CHAPTER XXII.
TED IN THE TOILS.
The following morning an impressive cavalcade set out for the ranch ofColonel Billings, led by the genial owner himself. Behind him came Tedand Stella, between whom rode little Dick.
Then came Mrs. Graham in a well-appointed carriage, and acting as heroutriders and escorts were the boys. When they arrived at the ranch,after passing numerous herds of fine cattle on the way, they found oneof the finest ranch houses in the West.
It was a great, white modern structure that could be seen for milesacross the level prairie, which showed hardly a single rise ordepression in all the miles they had ridden.
None of the guests whom the colonel had told Ted would be presentaccompanied the party. The colonel explained this by saying that othermatters had detained them in town, and that he preferred to permit themto follow, rather than defer the pleasure of being their escort.
This was said with so much sincerity that Ted could not doubt him. Mrs.Graham and Stella were ensconced in a large apartment on the firstfloor, with large windows opening upon a wide veranda.
Both expressed themselves as delighted with their room, much to thegratification of their host. The broncho boys found quarters in thespacious second floor, which had as many rooms as the average hotel.
"Well, what do you think of Colonel Billings now?" Ted asked of Stella,when they met on the broad lawn in front of the ranch house after theyhad seen their rooms.
Stella simply shook her head.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Ted. "That you don't know, or that youdon't care to say?"
"I can't tell you yet, Ted. I like him somehow for his genial ways, andyet something tells me to beware."
"Well, I'd sooner trust your intuition than my judgment. I'll keep aneye on him. And--yet, I feel the same as you in a way. But I hate todistrust any one."
"I know you do, Ted, and that is why you get fooled on some peoplesometimes."
"But not on all people all the time?"
"That's it."
"Then what does one's first impression amount to, anyway?"
"Not much, unless they can make good a good first impression."
"I'm not going to worry about him. The other fellows are the ones forthat."
"That's what I think."
"I'm going to ride out over the range, and take a look at the cattle.Want to go along?"
"Of course I do."
They found their horses in the corral, and after telling ColonelBillings that they would be back for dinner, departed.
"When you go through the west gate into the big pasture, look out for abig Hereford bull in there," Colonel Billings called after them.
Ted nodded and waved his hand, and they were off. Colonel Billingscertainly did have a splendid ranch. They rode for miles within thefences before they came to the west gate.
"Think we better go any farther?" asked Ted, when they had come thisfar.
"Yes. Let us go on," replied Stella. "We have plenty of time, and Iwould like to see just how big this ranch is."
"Don't forget the red bull," said Ted, as he closed the gate behindthem.
"I've seen many a dangerous bull before," laughed Stella.
"If we find him and he takes after us, keep on the far side of me. Idon't much fancy that pony you're on."
"I don't myself. I wish we had a bunch of Moon Valley ponies here toride. I've never seen any that could come up to them."
They were following a trail that led directly into the west. It was acattle trail, and Ted's practiced eye told him that it led to water.Several miles to the west he saw the plain became broken.
"There's water over there," he said.
"That's where we'll find the cattle," answered Stella. "Do you want togo that far and look at them?"
"I will if you think you can stand it."
Stella looked at him scornfully.
"I guess this beast will go the distance," she answered, giving thelittle gray a clip with her quirt, and galloping ahead of Ted, who wasnot slow to follow.
As they proceeded the ground became more and more broken.
"I believe there is a bit of 'bad land' over there," said Ted, pointingforward.
Still they saw no cattle, although Colonel Billings had told him thatmorning that his greatest herd, the one he wished the boys to examinewith the view to purchase, lay in the big west pasture.
But all they could see so far was the broad stretch of green prairie andthe low line of the rough land in the distance. Not a living thing wasin sight.
The only movement was the flying shadows of the white clouds over theprairie, and the waving of the deep, rich grass when a vagrant breezeswept by.
But suddenly Ted pulled in his pony, and shaded his eyes with his hand,staring into the west.
"What is it?" asked Stella, reining in.
"I thought I saw something red shoot across the horizon to the west,where you see those gray rocks," answered Ted.
"A cow--or, perhaps, the dangerous red bull," laughed Stella.
"Nothing like that. It wasn't the right color. Did you ever see ascarlet cow?"
"Never did."
"Well, the thing I saw was scarlet, and it was not shaped like a cow."
He was still looking intently into the west.
"There it is again!" he exclaimed, unlimbering his field glasses.
After a moment of intense scrutiny, he raised the glasses suddenly tohis eyes.
"By Jove!" he cried, "it's a motor car, and I believe it's 118."
"Impossible!" cried Stella.
"No, entirely possible," said Ted intensely. "Don't you see if it wasthis fellow Checkers who got the machine from the agent by falsepretenses he would take it as far away from town as possible?"
"Yes, I see that."
"Then which direction would he take if, as I think, he is in league withthe train-robbing syndicate, which we have persuaded ourselves to thinkmade their headquarters at Green River, but in this direction? We havelearned that others of those we believe to be in it are to be the guestsof this ranch, and--"
"I see. He could not well bring the red car to the ranch house."
"That's it."
"Then where do you suppose he's going with it?"
"There's no better place to hide it than in those very 'bad lands,' if Iam guessing right, at the rough land yonder."
"True. What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to find that red car and my friend, Checkers."
"Not alone, Ted. You're going to get the other boys to help you, aren'tyou?"
"Now is the accepted time. I'm going right away now. But it would be agood scheme for you to ride back to the ranch and tell Bud and the boysquietly what I am about, and have them come out in case I should needhelp."
"I hate to see you ride away alone, Ted. You can't tell what there isover there. Better let me go along."
"No, Stella, it would be no use. You know that I appreciate your courageand skill in every way, but this, probably, will be no work for girls."
Stella pouted at this. She did not like the idea of the long ride backto the ranch house alone.
She looked at Ted to see if he really was in earnest, and when she sawthe look in his face she turned back with a wave of the hand and a "Solong!" and started for the ranch house.
"Tell Bud to bring three or four of the boys out here with him," shoutedTed after her. "Thank you, Stella."
But she only nodded her head and pursued her way, and Ted, after lookingafter her for a moment, rode forward. He had not seen the red car forseveral minutes, it having disappeared behind a rocky butte.
Having a fair horse, he gave it the gad and struck into a gallop. Soonhe entered upon the rough land, and from a rise saw a stream below and aherd of cattle beyond, where the prairie began again; the railroad, anda small red station house, with two or three low buildings about it.
He now understood that he had seen the red car on the far side of theravine, through which the str
eam flowed, and went down to the stream,his horse sliding on its haunches amid a clatter of broken clay andpebbles.
He was soon across and clambered up the other wall of the ravine, andthere in the clay found the impression of the tires of the red car.
"I'm all right now," he muttered to himself. "On the track of Checkersand the robbers' automobile. I wonder where it will end."
He had no difficulty in following the tracks of the automobile for aconsiderable distance, when the ravine ran out on that side and the bankof the stream flattened; and he rode along it, following the trail withease.
Then the bank of the stream rose again, and the water flowed through aravine, into which the red car had entered. It could not escape him, andTed chuckled, and examined his revolver, loosening it well in itsholster, for he had not forgotten the warning against Checkers given himby Chief Desmond.
The ravine grew deeper as he advanced, and soon it became tolerably darkat the bottom where the high walls shut out the light. Suddenly hishorse stumbled, and, as Ted shot over its head, he heard the twang of abroken wire that had been stretched across the path.
He had fallen into a trap. As he struck the earth, he was stunned for amoment, then a heavy weight was upon him.
He twisted around and felt for his revolver, but it had fallen from hisholster, and he felt his arms grasped and a thong passed around hiswrists, and then around his ankles.
The weight was lifted from him and he rolled over on his back. Standingabove him was the man whom he knew as Checkers.
"Well, my lad, you delivered yourself like a lamb to the slaughter,"said Checkers, with a smile.
Ted could say nothing. He was too busy wondering how easily he hadfallen into the toils.
"You went up against a tough proposition when yon tackled me," continuedthe man. "It would have been a good thing for you if you had never runacross me. You know too much to be left alive. I shall see that you areproperly taken care of."
Checkers issued a shrill whistle.
"Come," he said to Ted, "get to your feet."
Ted arose as three men came around an elbow of the wall of the ravine.
"Take care of this boy," said Checkers to them. "And if he escapes--"
He finished the sentence with a smile that made the men wince.