving the son a good education, hoping to make a first-class business man of him.
"Well, all told, we had the outing of our lives," declared Roger, on the way to Crumville.
"It couldn't have been better!" cried Dave. "I tell you what, Star Ranch is all right!" ”

“ One always wants to be careful when shooting, at a target or otherwise."
The three youths soon had the target placed to their satisfaction, and then began a lively blazing away with the three revolvers that had been brought along. They aimed for the eyes of the painted creature, and for other vital spots, and all did fairly well.
"You're the best shot, Dave," announced Roger, during a lull in the practice, when all had gone to inspect the "damage" done. "You've plugged him right in the eyes three times and once in the heart. Had he been a real bear, he'd be as dead as a salt mackerel now." ”

“ During the past few years of his life Dave had had a number of stirring adventures, and he was by no means as green as he had been when first he had set out for Oak Hall. He did not like the looks of his surroundings, and he resolved to keep his wits about him and be on his guard.
"Why should Mr. Dale come to a place like this?" he asked himself. He knew the teacher to be a model man, who did not drink or gamble.
"Here we are," said Tom Shocker, as he stopped in front of a door at the back of the hallway on the third floor of the building. "I guess you can go right in. ”

“ The sport began with some fancy riding in which eight of the cowboys, four from each ranch, participated. The cowboys would ride like the wind and leap off and on their steeds, turn from frontwards to backwards, slide from the saddle under their horses' necks and up into the saddle again, and lean low to catch up handkerchiefs and hats left on the grass for that purpose. ”

“ And Dave had to shudder as he thought of what might have happened. "After this I'll be more careful when I shoot."
"Oh, don't you try to smooth it over!" snarled Aaron Poole. "I know you of old, Dave Porter! You are always up to some underhanded tricks. Nat knows you, too! Maybe you didn't mean to kill me, but you meant to scare me, and you took a big chance, for I might have been hit. I think I'll swear out a warrant for your arrest."
"Oh, Mr. Poole, don't do that!" cried Phil, in alarm. "Dave didn't know anybody was back there. It was purely an accident." ”

“ They saw a number of birds flitting about, but did not attempt to bring any down.
"If we want any big game we must keep quiet," said Dave, and after that they moved along without speaking, and with their eyes and ears on the alert for the first sign of something worth shooting.
Presently Dave held up his hand and all came to a halt. Not far away could be heard a curious drumming sound.
"What's that?" whispered Phil.
"Sounds like grouse," answered Dave. "They drum like that sometimes. They must be over in the trees yonder. Let us dismount and see." ”

“ The senator's son and Dave's sister had become very "chummy," and it can be said that Phil and Belle were fully as attentive to one another as the occasion warranted. All told stories and sang, and the boys whistled.
Half an hour of riding brought them to the edge of a woods, and here they had to proceed in single file, or "Indian fashion," as Belle expressed it.
"By the way, are there any Indians around here?" asked Jessie, timidly.
"A few, and they are very peaceable," answered the ranch owner's daughter. "Our only enemies are the cattle- and horse-thieves." ”