CHAPTER XXI
THE ARGENT LETTERS
They carried Jack inside, and laid him on a couch. Jennie and her motherused what simple remedies they had at hand to rouse him from hisunconscious state. Tim took the exhausted pony to the stable, for Sungerwas much in need of rest.
"What was it? What happened to the pony Express?" asked several of thecrowd that had gathered outside when they had seen the animal canter upwith Jack on his back.
"I don't know what happened," replied the red-haired helper. "But maybe itwas Indians tied him that way, and was going to make his pony jump over acliff. Them Indians is fierce!"
"Indians! There aren't any around here!" said some one, laughing at Tim'snotion. Tim had not been out West long.
"More likely it was some of those hold-up fellows," suggested a man in thethrong. "Though why they should tie him to his horse Is more than I canfigure out."
"Well, Jack came through all right, or, rather, that smart pony of hisbrought him," another voice said. "And he brought the mail safe!"
"That's what he did!" cried several.
Meanwhile inside the little cottage, part of which was given over to theGolden Crossing post office, Jennie and her mother were working hard overthe unconscious form of Jack.
"I guess we'll have to send for the doctor, Jennie," finally said Mrs.Blake. "I've tried ammonia and camphor, and he doesn't come to. He may bebadly hurt, thought it doesn't show."
"Oh, mother!" faltered the girl. "Poor Jack!"
"Eh? What's the matter? Who's calling me?" asked Jack himself in a faintvoice. It was as though he had murmured in his sleep. He slowly opened hiseyes.
"Oh, mother! It's all right! He's waking up!" Jennie exclaimed. "We won'tneed a doctor right away. Oh, Jack, what happened you?"
Jack's senses were slowly but surely clearing. His head hurt him very much,but that terrible, sick feeling was passing away. He was in a daze yet, andthe voices of Jennie and her mother seemed far away, indeed.
"Why I'm here--in the post office!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, with moreenergy than before. His eyes were wide open now, and he looked about thefamiliar room.
"Of course you're in the post office, or, rather, in our sitting room thatopens from it," said Jennie.
"But the mail! The mail!" Jack suddenly cried, trying to sit up. The motionsent such a rush of blood to his head that he had to fall limply back.
"I--I'll be all right in a minute," Jack said, after a pause. "But whatabout the mail? Tell me that! Did I bring it through safely?"
"That's what you did!" exclaimed Mrs. Blake. "It was safe on your saddle,and you were tied fast to your pony. Who did that."
"I did it myself," Jack answered. "But I'm glad I brought the mail insafely. I was afraid I couldn't do it, but I did."
"Do you mean to say you roped yourself fast that way?" demanded Jennie,somewhat incredulously.
"I did," Jack replied.
"Why, the idea! We thought the hold-up men did."
"I did it to fool the hold-up rascals," said Jack. He was feeling betterevery minute now, and when he had taken some of the spirits of ammonia Mrs.Blake held out to him, his head cleared very much.
"One of them, named Ryan, put up a game on me," Jack explained. "He triedto get me to take a drugged drink, and, when I refused, though of course Ididn't know it was drugged, he put some stuff in my coffee. Queer stuff itmust be. For it certainly knocked me out, but I don't feel nearly so badnow."
Just what sort of drug it was that Ryan used on Jack was never revealed. Itwas said later that the man himself had once been an expert chemist, and heprobably knew the secrets of drugs better than the average criminal.Whatever it was he gave Jack, it left no harmful after effects, and forthat the pony rider was thankful.
"Do you want a doctor?" asked Mrs. Blake. "We'll send for one, Jack, if yousay so."
"No, I think I'll be all right," he answered. "I'm feeling better by theminute. Oh, but I was sick!" and he shuddered at the recollection. "Butwhere is the mail?" he demanded, and this time he followed his question bysitting up. "Where is it?" he repeated.
"Tim brought it in," Jennie replied. "I haven't opened it yet. There was somuch excitement when we saw what a state you were in that I let the mailwait. There's a crowd outside now, waiting to hear the story."
"Well, I don't feel like telling them," said Jack. "I want to sit here andrest. Is Sunger all right?"
"Yes," Mrs. Blake reported. "I'll go out and tell the folks something ofwhat happened. Later on they can hear the whole story. But shan't I notifythe sheriff or some one, and have them get after this Ryan? What became ofhim?"
"The last I saw of him was when he was sitting in the restaurant," Jackanswered. "He said good-bye in the friendliest fashion. And to think of thetrick he played on me! Said he'd see me again, the scoundrel!"
"And did he see you again?" asked Mrs. Blake.
"No," Jack answered. But he did not know how Ryan had pursued him, and thendisappeared.
"He must have had it all figured out," the lad went on. "He planned to comeup to me after I had fallen unconscious. Then he'd take the mail. Are yousure it's safe?" he asked again.
"Yes," replied Jennie. "I'll bring it in here and let you see it ifnecessary."
"No, I'll go out to it," replied Jack. "I'm feeling almost myself again."
"Better take a little more rest," suggested Mrs. Blake.
She had gone outside to explain matters to the waiting and anxious crowd,which, having had its curiosity satisfied, in a measure, now dispersed.Some of the younger lads went over to the stable where Sunger was resting.They wanted to look at, and marvel over, the plucky pony that had done somuch to safeguard Jack and the mail.
Jack got to his feet. He had, however, overestimated his strength, for hetottered and would have fallen had not Jennie put out her hands to steadyhim.
"Look out!" she cautioned him.
"Humph! I'm a regular girl!" complained Jack, somewhat ashamed of hisweakness.
"Take care!" Jennie playfully retorted. "Girls are a whole lot better thanboys, in many ways."
"Yes, I know," confessed Jack. "If it were not for you and your mother Idon't know what I'd do. But I guess I can walk now. Queer how that stuff,whatever it was, knocked me out."
"Here, drink this," suggested Mrs. Blake, and she held out a cup of coffeeshe had brewed.
"Coffee!" Jack exclaimed, with a grim smile. "Are you sure it's all right?"
"No drug in that," Jennie's mother assured him. "It will make you feelbetter. Then I'll get supper. You can eat, can't you?"
"Yes, my appetite doesn't seem to have left me in spite of what I wentthrough. I didn't take much in that restaurant. I was too anxious to getaway with the mail."
Jack drank the coffee, and it made him feel better. Then he said:
"Now for the mail. I want to see it opened, Jennie, so I'll know just whatit was I brought through."
"But you're not going on through to Rainbow Ridge to-night, are you?" sheasked anxiously.
"I guess not," was his answer. "Can't tell though, until I see what's inthe mail. I may have to."
"Well, we'll just not let you!" exclaimed Mrs. Blake with vigor. "If thereis anything that has to go through I'll get Tim, or some one else, to ridethe trail. We'll even send two men if necessary."
"Oh, I can't give up that way!" Jack protested.
"Well, maybe there isn't anything to carry," suggested Jennie. "I'll openthe mail and we'll look."
She turned the key in the lock of the first sack, and spilled the contentsout on the sorting table. Almost the first thing she and Jack saw was aflat package, sealed with red wax. Jack quickly turned it over.
"It's for Mr. Argent!" he exclaimed. "I wonder if these can be theimportant letters and plans he is expecting? They must be, and that's whyRyan tried to get them!"
Jennie said nothing, but looked at Jack with troubled eyes.