James Cody Ferris

“ Of a sudden The Pup changed his tone. His voice took on a whining, ingratiating note.
“What are you two always pickin’ on me for?” he demanded. “I didn’t do nothin’ to yuh. A feller can’t—”
Teddy saw the man’s hand leap to his belt. Like a bundle of coiled springs the boy leaped forward. His open hand found The Pup’s wrist and closed upon it, holding it in a firm grip. The other hand pressed back the man’s chin—pressed it back until Marino was staring with glassy eyes up into starry night.
“Drop it!” Teddy gasped, and a knife flashed to the ground. ”

“ Their meal was rather a sketchy one, for the men all felt that time was precious and that to delay longer than was absolutely necessary lessened, by just that much, their chances of saving their cattle. Nevertheless, they ate heartily, though hurriedly, and when once more they were in the canoe, with Teddy and Pop paddling, Roy gave a sigh of relief.
“Feel like a new man,” he murmured. “Now the thing to do is to give the new man some food, I suppose, but I’ll postpone that for awhile. Glad you’re doing the paddling, Teddy. I hate to work right after a meal.” ”

“ Sobbing in rage, Roy leaped to his feet, his injured ankle forgotten. Some ten feet above the ground the bird wheeled, screamed, and returned to the attack. This time it was more wary, and did not plunge directly for the boy, but shot down a little to one side, then, spreading its pinions wide, glided in. Roy, his lips drawn back in a snarl, met it fully. The beak stabbed once, as quick as a rattler striking, and Roy felt a searing pain in his right shoulder. ”

“ The shore slid by rapidly, and the water started to boil under the bow of the canoe. Pop, in the stern, wrinkled his face into a grin. Did this youngster think he could turn the boat on him? The old puncher dug his paddle deep into the water, and his shoulders moved rhythmically. Teddy was hard pushed to keep up with the old man, so powerful were the veteran’s strokes, and as the current was swifter here, the boat seemed fairly to skim over the water, heavy as it was.
“All right, men!” Roy called out. “You’re doing fine! We’re creeping up. ”

“ Bug Eye questioned suddenly.
“Snakes, I never thought about that!” replied Roy. “Suffering tripe, what a break it would be to get there and find the cows all in the river, drowned! And if that waddy Nick told us about spoke the truth, that may have happened. That will hit dad hard. Our best cows are in that bunch.”
“Aw, forget it,” Teddy returned. “I can’t believe that, Roy. It doesn’t stand to reason. Cows wander all over the lot, and there’s not one chance in a thousand that they’d wait for a landslide to fall on ’em. ”

“ Roy stood tense, waiting, his knife held in readiness. The moment’s respite had given the boy time to realize his danger. This was no buzzard, but an eagle that seemed bent upon the boy’s destruction. Tales of strong men being killed by this species of bird flashed through Roy’s mind, and he clenched the knife more firmly. If he was to die, he would put up a good fight first! ”

“ Oh, you might as well know it all,” he burst out, his words tumbling over one another as if in agony to escape before being called back. “I was a bandit—that knife was marked with my initials, Teddy. My real name’s Jules Kolto—”
“You—Jules Kolto?” Pop cried incredulously. “I heard lots about you years ago! Then yuh are a Mex, after all!”
“Yep, I’m Mex,” Kolto went on bitterly. “A Mex, a hoss thief, an’ a bandit. Now you know. If yuh want to string me up, go ahead!” he exclaimed defiantly. “I ain’t any good to nobody, least of all to myself! ”

“ Nick knew about Marino, and knew he was a character to be watched. Nick would see to it that Marino had his fangs drawn if ever he ventured to show his face at the X Bar X again.
Teddy recalled the long knife with which Marino had attacked him, and the boy could not repress an involuntary shudder. Suppose The Pup, fired with liquor, should return some night and seek entrance to the ranch house? The men would be some three hundred yards away in their own sleeping shack. Could they—could Nick—hear a call? ”

“ If he had given his real name, old Manley would never have hired him, for it was a name that still lingered in the minds of some of the vaqueros of the South. Marino—or, to give him his right name, Jules Kolto—was born a Mexican, although early in life he had recognized the value of concealing the place of his birth from his companions. A Mexican was not respected in his line of business—a business carried on at the muzzle of a revolver or at the point of a knife. For Jules Kolto had been a highwayman. ”

“ As the bear moved forward Roy sprang to one side. With a yell to Teddy to follow, he bounded to the right, then up, toward a ledge that jutted out from the mountain over their heads. If they could gain that, and the bear could not, they had a good chance for their lives.
Teddy leaped after his brother. The bear, growling in rage at the pain of his wound, sought to close his teeth in Teddy’s leg. The boy gave a shout, and releasing his hold on the gun gave all his attention to the business at hand—beating the bear to the ledge. ”

“ The cattle of Whirlpool River Ranch—The Pup—the reported landslide—all these were for the moment forgotten. They would return later, with their responsibilities. But now, for Teddy and Roy, there was happiness where they had feared to find sorrow.
Their tremendous relief was not the sort that is communicated by words. A firm handclasp, an arm thrown carelessly around the shoulders, speaks louder than any well-turned sentence. Thus it was that on that journey back to their camp there was little said besides Pop’s interminable: “Snakes!” and Roy’s: “I’ll tell a maverick!” ”

“ Teddy watched him go, a fixed look on his face.
“Cow-puncher, hey?” the boy muttered. “You’re as much a cow-puncher as I am a Chinaman! Let’s have a look at this toad-sticker.” He bent over and picked up the knife. Holding it up, he saw that the initials “J. K.” were burned in the handle. The blade was long and curved slightly.
“J. K.—the K standing for Marino,” the boy mused. “Some day we’ll have this little argument out, Mister J. K. Marino. But you won’t have one of these things in your hand when we do. Lucky for me I saw you make a dive for it, or I’d be plumb tired of living by now.” ”

“ The finding of The Pup’s pony was commented upon, and guesses were hazarded concerning the whereabouts of Marino, but that was all. The men were tired, and tired men waste no time in idle talk. Definitely and directly they go to sleep.
Within an hour the only sounds to be heard were the uneasy neighings of the horses and the crackling of the fire as it burned brightly and then sank down again. Each man had his rifle by his side, in case he was awakened by a curious beast sniffing at his ear, but no one actually anticipated having to use the firearm. ”

“ He would have enough to start a small business and live the rest of his life in contentment, fearing no man. He would return the four hundred—as soon as he made that much—and send it back to Bardwell Manley. He would start square.
He knew that the region he was now in was a favorite place for bandits. Many gangs had made the banks of Whirlpool River their stronghold in days gone by, and rumor had it that one still flourished—the Denver Smith gang. A lone rider, like Jules, with a roll of bills in his pocket, would be meat for them. ”

“ But if you want to keep it to yourself, that’s your lookout. The days when a gunman could come West and get a job on a ranch without any one bothering about him until he let daylight into some peaceful citizen, are gone forever.”
“An’ who wants a job on your place, anyhow?”
“That’s not the point. You’re on our land, and you were one of the hands of the X Bar X. As long as you stay here you’ve got to watch your step. What was the idea of toting that thing around?” Teddy nodded toward the long knife, gleaming on the ground a few feet away. ”

“ Their cattle were gone.
As Roy had feared, once past the rise in the land, they saw that surely the herd had departed. Pop said nothing, but sat and smoked in silence, his paddle dragging. Bug Eye made a few remarks under his breath.
“We’ll have to land and find Jake Trummer,” Teddy declared. “That gang we heard on the river at night has been here before us.”
“They rustled ’em, hey?” Bug Eye asked inanely.
“Exactly,” Teddy replied. “How far away they’ve gotten with them, there’s no telling. We’re worse than useless without broncs. We’ll have to wait for dad.” ”

“ Gus—poor, deluded Gus! To worry over a girl! Funny Jules hadn’t recalled that Gus had told him that she lived in Togas. But perhaps it was just as well. He might have given himself away.
How far was it to the Border? A good eight days’ ride, at least. He’d have to leave the river soon. It was too dangerous, anyway, with Teddy and Roy Manley around. But they wouldn’t catch him! Never—never!
Then a sudden thought came to the man. Why, they might not have been chasing him at all! Those cattle—those cows that had wandered on Jake Trummer’s place while he and Gus were in town, drinking! ”

“ As Roy saw these, he looked at Teddy significantly, but said nothing. He did not want his mother to know of the knife episode.
A raised window on the side indicated how the intruder had gained entrance. Such was the faith that Mr. Manley had in his men that he never bothered to lock up at night, and this was the first time in all the years he had been the owner of the X Bar X that his trust had been violated. Perhaps it was carrying things to extremes to allow a large sum of money to remain unprotected, but “the boss” was ever an unreliable business man. ”

“ Manley have wiped it clean had Gus given him the opportunity. But the die was cast. Gus—he of the drawling speech and eyes which were wont to grow languid while Norine was near—had gone.
No one gave much thought to Joe Marino, “The Pup.” Though he had worked for Bardwell Manley, somehow he had never become a part of the ranch, as the rest had. He was a man apart, neither seeking nor admitting intimate friendship. His fondness for the cup, alleged to cheer, was early discovered, but Mr. Manley was loath to discharge a man for a personal defect so long as it did not affect his work. ”

“ Mrs. Manley asked.
“We sure are!” came from Teddy. “How about it, Roy? Wouldn’t you bet your bottom dollar that The Pup did this?”
Both his mother and Teddy waited for the reply. They had confidence that Roy would not go off “half cocked,” a trait which Teddy had in full measure. Besides this, with Mr. Manley gone, the mother and younger brother leaned toward Roy as the natural head of the family.
“Marino,” Roy said slowly, “is the thief, or I’m a ring-tailed doodle bird.”
“And there’s no two ways about it!” Teddy added. “Come on, Roy—we’ll go get him! He’s got a payroll and a horse of ours!” ”

“ Mrs. Manley said, as she smiled. “Teddy, go and tell the boys to come in. And don’t forget Sing Lung. We want everybody! Tell every man on the place to come!”
“You bet I will, Mom!” Teddy shouted, and made for the door. In a few minutes he was back, followed by a crowd of grinning, jostling cowboys. Jules Kolto had recovered sufficiently to return with them, and he, of course, was included in the invitation, although he protested that “he wasn’t fit to eat with honest folks.”
Pop Burns was there, with his shoulder conspicuously bandaged. He was accorded the place of honor—next to the boss. ”

“ Teddy said to Roy in a low voice. “He’s sorry The Pup did it, too. He may have disliked Marino, as I guess we all did, but dad hates to think any one is a thief.”
The horses, saddled and ready, were waiting for them. Those who had come with Mr. Manley had, of course, their own broncos, and Jake Trummer supplied Teddy, Roy, Pop Burns and Bug Eye with other mounts. They took with them food, and each saddle packed a rifle and a blanket. The chase, even if it was successful, might take several days to conclude. They had one big advantage—the rustlers did not know they were being trailed. ”

“ Teddy and Roy, after they had attended to the immediate business of the ranch, went for an evening ride with the three girls. Bug Eye and his Fishmobile were to stay the night, and possibly several days, to look over some cattle on the north range that Peter Ball, his boss, was thinking of purchasing to fill out his stock. There had been an epidemic of blackleg among the cows of the 8 X 8, and Mr. Ball wanted to get some healthy Durhams in to fill out, as he had lately contracted to fill a large order from Denver for cattle on the hoof. ”

“ They were approaching the rapids with a mended canoe. The cattle were beyond, and rustlers were bent on taking them, if they had not already done so. There was the possible landslide that the stranger had reported.
“There’s plenty to worry about yet, I reckon,” Roy thought grimly. “But what good is worry? Answer—none! We’ll get those cattle, and we won’t come back till we do! Hey, Teddy!” ”

“ Got a propeller on her and everything. Works on the fly wheel. The boss give me that old flivver—remember?—an’ said I could do what I wanted with it. So I done it. Looks great, hey? An’ when I come to a lake, why all I have to do is throw the propeller in gear, an’ away we go!”
“Yes! But, Bug Eye,” Teddy broke in, with a look at Roy, “where is this lake you’re going to sail on?”
A look of amazement spread over the puncher’s face. He snapped his fingers and frowned.
“Golly!” he exclaimed. “Never thought about that. Well, I’ll be jiggered! Of course there’s Lomley’s Lake—but that would never do. ”

“ Pop asked indignantly. “I do a blamed sight more work than you do, Jim Casey, young as you are! So fold that behind the rim of yore derby!”
“Aw, let him rave,” Nat Raymond pleaded. “He only wants to start an argument. Listen! How you gonna find Gus?”
“Don’t know. But I will somehow as soon as the boss comes back. He’ll be glad to see the old geezer. The boss hated to fire Gus as much as Gus hated to be fired, I’ll bet—maybe more. But Bardwell was all het up over what Jake Trummer said.” Being the oldest man on the X Bar X, Pop felt privileged to take liberties with the boss’s name. ”

“ Nat Raymond interrupted. “Ever see the soles of his feet? All callous. Ain’t they, Bug Eye?”
“Never mind that,” Roy said, suppressing a smile. “This is more important. While dad’s away, Teddy and I have got to manage this place, and we don’t want anything to go wrong. So if any one sees Marino hanging around, tell him he’s not wanted. We don’t care for snakes like that on our ranch—they’re likely to bite and poison some one.”
Teddy nodded in approval.
“And also,” he added, “if you happen to see Gus—though I don’t suppose you will—tell him to return. All is forgiven!” and the boy grinned. ”

“ Then, having carried their possessions to the craft, they were ready to start once more.
“Remember those old books in our school library?” Teddy asked Roy, as he stood with his hand on the stern, ready to launch the canoe. “The Amazon Adventurers, or something like that. Where the heroes always come bobbing up from tornadoes, volcanoes, or what have you, with a smile on their faces ready to stop a revolution single handed. ”

“ Bug Eye inquired eagerly.
Teddy snorted.
“What for? Just to see the scenery? Marino is gone by now. We haven’t as much of a chance as a fish on a desert of finding him.”
“Let’s see! Ain’t that what some one said a while ago?” came from Bug Eye. “Seems to me I heard a voice say he would try fer the Border, an’ that this part of the country would see him no more,” and he looked quizzically at Pop.
“Dry up,” Pop said succinctly. “We all make mistakes. But if you want to, Roy, we’ll land an’ take a look. Think it would do any good?”
“Not a bit,” Roy decided. “We’d only waste our time. ”

“ Well, you can’t! When I says a thing I means it! You hear me! Them cattle of yours been on my grass fer a week now. Every day I figures you’ll come over an’ take ’em off, but you don’t do nothin’. So finally I has to come over to you. But it’ll be the last time! You hear me! You get them cows off Whirlpool River, or, by golly, I’ll drive ’em in the river! You hear me!”
Turning on his heel, Jake Trummer strode savagely to the corral rail where he had tied his pony. Releasing her, he vaulted into the saddle, swung the pinto’s head about, and galloped out of the yard. ”

“ It’s a good thing there aren’t any elephants around. But something tells me I’ll have my work-out yet. There is still much to be done, as the cook said, turning the whale steak he was roasting. I’ll bet—”
“You’ll bet nothing!” Roy interrupted, with a laugh. “What is this, a political speech? You’ve been talking an hour by the clock. Grab hold, and shove. Ready, Pop and Bug Eye? Then let’s go!”
All four bent down and seized the gunwales. There was a straining of backs, and the canoe slid noiselessly into the river with scarcely a splash.
“No leakee!” Teddy shouted, capering around the bank. ”

“ Mr. Manley observed the horse with interest.
“What makes him do that, Nat?” he asked. “You pullin’ him up?”
“Not any, boss.” Nat answered sincerely. “He’s doin’ it himself. Like Pop said, I guess, he don’t like lowlands.”
“Seems to me as though he sensed a stranger around,” Teddy said to Roy in a low tone. “I’ve seen Nat’s bronco do that before, when a new man came into the yard of the X Bar X. It’s got nothing to do with the place we’re in now.”
“Well, there’s enough men with us he never saw before,” Roy countered. He motioned toward Jake Trummer and his followers. ”

“ Pop Burns asked wistfully.
“Not yet awhile. We can’t. If dad were only here, we could get up a gang and go after him. But we’ve got to stay on the place. That was the order, an’ I aim to see it’s enforced. Of course if when you are on range you should see The Pup, well—”
“That’s enough, Roy,” Nat interrupted feelingly. “We’ll do the rest. There ain’t no need for you to elucidate. But aside from that, if you say we stick on the ranch, stick we do. But I hope the boss gets back soon. Marino—the polecat! Rustlin’ one of our best horses! ”

“ Roy asked excitedly. “That river is some long, runs into Thunder Canyon, I think. The slide may not be near our cattle.”
“May not, an’ then again it may. That’s the way yore dad feels about it. Last we heard of that bunch of dogies they was near Friendly Mountain. They may be there yet, or they may have wandered Pete knows where. But we can’t take no chances. We got to see that the cows get out quick. Yore dad says the pick of the whole bunch is in that herd.”
“They are, too,” Teddy mused. “All our best short-horns. Was dad worried, Nick?” ”

“ The figure on horseback had disappeared, but Roy hoped that, due to the tangle of brush, Marino might not be able to retreat before they could land. Pop set his teeth and leaned on his paddle, and Teddy did the same. But they were not working together, and the boat started to swing crazily.
“Wait till I get in with you, Pop!” Teddy gasped. “This blame current! It sure is strong!”
Gradually the canoe neared the shore. But by that time all four realized that their attempt was doomed to failure. The Pup had surely seen them and had got away. ”