CHAPTER II.
BUD'S BAD BRONCHOS.
It was time for the fall round-up, and Stella had written from heruncle's ranch, in New Mexico, that she and her aunt, Mrs. Graham, werecoming North to do their winter shopping in Denver, and would visit theMoon Valley Ranch to take part in the round-up and the festivities whichthe boys always held at that time.
Her letter did not say when she would be there, but the boys knew herwell enough to expect her at any moment following the letter.
Therefore they were not surprised to hear a clear, high imitation of theMoon Valley yell one morning while they were all sitting at thebreakfast table.
They did not need to be told that Stella Fosdick had come, and withoutado they sprang from the table, overturning chairs in their haste to getout of the house to greet her and her aunt.
"Hello, boys!" she called from the carriage, in which she and Mrs.Graham had driven over from Soldier Butte. "You're a gallant lot ofyoung fellows not to meet us at the station, particularly when I wroteyou that I was coming this morning. I'm real mad." But her smiling facebelied the statement.
"You didn't say when you were coming," said big Ben, who was the firstto reach the carriage step and was helping Mrs. Graham to descend. "Ifwe had taken your general statement that you were coming, to meet you atthe station we would have camped right there forever. Never can tellabout your movements, young lady."
"But I did write that I was coming this morning, and to meet us andtake breakfast with us in the Butte."
"We didn't get that letter. When did you write?"
"Last night."
"That's good. Always take time by the fetlock. We'll get that lettersome time to-morrow. Why didn't you wait and write us to meet you afteryou got here?"
"Saucy as ever, Ben. But we're positively starved. Hello, Song!" shecalled to the Chinese cook, who was standing on the veranda grinninglike a heathen idol, "got anything good to eat?"
"Yes, missee, plenty good glub. Mebbeso you likee some fried ham andeggs?" said Song, shaking hands with himself and bowing low.
"Ham and eggs! No! Positively, no! I'll be turning into a ham and egg ifI get any more of it. That's all the cook at the ranch knows how to do.Anything else?"
"Yes, missee. Plenty paltlidge, what Misto Ted shootee lesterday. Icookee you some plenty quick."
"All right, Song, cook us some partridges."
The boys stood around in a group of admiring servitors waiting to carryStella's hand bag and gun and saddle and other things with which she wasburdened.
Suddenly she looked toward the porch.
"Who's that?" she asked breathlessly, pointing to a little girl whostood shyly beside a post looking on.
"Why, that's Lilian," said Ted. "I didn't know you were up yet," hecalled to the little girl. "Come here, dear, and see Stella. You haven'tforgotten Stella, have you?"
"If it isn't Lilian!" cried Stella, rushing toward the child withwide-open arms and folding her within them.
"I wouldn't have known you, honey," said Stella. "What have you boysbeen doing to her? She's improved so much. Where did you get all theseclothes, and who takes care of her?"
"Isn't she a little beauty?" asked Ted Strong proudly, patting the headof the blushing little girl.
"But how did you do it?" persisted Stella.
"Oh, I went over and saw Mrs. Bingham, the major's wife, at the fort,and asked her to come and advise us what to do. She came and wasdelighted with Lilian, and promised to oversee her wardrobe. She wasgoing down to Omaha, and when she returned she had a trunk full ofthings for Lil. She also brought a colored woman to look after her, andMirandy has proved a blessing and a treasure."
"But the clothes didn't make themselves."
"No, and none of us made them, either, although Bud said he could sew,and insisted upon trying. He cut up several yards of cloth, and at theend of the week, when we saw the product of his needle, he narrowlyescaped lynching. If Lilian had not interceded for Uncle Bud, of whomshe is very fond, I'm afraid we'd have no little Buddy now. No, we sentdown to Omaha for a dressmaker and boarded her in town until she had Lilall fixed up, as becomes the heiress of the La Garita Mines."
"Whose idea is this way of making the things?" demanded Stella, who waslooking Lilian over with critical eyes.
"Oh, we all had a finger in it. I sent away for a lot of fashionmagazines and things of that sort, and we sat up nights as a board ofstrategy and picked out the sort of thing we wanted, and I reckon thereisn't a better-dressed kid in the State."
"I agree with you. Well, Ted Strong, you're a constant wonder to me.Where in the world did you learn to do all the things you do so well?"
"The honeyed flatterer. Quit your joshing, Stella; hand it to Ben. Helikes it, and the thicker it is the more he can stand of it."
"Hello! Breakfast!" called Song from the veranda, and they all troopedback to the living room to finish breakfast and talk about the thingsthey had passed through, and to lay plans for the coming round-upfestivities.
After breakfast Ted and Stella went out to the corral to look at thesaddle stock.
"Why, there's old 'Calamity Jane,'" cried Stella, as a bay pony cametrotting across the corral and put its velvet nose in the hand she heldout.
"Jane knows you, all right," said Ted.
"Sure. Why shouldn't she? I rode her all one season down here. I believeshe wants me to choose her for my own again. Do you, Calamity, oldgirl?"
Calamity Jane, which had at one time been the wickedest and stubbornestmare on the ranch, nickered and again rubbed Stella's hand with hernose.
"Talk about your smart horses," said Stella. "Calamity can do everythingexcept talk. Who's been riding her?"
"Kit. He's wrangler, and he won't let any one on her. He's light, youknow, and he was saving her for you. You'll find that she hasn't beenspoiled at all."
"Then, if Kit has been riding her, she's all right, for if there everwas a horseman it's Kit."
"Isn't she getting fierce?" said a quiet voice behind them. "Say, she'sgetting to be one of these regular society jolliers. She didn't used tobe that way."
They wheeled around to see Kit, who had come up to them in his usualquiet manner.
"Yes," said Ted. "She tried to hand me a package this morning."
"You mean things. That's what a girl gets for being civil andconfidential, and talking as she would like to fellows she thinks areher friends. I'm going back to the house. I don't like you very muchthis morning."
The boys winked at one another.
"Say, Kit, I want Sultan after a while. I'm going to ride down to thelower end of the ranch to look at that bunch of new horses," said Tedcarelessly.
"Oh, may I go with you?" asked Stella eagerly.
"I thought you were mad at us, or I would have asked you."
"I was only fooling. I'll be ready in ten minutes. Let's take Lilianwith us."
"That was what I was going to do. It is time for Lilian's regular ridinglesson. I am trying to make her as good a rider and all-around cowgirlas you, Stella, but I doubt if ever she will."
"Who is jollying now, Mister Ted?" cried Stella, with a laugh, but shewas blushing with pleasure at the compliment.
That is the difference between a boy and a girl. A healthy,well-conditioned boy becomes embarrassed and cross at a well-meantcompliment spoken in the presence of another, believing that the personwho is complimenting him is making fun of him in some unknown and covertway. But to a girl a compliment that is sincere is as grateful as dew toa rose, and Stella always felt much elated when Ted complimented her onher prowess in any of the arts of the range.
They rode away with Lilian, who was learning to ride well for her ageand experience under the best of riding teachers, Ted Strong.
As they were nearing the lower pasture they observed a great commotionamong the horses that were huddled in a fence corner.
"Hello, what's going on there?" exclaimed Ted.
"Looks like the worst sort of a riot," said Stella. "
I believe thoseboys need help."
They could see Bud and Ben and several cowboys circling around thebunch of ponies, evidently trying to get into it, and break it up andscatter it.
"What's the row?" asked Ted, galloping up.
"Thar's a cayuse in thar thet I'd plumb like ter electrocute," said Bud,who was mad clear through. "My, but he's got er bad dispersition."
"Which one?" asked Ted, laughing. "From what I can see there isn't oneof them you could call angelic."
"Thar's ther meanest bunch o' horse meat thet ever come ter this man'sranch, bar none, an' ther prize devil o' ther lot is thet black demon inthar. He near broke my pony's leg a minute ago with a stem-windin' kicksech ez I never see before. Thet hoss is shore double-j'inted."
The horses were bunched, heads in, heels out, around a splendid-lookingblack stallion, which was biting and kicking at everything that camenear him.
"Let him kick his foolish head off," said Ted, viewing the squealing,struggling throng.
"I reckon they're just showin' off because Stella got here thismornin'," said Bud disgustedly. "They're tryin' ter knock us, Stella, byshowin' yer thet we aire a bum lot o' horsemen fer not makin' thembehave first off."
Stella laughed and nodded. She understood.
"Where did you pick up such a mean bunch of horses?" she asked.
"Them hosses is intended fer ther tourneymint what takes place afterther round-up. We're goin' ter hev some roughridin' fer fair here, an'if we all git out with whole bones we shore kin send up a balloon incelebraytion."
"But where did you get them? Were they bred mean on purpose?"
"I reckon not. I bought 'em from ther wild range in Montana. They ain'tseen men closer than a mile, except'n' it wuz Injuns, an' they don'tcount, until we butted in on 'em. They belonged ter ole man Stallings. Ireckon you remember him, what we met on our way ter Fort Grant, when yerrun erway an' got lost on Red Mesa."
Stella nodded.
"I wuz lookin' fer a bunch o' cow hosses. We sold a big run o' 'em ter aNewbrasky cowman who was short o' saddle stock, an' who said he'd heardwe had the best-broke cow ponies in ther West, an' I reckon we had. Hewas willin' ter pay a good price fer our spare stock, an' we unloaded."
"Then you will have to break in a lot of new ones. Isn't that a waste oftime?"
"Young woman, we're ranchmen, not rockin'-chair gents. It's part o' ourbusiness ter take somethin' what ain't much good, an' make it better.That's the way we earn our bread an' bacon."
"So I see."
"Ted says ter me ter go up inter Montana an' pick up a lot o' good,gingery hosses, an' I struck John Stallings. He says ter me, when I mademy wants known, 'Go out on ther range an' he'p yerself,' says he.'They're all mine, an' Ted Strong an' his boys kin hev anythin' I've gotexcept my fam'ly. But,' says he, 'you'll find some purty lively stockout there.'"
"Well, you did," said Stella, laughing.
"I reckon I picked out ther orneriest hosses in the whole West, an' I'msavin' them fer some o' these Smart-aleck cowboys who'll be here fromther ranches round, who think they kin ride," and he winked wisely.
"Gracious, look there!" she cried. "What's Ted trying to do. He'll behurt, Bud."
"No, I reckon not, but I'll git in thar handy ter help him if he needsit. Keep the kid outer ther way if that bunch breaks."
Ted had done what none of the others had succeeded in doing.
He had forced his way into the very center of the bunch of wild horses,wheeling and doubling and riding like a circus performer, to avoid thebatteries of flying heels, until he was close to the wicked blackstallion, which was all that held the bunch together and prevented itfrom being broken up and driven to the upper end of the ranch, where itbelonged.
There was not a moment when he was not in danger. A chance kick mightbreak his leg, or bring down his horse, in which event he must be kickedto death or badly hurt by being trampled on.
But so far they had not been able to reach him.
"Be careful, Ted," cried Stella.
He waved his hand at her with a smile, and she hurried Lilian beyond thereach of danger.
Ted wheeled his horse to face the black brute, which stood looking athim with wicked eyes, its ears flattened like those of a panther. Inspite of its evil temper Ted admired it for its lithe beauty. It was asclean of limb as a thoroughbred, and its black skin shone like polishedebony. While he was looking at it thus it suddenly sprang at him, rearedon its hind legs, striking at him like a boxer. Had he not wheeled onthe instant it would have killed him. Ted was thoroughly angry, and wentto the attack himself, beating the horse about the head with his quirt.When the horse rushed at him through a rain of blows across its nose Tedretreated beyond reach of its hoofs, then attacked it again.
Suddenly the black horse wheeled and presented its heels, and Ted rodearound it, lashing it well, everywhere the whip could reach.
Although the horse continued to lash out with his heels he strucknothing, and always his enemy was at his side or in front.
At last Ted resolved to bring the unequal combat to an end, as Sultanwas tiring of the exercise, so instead of riding around the enragedhorse, he pivoted with it, keeping in front of it all the time andwhipping it on the nose.
The "insurgent" stopped kicking at last and stood with drooping head,trying to shield its face from that cruel, relentless, stinging thingwhich the man creature wielded. He was cowed, but not conquered.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ted drove him backward and clear of hiscompanions. Seeing their leader retreat, the other horses broke theirclose formation, and allowed themselves to be driven down the valley,not without an occasional rebellious kick, however.