CHAPTER VI.
DICK'S HUNT.
"Don't you take it so hard, my lad; I feel certain that your father willturn up sooner or later."
It was Pawnee Brown who spoke. He addressed Dick, who sat on a horsebelonging to Jack Rasco. The pair had been scouring the plains and thewoods for three hours in search of Dick's father.
"Poor father! If only I knew what had become of him!" sighed the lad.
In his anxiety he had forgotten all about his adventures among thecavalrymen who had sought to detain him as a horse thief.
"It's a mystery, thet's what it is," burst in Jack Rasco.
"It looks loike the hivens hed opened an' swalleyed him up," was MikeDelaney's comment. "Be jabbers, we all know th' hivens was wide openenough last noight. Me turn-out is afther standin' in two foot o' wather,an' Rosy raisin' the mischief because she can't go out. 'Moike,' sezshe, 'Moike Delaney, git a boat or Oi'll be drowned,' an' niver a boatin sight. Th' ould woman will have to shtay in the wagon till the watherruns off of itself."
"I wonder if it is possible my poor father wandered into town," musedDick. "Perhaps he did that and was locked up by the police. He is--well,you know he gets strange spells," and the youth's face flushed.
"Run into town, lad, and make a search," answered the boomer. "If I andRasco get the chance we'll follow. We shan't strike camp for severalhours yet."
Dick thought this good advice and was soon on his way. The rain hadstopped entirely and the sun was just peeping up over the distant plainswhen he entered Arkansas City and began his hunt.
A visit to the police station speedily revealed the fact that nothingwas known there concerning his missing parent. Here Dick left adescription of his father, and was promised that if anything wasdiscovered of the man word would be sent to him immediately.
Having ridden around to the depot, hotels and other public places, Dicktied up his steed and began a hunt through the various streets, lookinginto the doors of the stores and saloons as he passed.
His footsteps soon brought him down to the vicinity of the river front.Here, situated along several blocks, were a number of eating anddrinking houses, patronized principally by river men, gamblers andsimilar persons.
Having satisfied himself, with a sigh of relief, that his father was notin any of the saloons, the youth came to a halt in front of arestaurant. He had not eaten anything since the evening before, and hisnight of adventures had made him decidedly hungry.
"I'll get a cup of coffee and some rolls to brace me up," he thought,and entered the establishment. His order was soon given, and he took aseat at a side table, close to a thin board partition.
His order served, he was disposing of the last of it, when the sound ofvoices on the other side of the partition attracted his attention.
"Leave me alone, Juan Donomez!" came in the voice of a girl. "You haveno right to touch me."
"You are too pretty to be left alone," came in the slick tones of aMexican vaquero. "Come, now, senorita, give me just one kiss."
"I will not, and you must leave me alone," went on the girl, and hertrembling voice showed plainly that she was much frightened. "Where isthe man who sent for me?"
"He is not here yet."
"I do not believe he sent for me at all. It was a trick of yours to getme here. Let me go."
"Not yet, senorita; you can go after a while. But first you must give mea kiss. Then I will explain why I had you come."
As the last words were uttered Dick heard a scurry of feet, then came afaint scream, cut short by the Mexican. The boy waited to hear no more.
"The contemptible greaser!" he muttered and leaped up. Throwing down theamount of his check on the cashier's desk he hurried from therestaurant. As he had supposed there was a hallway next door, where thetalking he had overheard was taking place.
"Oh, save me!" cried the girl, and one glance at her told Dick that shewas not over sixteen and as beautiful as any maiden he had ever seen.She was attired in true western style and wore on her mass of shiningcurls a big, soft riding hat.
"Let that young lady alone," cried the youth to the Mexican, who glaredat him savagely. "I overheard your talk, and if she wants to leave sheshall do it."
"Oh, thank you for coming to my aid," burst out the girl gratefully."This bad man----"
"Say no more, Nellie Winthrop," interrupted the Mexican. "Go to therear. I will attend to this cub who dares to interfere with mybusiness."
And he shoved the girl behind him. His roughness made Dick's blood boilover, and, rushing forward, he put out his foot, gave a push, and JuanDonomez measured his length upon the floor.
During the encounter Nellie Winthrop had escaped to the front end of thehallway, and here Dick now joined her.
"We might as well go," said the youth.
"Yes, yes; let us get out as quickly as we can," answered the girltrembling. "He may attempt to attack you."
"I ought to hand him over to the authorities, but I won't," said Dick."Come," and he opened the door and followed her to the street.
"I shall never forget you for your kindness," the girl burst out as soonas they had left the vicinity of the spot where the trouble hadoccurred. "You are very brave, Mr.----"
"I'm only Dick Arbuckle, Miss----"
"Nellie Winthrop is my name. I just reached Arkansas City yesterday. Iam from Peoria, and am looking for my uncle, who is somewhere among theOklahoma boomers."
"Indeed! I'm one of the boomers myself--at least, I've been with them agood part of the time. Perhaps I know your uncle. What is his name?"
"John Rasco, but I believe the men all call him Jack Rasco."
"Why, is it possible! I know Jack Rasco well--in fact, my father and Ihave been stopping with him ever since we came on from New York. As soonas the rush into Oklahoma was over my father was going to get your uncleto locate a certain mine claim in the West for him--a claim that belongsto us, but which can't be located very easily, it seems."
"And where is my uncle now?" demanded Nellie Winthrop.
"At the boomers' camp, I suppose. You see," went on Dick, his facefalling, "there is something wrong afoot." And in a few words he told ofhis father's disappearance and of the search being made to find him.
"I sincerely trust he is safe," said Nellie when he had concluded. "Ipresume you want to resume your search. Do not let me detain you. If youare among the boomers we will certainly meet again," and she held outher hand.
"Do you feel safe enough to find the camp alone?" he asked. "Perhaps Ihad better take you there. It is about a mile in that direction," and heindicated the locality with a wave of his hand.
"I feel safe enough in the open air," she smiled. "It was only when thatMexican had me cornered in a dark hallway that I felt alarmed. I wasborn and brought up on the plains, and I've been to Peoria only to geteducated, as they say. I've a horse at the livery stable, and I can ridethe distance."
"May I ask how you fell in with that greaser?"
"I think he overheard me asking for my uncle at the hotel, and afterthat he sent a note saying my uncle was at the place where you found me.I saw him first on the train, where he tried his best to get someinformation from me about some horses. But I told him little," concludedthe girl.
Five minutes later they parted at the livery stable, where Nellie hadleft her horse, and Dick went on his way to continue his search for hislost parent. The girl had thanked him again for what he had done and hadsqueezed his hand so warmly that his heart thumped pretty hard, whilehis face was flushed more than ever before.