CHAPTER IX
THE CATTLE BUYER
Dejectedly, and fearing the worst, the boys piled out of the automobileinto the pelting rain. They did not stop to put on their slickers, soeager were they to see the extent of the damage. It was bad enough, forthe wheel was smashed and the end of the axle bent.
“That means a lay-up,” said Jerry. “We’ve got a spare wheel, but wecan’t get it on the axle until it’s straightened. Bur-r-r-r! This issome rain!”
“Guess this is up to me, fellows,” gloomily remarked Ned. “I shouldhave put on the chains at the start.”
“Oh, well, it couldn’t be helped,” said Jerry.
“It was the fault of that fellow who told us to take this road,” Bobsaid. “If we’d taken the other we’d be going yet.”
“Oh, you can’t tell by that,” came from Jerry. “The other road might beworse in this storm. Let’s get inside out of the wet and talk it over.We’ve got to do something.”
“Better jack up the car to take the strain off the other end of theaxle,” suggested Bob.
As they crawled back into the car again Professor Snodgrass, whowas snugly ensconced in the rear, reading a book by the light ofthe electric lamp, looked over the tops of his spectacles andabsent-mindedly asked:
“Have we stopped?”
“Didn’t you feel it?” asked Jerry in some surprise.
“Why, I felt a jar, a while ago, but I paid no attention to it. Iforgot it immediately. You see, I was so engrossed in this book onfrogs’ legs that----”
“Does it tell new ways to cook ’em?” asked Bob, eagerly.
“Cook what?” the professor questioned.
“Frogs’ legs,” went on Bob. “They’re great fried in butter, but ifthere’s another way----”
“This is a book about the actions of frogs’ legs under the impulses ofan electrical current,” replied the professor rebukingly. “I never eatsuch things.”
Leaving the professor to continue his reading, only half aware of whathad happened, the boys set about making the best of a bad situation.
Attired in garments that defied the rain, which was coming down hard,they jacked up the fallen end of the car and removed the broken wheel.It had been badly smashed by the impact against the tree, but as theyhad a spare one this feature was not the worst. The axle was bent, anduntil it was either straightened or a new half inserted, they could notrun. The rear axles of automobiles are in two parts, the differentialsjoining them, so to speak, for as each rear wheel must run independentof the other, to allow for different speeds when rounding corners, sothe axles go at different rates.
“This is a job for a garage, if we can find one,” observed Jerry, ashe contemplated the bent axle. “We’ll have to stay here all night, Ireckon, and somebody will have to go on a scouting expedition.”
“I’ll go!” quickly volunteered Ned. “It’s up to me, anyhow.”
“I’ll go along,” said Bob. “I want the exercise.”
“To get up an appetite,” suggested Jerry with a laugh. “Well, go on,and I’ll get the place in shape for a night’s sleep. Tell the garageman what the trouble is, Ned, and maybe he can bring out a spare axlein the morning and fix us up.”
“I’ll try,” promised Ned; and he and Bob soon splashed off through therain down the muddy road.
Jerry busied himself with arranging the curtains and getting the cotsin position for a night’s stay in the open. The location of the carwas not the most favorable or comfortable, for it was to one sideof the road, tilted at an angle and jammed against a big oak tree.However, the last fact was rather an advantage, since the dense foliagefurnished some shelter from the rain.
The ground was water-soaked though, and Jerry was contemplating thiswhen he saw coming along the road a big auto-truck.
The machine stopped when opposite the stalled automobile, and thedriver, leaning out from under his canopy, enquired kindly:
“Can I give you a tow?”
“Thanks, I’m afraid not,” answered Jerry. “One axle is bent, and we’llhave to tie up here. If you had a board floor for our auxiliary tentI’d buy that of you.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t got such a thing on board,” was the laughinganswer. “But how would a bale of hay do? I’ll sell you one if you like,and you can scatter that on the damp ground the way they do straw at acircus when it rains.”
“Fine!” cried Jerry. “What is your craft, anyhow, a traveling farm?”
“No, but I happen to have a load of feed and grain on, and there is anextra bale of hay. I’ll tumble it off for you.”
He did so after naming the price, and when the wires had been cutJerry, with the professor’s help, spread out on the damp groundseveral layers of the dry hay. It was almost as good as a board floor.
“That’s great!” Jerry said as he paid the man. “If you happen to seetwo fellows splashing along through the mud, looking for a garage,” headded, describing Ned and Bob, “you might give them a lift.”
“I will,” agreed the driver. “I’ll take them to the nearest repairshop, too.”
He was as good as his word, and about an hour later Jerry heard thechugging of an automobile. In it, returning with the garage men, werethe two scouts who told of having been picked up on the road and takeninto town.
“I thought I’d take a run out to see what the damage looked like beforeI started on the repairs in the morning,” said the garage man who hadbrought Ned and Bob back with him. “Yes, I guess I can fix you up allright,” he said as he finished his inspection. “I’ll have you under wayagain by ten o’clock.”
This was good news, and the boys, when the portable stove was going andthey were gathered about it eating supper, felt their spirits raisedseveral degrees. True, they did not relish the delay, but they wouldnot lose many hours, and they did not intend to do much night drivinganyhow.
The weather cleared with the rising sun and with it came the repairgang who did good work in putting in the new axle. Then, having wiredfor another spare wheel to be awaiting them on their arrival in thenext large city, the travelers were once more on their way. But as theclay road was in bad shape, they went back to the dividing fork andtook the longer route, which they found safer.
This accident seemed to be the end of the boys’ bad luck, at least fora time. For from then on they struck good roads and the weather was allthat could be desired. They even made three night drives with a fullmoon to show them a safe way, and so they were a little ahead of theirschedule when they reached Des Moines.
There they found awaiting them letters from home, since they hadarranged to get them at this stopping place in Iowa. They planned tostay here one day to enable their automobile to be gone over thoroughlyby a garage man. They also needed to get some supplies.
“Well, so far so good,” remarked Jerry, when they had left their car tobe inspected and were on their way to the hotel.
“Yes, we’re over half there,” commented Ned, “and only one accidentworth mentioning.”
“Knock wood,” advised Bob. “We’ve got a long way to go yet.”
The boys had been in Des Moines before, but it was a new place forProfessor Snodgrass. He rather bewailed the fact that such bugs andinsects as he caught glimpses of were so common that they were notworth collecting. But when, after registering at the hotel with theboys he saw on the book the name of a fellow scientist he was happy.
“I shall not lack for occupation now,” he said beamingly. “I want tohave a talk with Professor Bowden, a long talk. He has written the onlyauthoritative book in existence on the markings of horned toads and itwill be a great pleasure for me to compare notes with him, for I havemade some observations of those creatures myself.”
This was true enough, for the professor on his trip to Mexico had hadexcellent chances to note the habits of these curious reptiles, whichlook much fiercer and more dangerous than they really are, for in spiteof their horny spines they may be picked up and handled without danger.Though called “toads,” t
hey are really a form of lizard.
“Well, that disposes of the professor,” observed Jerry. “Only wemustn’t forget him when we start off again. He’s likely to stay up allnight talking bugology. And now for a little recreation. Let’s go tothe movies.”
They passed an enjoyable afternoon, and were sitting in the hotellobby, waiting for the supper hour, when a flashily-attired man, witha big diamond in his scarf and another on his left hand, dropped into achair beside Jerry and remarked:
“Strangers in town?”
“Well, not exactly,” was the answer, Jerry not altogether relishing theappearance of the man. “We’ve been here once or twice before.”
“That’s what I thought. You didn’t look like greenies. I’m notaltogether a stranger here though I don’t know many folks. Cattlebuying is my business. I’m on my way farther west. Just stopped offhere to do a little business. Like to have a game of cards?”
“We don’t play,” and Jerry’s suspicions began to rise.
“Oh, well, no offense. Lots of good people play and lots of good onesdon’t. How about billiards?”
“Not now, thank you,” was the answer. “I guess it’s about time to eat,anyhow.”
“Well, see you after supper,” said the bediamonded man, not a bitabashed by his cool reception. “No use being lonesome,” and he strolledover to the cigar counter as the boys got up.
“Who is he?” asked Bob.
“You know as well as I do,” was Jerry’s answer. “He said he was acattle buyer.”
Jerry said this as he was passing the hotel clerk’s desk. The man madea motion as though he wanted to speak to Jerry, and when the latterleaned forward the clerk said:
“Don’t get into any games with that man. I don’t know him, though I’veseen him around here the last few days. I think he’s a professionalsport and gambler.”
“He’s dressed the part,” answered Jerry. “Thanks for the tip. We’llsteer clear of him.”
As Jerry and his chums turned to go into the dining-room they heard theman who had tried to scrape an acquaintance with them talking in loudtones to someone near the cigar counter.
“Yes, cattle buying is my business,” he was saying, “though I have acouple of side lines. I’m on my way now to a place in Wyoming where Iexpect to do a good trade.”
“Wyoming!” was the reply of the other. “I’m from there. What ranch didyou say yours was?”
“I didn’t say, but I expect to buy some cattle from the Square Zoutfit.”
Jerry, Ned and Bob stood still in surprise.