CHAPTER XXVI.
A BOLD PROPOSAL.
"Suppose we take a tally, and see just about how the game stands rightnow," suggested Donald, presently, after they had stood there for a bitlistening to the various sounds of the night that was in all probabilitybound to mark the turning point of Bar-S Ranch's fortunes, either up ordown.
The cattle were uneasy in the corrals. Plainly they objected to thissummary way of taking them from the pasture-land and shutting them upbetween walls, even if the confines did consist for the most part of afence-like structure.
They bellowed more or less, and roamed around, as though in hopes offinding a weak spot where they might force an exit.
But thanks to the great care of Uncle Fred, who knew steers from theground up, not a loophole of a chance for such a thing happening hadbeen left, unless human hands started to make the break.
As Adrian well knew, if the heavy animals had had the intelligence toform themselves into a "flying squad," such as proves so effective infootball, nothing could have kept them within those flimsy bounds; buttheir efforts were all along the individual line, and therefore futile.
"That isn't a bad idea," was the way Adrian answered this propositionput forward by his chum.
"In the beginning, then," continued Donald, "we knew there were five ofthese unreliables in the fold, for Uncle Fred mentioned their names. Wehad our eyes on the bunch when driving in the herds, though they seemedto behave halfway decent, and did their share of the work at that time.Now, one we heard had been sent with a message to Hatch Walker; thatleft four, didn't it, Ad?"
The other laughed softly.
"Say, do you know what you make me think of, when you put it in thatway?" he remarked, still chuckling.
"How should I?" demanded Donald.
"Remember the old nursery rhyme we used to have long ago about the 'ninelittle Injuns swingin' on a gate; one fell off, and then there wereeight!'"
Donald laughed too, at hearing that.
"Yes, this is something along the same order," he declared, "onlyinstead of beginning with ten we start with only five; and I've alreadycut that number down a notch. Then there was that chap you wounded outby the haystacks--Uncle Fred fixed his arm, and has got Charley Moostanding guard over him in the bunk house, with orders to shoot him downif he even tries to cut out. You might think he'd use the big house fora prison, but--well, under the circumstances it would hardly be the safething to do."
"On account of my Aunt Josie, you mean, don't you, Donald?"
"Yes, to say what's on my mind, that's the stuff," replied the other."She's in league with this riffraff element, because her brother isHatch Walker himself, and blood is thicker than water, they say. Ireckon, now, the lady has been brought up to be in touch with rustlersand all such, so that she believes in their ways of getting otherpeople's property without paying for the same."
"Don't be afraid to speak what's on your mind, just because she happensto be my aunt by marriage," said Adrian. "Uncle Fred as much as admitsthat he was played for and caught by the widow. He's been bitterly soreabout it ever since; but since she's his wife he's tried to do the rightthing. And if she hadn't happened to be related to the Walkers, andinfluenced to back up their schemes for robbing the Bar-S Ranch rightalong, he never would have gone back on her. Uncle Fred isn't that kindof a man, you see."
"Yes, I know," Donald went on to say, "but let's drop that subject now,and get back to where we started. Two of the hard crowd we can accountfor, and they're out of the game, I reckon. That left three more. Wehope they've skipped, and gone over where they belong, with the enemy;but we don't _know_, and that's where most of our danger lies, in myopinion."
"Oh!"
When Adrian uttered this one word there was considerable significance inconnection with it. The fact was he realized right then and there thathis chum had not commenced this counting up the disposition of the enemywithout some motive back of it besides mere curiosity.
"Now, three fellows may not stand for a heap when they're facing yourgun, and you've got a fair chance to pepper the same as they come on,"continued Donald; "but that number of snakes in the grass, lying low,and out of sight, ready to give you a tap on the head, or a thrust inthe back with a knife, can demoralize almost any garrison. You knowthat, Adrian, don't you?"
"I think I know now what you're getting at," remarked the other. "You'reafraid that when nobody was looking those three traitors have slippedinto the ranch house and are hiding there right now, waiting to betipped off as to when they ought to attack us in the rear, while we'refully occupied with defending our front--is that your idea, Donald?"
"Well, it'd be about like the lady of the ranch to fix up a smart gamelike that, and spring it on us when we weren't looking," the Arizona boyremarked.
"And you've got some sort of remedy up your sleeve, I'm sure of that,"Adrian told his chum, with confidence in his voice.
"I admit it," replied Donald, immediately. "That was why I led up tothis by telling how two of the five had been put out of the game, andmeaning that according to my notions no army can do its best fightingtill they've cleaned out any traitors in the ranks."
"And what's the answer; because I'm dead sure you've thought up aremedy, Donald?"
"One of us had ought to find out whether those three punchers are reallyhid away in the ranch house," came the prompt reply.
"All right! I think that's a good idea; and I'll select myself as theone to go and learn if it's so," said Adrian, as quick as a flash.
At that Donald grumbled a little.
"Now, see here, I didn't expect that you'd take me up like that," heobjected. "It was my scheme, and I ought to have had a fair show ofcarrying it out. Even if we had to draw straws to see who'd get thelongest, you shouldn't cut me off just like you thought I mightn't beequal to it, Ad."
"You know it isn't that," said his chum, laying a hand on his armaffectionately. "You're capable of doing anything that I dare attempt,Donald; but this happens to be a case where it seems like I should bethe one to go."
"How do you make that out, I want to know?" asked Donald.
"First place, it's my property that's in danger, and that ought to countfor something, hadn't it? Then stop and think, haven't I been allthrough this ranch house hundreds of times as a boy, and oughtn't itstand to reason that I'd know it better than you would? Own up, Donald,now; ain't that the truth?"
"I s'pose I'll have to," complained the other; "only I sort of hopedyou'd agree to let me go, because I thought of the scheme first. Butsay, why couldn't we both take hold, and push it through? There's threeof the dodgers in there if there's one; and that'd make it more even."
"But we wouldn't mean to try and capture them, you see," Adriancontinued; "and one could do the spying better than a pair. Besides,every man is needed out here to guard the corrals, unless we want tohave the cattle let out, when chances are, we'll never get half of thesame back again."
Donald had to give it up at that point.
"Oh! well," he went on to say, whimsically enough, "I reckon I'mcounted out this trip; but all the same, I'm not sorry I thought upthe idea. Whether you find the bunch lying low in there or not, it'llbe something to know the truth. If they ain't back of us, we'll beable to face the Walker tribe with more confidence, just becausethose three mule-skinners[1] can't rush us from the rear."
"Let's hunt up Uncle Fred," suggested Adrian.
"You want to tell him about it, I reckon, Ad?"
"Why, yes, he had ought to know; and p'raps now he might be able to giveme a few pointers that would come in useful," the other went on to say,as they started to pass along the outside of the big corral which theywere guarding.
"What if he offered to go himself; would you let him?" asked Donald,still feeling a little hurt because he had been deprived of theprivilege of playing the part of spy.
"Honest now, I think I would," chuckled Adrian; "but between us there'sa mighty slim chance of that happening; because, you must remember who'sin t
he ranch house at this minute; and Uncle Fred isn't going to puthimself in any position where he's likely to come suddenly face to facewith his wife."
"That settles it, and you go," muttered Donald, as though realizing thatwhat his comrade said was the truth.
They soon ran upon the ex-manager. Uncle Fred seemed to have quiteforgotten the fact that he had been deposed from the command of theforces belonging to the cattle ranch, for he was bustling around at agreat rate, giving his orders in a low but positive tone, and seeingthat they were faithfully executed, too.
When he heard what Adrian proposed to do he immediately declared that itmet with his approbation.
"I've been worrying some myself," he observed, "about what'd become ofthose three skunks, because they have sure enough disappeared like theground had opened and swallowed the lot. And just as like as not they_are_ hid in the house somewhere; and ought to be yanked out by theheels, so we could put 'em alongside Burke. I'd feel a whole heap easierin my mind if I knew we had the four of 'em tied, neck and crop, so theycouldn't do us any damage unbeknown."
"Then you approve of my going in to find out, do you, Uncle Fred?"Adrian asked.
"Yes, only be very careful how you get around, son," replied therancher. "When you make sure they're inside, come out right away,without trying to do a single thing. You press the button, and we'll dothe rest. Now, p'raps I had ought to go myself, as I'm best acquaintedwith the inside arrangements of the house; but--er, you see, I've got myhands full as it is out here; and something might go wrong while I wasaway. But you understand, don't you Adrian; so go ahead; and here'shoping you'll have the best of luck. Yes, I'm coming right away, Curly;just stay where you are a minute and I'll be with you," saying which thestockman hurried off, leaving the two boys chuckling to themselves.
"Yes," said Adrian, softly, "we know all about it, don't we, Donald?"
Footnote:
[1]: Mule-skinner is a name given to teamsters in the West, and as they prove to be pretty hard cases and tough citizens as a rule, it is sometimes used to contemptuously refer to one who deserves terms of reproach.