Harry Castlemon

“ Indeed, it was a wagon road, for it was used by the settlers and army teamsters in hauling goods up and down the river. Gus at once set off at a sharp gallop and Ned lumbered along a few paces in his rear. They rode in this way until the sun sank out of sight, and the shadows of twilight began to deepen into the gloom of night, and Gus was telling himself that there was a fair prospect that they would be obliged to go supperless to bed, when his eyes were gladdened by the sight of a rancho a little distance away. ”

“ Ned watched their movements with a good deal of surprise.
“Why don’t those men catch that horse?” said he to himself. “If they are raiders, they ought to steal him; and if the man who owns him is there, he ought to catch him, to keep him from straying away. I don’t understand it at all.”
While Ned was talking to himself in this way, he heard a latch softly raised. He turned his eyes in the direction of the rancho, and saw that one of the doors, opening on to the back porch, was ajar, and that somebody was looking out of it. ”

“ Ned thought that those who lived in camp had nothing to do but sit on the grass, under the spreading branches of some friendly tree, and dream away the days which would be all sunshine; and that when they grew hungry, some fat black-tail or antelope would walk up within easy range of their rifles just on purpose to be shot. The nights would be mild and pleasant, the fire would somehow keep itself burning all the time, whether the necessary fuel was supplied or not, and cook his meals for him without any care or exertion on his part. ”

“ By the merest chance, Gus had sent a bullet smaller than a buckshot into some vital part, and there was one less steer in somebody’s herd to break down fences and destroy wheat crops.
“What do you think of that?” cried Gus, in great glee.
“It was a splendid shot,” replied Ned, who just then rode up and extended his hand for the rifle. “You did it, didn’t you? Since we have begun the work, we’ll do it up in shape. If they won’t go out they can stay in; but they’ll stay dead!”
The horse that Gus rode, having been broken to stand fire, was not at all alarmed by the report of the rifle. ”

“ Then Ned, with a long breath of relief, turned to give his new horse another good looking over.
The animal’s name—Silk Stocking—suited him exactly. His color was a very dark chestnut; but his mane and tail were as white as snow, and so were his feet and his legs, too, as high up as his knees, and he had a white star in his forehead. The longer his delighted owner looked at him the handsomer he seemed to grow.
“That man, whoever he may be, is a born dunce,” was Ned’s mental comment. “He says he knows a good horse when he sees one, but I don’t believe it. ”

“ We must live entirely within ourselves, while we stay here, and we’re able to do it.”
“But they won’t let you,” said George.
“They! Who?” demanded Ned.
“The settlers about here.”
“How are they going to help themselves, I’d like to know? Isn’t this a free country?”
21“Yes, it’s a free country,” answered George, with a smile, “almost too free, you would think, if you had seen what I have. If you are going to live among these people, you must be one of them.” ”

“ While the work of driving the cattle out of the field was in progress, a horseman appeared on the ridge of which we have spoken, riding slowly along, with his eyes fastened on the ground, as if he were following a trail. Just as he reached the top, he heard the report of a rifle, and looked up to discover that the cattle of which he was in search, were running about a wheat field, and that two persons were engaged in shooting them down. One of the cattle fell just as he raised his eyes. ”

“ He must have a good store of common sense and understand how to adapt himself to the situation. He must throw on no airs, for these frontiersmen are nearly all men of as much sharpness of wit as boldness of heart. They have seen a good deal of the world and quickly detect the spurious. The newcomer must show a heart for honest, manly work, be companionable, bear himself toward all respectfully and courteously, and he will soon find that he has a noble army of friends around him who will always be glad to advance him, and who will feel proud of him as one of themselves. ”

“ I am as much interested in the matter as anybody.”
“Well, you will do your best for Ned, won’t you? He is my cousin, you know. You won’t let them hurt him, will you?”
“I’ll do the best I can, certainly; but you might as well try to stem the Rio Grande with a straw, as to stand in the way of a whole settlement, when every man in it has made up his mind to a particular course of action. It was a most outrageous act, and Ned richly deserves punishment.”
“I know it; but if the settlers are such friends to me they will let him off this time, and I’ll promise that he will never do the like again. ”

“ NED’S NEW HORSE. “Now, I’ll just tell you what’s a fact, father,” said Ned, who stood on the porch with Uncle John, watching George as he galloped away, “if you are going to do anything you must come out and make a square stand. You don’t want George here any more than I do.”
“Be careful, Ned,” said Uncle John, in a suppressed whisper, looking anxiously around. “Some one might hear you.”
“I don’t care who hears me. I don’t see any sense in being so sly. George will hang about here just as long as he has that herd of cattle to take care of. ”

“ These ornaments having been secured, he went into the kitchen after the lunch which he had ordered Philip to prepare for him, and while he was putting it into his pocket, he heard the clatter of a horse’s hoofs in the yard, and voices in conversation. He ran out on the porch, and found his father talking earnestly to a roughly-dressed man, who, upon closer examination proved to be Zeke, George’s herdsman. Uncle John’s face wore an expression of interest, while Zeke’s was gloomy enough. He looked and acted like a man who had met with some great misfortune. ”

“ We have only one thing more to tell about, and then the thread of our story will run smoothly. Let us go back to George Ackerman, whom we left sitting on the porch in front of the rancho, mending his bridle and talking earnestly to himself.
“Uncle John and Ned act as though they don’t want me here,” repeated George, “and I have the best notion in the world to pack up my few things and clear out. The house doesn’t seem like home to me now. I am a great deal happier when I am in camp with Zeke than I am anywhere else. ”

“ The sight of the animal alarmed him, for it was not at all likely that a horse, wearing a saddle and bridle, would be feeding contentedly in that wilderness, so far from all signs of civilization, unless there was some one with him. George dropped to the ground, and ran his eyes along the willows in search of a camp. If there was one in the neighborhood he could not find it. There was no smoke to be seen, nor were there any other indications of the presence of human beings. ”

“ I just keep still and let it pass itself away.”
“That’s a jolly way to live!” said Gus. “It’s better than standing behind a counter all day, handling over goods for people who don’t want anything, and who, after they have tired you out, spend five cents for a spool of thread, and think they have paid you for the trouble they have caused you. But, Ned, we can’t get into any scrapes here, can we?”
“Can’t we, though!” exclaimed Ned. “I know a story worth two of that. Why, boy, I am in a worse scrape to-day than you ever dreamed of, and I got into it just as easy! ”

“ Fortunately, Ned’s departure from home had been so hurried that he had forgotten to take with him the ornaments he usually wore when he went riding. If he had had his spurs on while his heels were digging into his horse’s sides, he might not have kept his seat as well as he did. Both he and Gus were glad when George checked his horse and allowed him to settle down to a walk.
“Texas isn’t so dull a place to live in after all, is it?” said George, who knew he must say something to keep up the spirits of his companions. “One can get all the excitement he wants, without half trying, can’t he?” ”

“ Where can I get a rig like yours, Ned? Is it the fashion?”
“I bought it in Palos. It is my fashion. I won’t dress as my cousin and all the other fellows about here do. They are a lot of boors!”
“All except your cousin, of course.”
“No, I don’t except even him. He goes looking like a day-laborer, and he’s rich, too. He has six thousand dollars that he made himself. More than that, when he becomes of age, he will step into a property worth forty thousand a year, and father and I will have to step out of it, and I’ll have to go behind a counter again.” ”

“ He has got himself and me into a scrape, and now he throws me overboard, and lets me look out for myself, while he depends upon his cousin to see himself safely through. He’s got a big pile of money he can draw on, and can go off and enjoy himself, while I’ve got to stay here. For I shall not go home,” added Gus, with a most emphatic shake of his head. “Everybody in Foxboro’ knows by this time that I ran away, and I’ll not go back there and face them. There’s plenty of work to be had in this country, and right here I’ll stay until my father writes me a decent letter.” ”

“ Some day, when you are in just the right humor for it, I’ll tell you how you can get yourself into as lively a mess as you ever heard of—something that will set the whole settlement in a blaze.”
“I’m your man,” said Gus, readily. “If one is going to raise a row, let him raise a big one, while he is about it. That’s what I say!”
The five miles that lay between the swell and the rancho had never seemed so short to Ned as they did that day. He and Gus had so much to talk about that they took no note of time, and their ride was ended almost before they knew it. ”

“ Uncle John objected rather feebly, at first, and said he wasn’t sure that he had any right to spend George’s money in that way; but Ned had an answer to every objection, and stuck to his point until he gained it.
“You mustn’t forget that I may own this property myself some day,” said he. “If George does not live until he is of age, everything falls to me. If that should ever happen, you would think me awful stingy if I should refuse you a paltry hundred dollars.”
Ned certainly talked very glibly about spending his cousin’s money. ”

“ The rest of the boy’s plans Sam guessed at. He knew that Gus was very discontented; that he thought he would rather follow any business in the world than his own; that he imagined he would be happier anywhere on earth than he was in Foxboro’; that Mr. Robbins would never permit his son to go to Texas on a visit, especially to meet such a fellow as Ned Ackerman, whose influence over his associates was always a bad one. Sam knew all these things, and by putting them together, he arrived at a conclusion which we know to be the correct one. ”

“ Ned lost no time in putting the saddle and bridle on his own nag, and while he was doing it, the stranger stood, holding his horse by the bridle and looking back over the way he had come. When Ned brought up his horse, the man said:
“You’re sure this nag belongs to you, are you? I run no risk of being stopped by anybody, who will lay claim to him, do I?”
“No, sir,” replied Ned, “he’s mine; and if you will go to our rancho with me, I will show you a bill of sale of him.”
“I asked the question because there are such things in the world as horse-thieves, you know!” ”

“ Ned fully expected that there would be trouble about it; that there would be threats and inquiries made, and that he and Gus, being safe from discovery, would have many a hearty laugh in secret over the storm they had raised.
“Remember one thing,” said he. “No matter what is said or done, we don’t know anything about it. They can’t crowd us into a corner tight enough to make us own up. That would only make matters worse.” ”

“ THE TWO FRIENDS. The raiders were gone at last and so was the stolen horse. When the animal passed out of sight in the darkness, and the sound of his hoofs on the hard trail died away in the distance, Ned arose slowly to his feet, but sat down again in much less time than he had consumed in getting up. ”