CHAPTER XII
ROUGH RIDERS IN THE SADDLE
The afternoon had grown old when a distant "C-oo-ee-e," told them thatLige Thomas was on his way back to camp.
They answered his call with a wild whoop, and were for rushing off tomeet him. But Professor Zepplin advised them to remain where they wereand get the fire going in case Lige had failed to find the packtrain. He no doubt would bring food of some kind with him. The firewould be ready and thus no time would be lost in preparing the firstmeal of the day, which, in this case, would be breakfast, dinner andsupper all in one.
The boys awaited the guide's approach with impatience, some pacingback and forth, while others coaxed the fire into a roaring blaze, atthe same time confiding to each other how hungry they were.
After what had seemed an interminable time they heard Jose urgingalong the lazy burros.
It was a gladsome sound to this band of hungry boys, whose ordinarilyhealthy appetites, under the bracing mountain air and the long fast,had taken on what the Professor described as a "razor edge."
"Now you may go," he nodded.
With a shout, the boys dashed pell-mell to meet the pack train, and,falling in behind the slow-moving burros, urged them on with derisiveshouts and sundry resounding slaps on the animals' flanks.
"Had anything to eat!" asked the guide.
"Not enough to give us indigestion," answered Ned. "Cold water is themost nourishing thing we've touched since last night."
"But I left you a rabbit. Didn't you find it?"
"We did not. It must have come to life some time during the night anddug its way out," laughed Tad.
"And we've got a surprise for you," announced Stacy, swelling withpride.
"What's it all about?" laughed the guide.
"You'll see when you get to camp," answered Chunky. "I don't need gunsto hunt with. A stout club for mine."
After having shown the cat to Lige and getting his promise to teachthem how to skin it, the boys set to with a will to assist in theunpacking. While they were pitching the tents over the pine cots Josegot out his Buzzacot range, which he started up in the open, and in afew moments the savory odors of the cooking reached the nostrils ofthe Pony Riders, drawing from them a shout of approval.
By the time the meal was ready the tents had been pitched and the boyshad returned from the spring, rubbing their faces with their coarsetowels, their cheeks glowing and their eyes sparkling in anticipationof the feast.
Chunky reached the table first, greedily surveying what had beenplaced on it.
"Hooray, fellows!" he shouted. "Hot biscuit and--and honey. What doyou think of that?"
"Honey? Why, Mr. Thomas, where did you get honey?" asked Walter.
"Found a bee tree on my way back, and cut it down. I think you willfind there is enough of it to double you all up," grinned Lige.
"We'll take all chances," advised Ned. "But what's this! It looks likejam."
"Jam?" exclaimed Chunky, stretching his neck and eyeing the dishlongingly.
"Yes; wild plum jam," answered the guide.
"Wow!" chuckled Stacy under his breath.
"Now, fall to, young gentlemen," directed the Professor. "I am free toadmit that I am hungry, too. I think I shall help myself to some ofthat wild plum jam and biscuit, first It reminds me of old times. Wesometimes had jam when I was with the German----"
"Army," added Ned.
"Yes."
But the Professor was lost in his enjoyment of the biscuit, which hehad liberally smeared with the delicious jam.
Chunky did even better than that. He buried his biscuit under a layerof jam, over which he spread a thick coating of honey.
Ned fixed him with a stern eye.
"Remember, sir, that a certain amount of dignity befits the office ofpresident of the Pony Riders Club," he said.
Chunky colored.
"It's good, anyway."
"Then, I think I'll try some myself," announced Ned, helping himselfliberally to the honey and jam. "I'd lose my dignity for a mouthfulof that, any day," he decided after having sampled the combination."President Brown, I withdraw my criticism. I offer you my humbleapologies. You are not only the champion hunter of the Pony Riders,but you also are the champion food selector and eater. Next thingwe know you'll be providing us with bear steak."
"Bears, did you say?" demanded Stacy in a voice not unmixed withawe. "Are there bears up here?"
"I reckon there are," smiled the guide. "We are in the bear countrynow. I had a tough battle with one in a cave not far from here,several years ago. I came near losing my life too, and----"
"A cave?" interrupted Tad.
"Yes, the country is full of caves. Some of them are so big thatyou would lose yourself in them almost at once; while others aremerely dens where bears and other animals live. Besides this, thereare many abandoned mines up the range further. All are more or lessinteresting, and some, for various reasons, are dangerous to enter."
"Shall we see any of them?" asked Tad eagerly.
"All you want. Perhaps we may even explore some if we come acrossany," said the guide.
This announcement filled the boys with excitement.
"What I want to know, is, when do we go hunting?" asked Ned.
"That depends. Perhaps Tuesday. We shall need a dog. But I know anold settler who will lend us his dog, if it is not out. Of course,dogs can't follow the trail of an animal as well, now, as they couldwith snow on the ground. But this dog, you will find, is a wonder. Hecan ride a pony, or do almost anything that you might set him at."
"I think I'll ride my own pony and let the dog walk," announced Ned.
Supper having been finished, the party gathered about the camp firefor their evening chat, after which, admonishing Stacy to keep withinhis tent and not to go borrowing trouble, the boys turned in for asound sleep.
As yet, they had been unable to attempt any fancy riding with theirponies, owing to the rugged nature of the country through which theyhad been journeying. So in the morning they asked Lige if he knew of aplace where they could do some "stunts," as Ned Rector phrased it.
The guide said that, by making a detour in their journey that day,they would cross table lands several acres in extent and covered withgrass.
"And come to think of it, that will be an ideal place for us to dropoff for our noon meal," he added. "We'll let Jose go on again, and Idon't think he can lose himself so easily this time. The trail is soplainly marked that he can't miss it."
The boys were now all anxiety to start, while the ponies, after theirSunday rest, were almost as full of life as were their owners. Thelittle animals were becoming more sure-footed every day, and Ned saidthat, before the trip was finished, "Jimmie" would be able to walk aslack rope.
An early start was made, so that the party reached the promised tablelands shortly before ten o'clock in the forenoon. A temporary camp wasquickly pitched.
At their urgent request, Professor Zepplin told the boys to go aheadand enjoy themselves.
"But be careful that you don't break your necks," he added, with alaugh. "I guess I had better go along to see that you do not."
They assured him that nothing was further from their intention, andquickly casting aside guns and cartridge belts, they threw themselvesinto their saddles again for a jolly romp.
The great, green field, surrounded on all sides by tall trees, madethe place an ideal one for their purpose.
"Tell you what let's do," suggested Tad. "Suppose we start with arace? We'll race the length of the field and back. We'll do it threetimes, and the one who wins two times out of three will be it."
To this all agreed. Appointing Professor Zepplin as starter, the PonyRiders lined up for the word.
The first heat was run easily, none of the ponies being put to itsutmost speed. Walter Perkins won the heat.
The next two heats were different. This time the battle lay betweenTad Butler and Ned Rector. It was a beautif
ul race, the little Indianponies seeming to enter thoroughly into the spirit of the contest,stretching themselves out to their full lengths, and, with heads on alevel with their backs, fairly flew across the great plot of green.
Up to within a moment of the finish of the second heat the two ponieswere racing neck and neck.
Tad hitched in his saddle a little, throwing the greater part of hisweight on the stirrups. He slapped Texas sharply on the flank with theflat of his hand.
Texas seemed to leap clear of the ground, planting himself on allfours just over the line, the winner by a neck.
The third heat was merely a repetition of the second. All agreed thatTad's superior horsemanship, alone, had won the race for him. Ned tookhis defeat good-naturedly.
By this time, the boys had come to feel fully as much at home in thesaddle as they formerly had been out of it. Even Stacy Brown, thoughhe did not sit his saddle with the same grace that marked the ridingof Tad Butler and Ned Rector, more practiced horsemen, wasnevertheless no mean rider.
"We will now try some cowboy riding," announced Tad, who, as master ofhorse, was supposed to direct the riding of the club. "Who of you canpick up a hat on the run?"
"Don't all speak at once," said Ned, after a moment's silence on thepart of the band.
"I'll show you," promised Tad.
Galloping into camp the boy fetched his sombrero, which he carriedwell out into the field and tossed away. Then, bidding the boys rideup near the spot to watch him, he drew off some ten rods, and,wheeling, spurred his pony to a run.
Tad rose in the stirrups as he neared the spot where the hat lay,keeping his eyes fixed intently upon it.
All at once he dropped to the saddle and slipped the left foot fromthe stirrup. Grasping the pommel with the left hand, he appeared todive head first toward the ground.
They saw his long hair almost brush the grass; one of his hands sweptdown and up, and once more Tad Butler rose standing, in his stirrups,uttering a cowboy yell as he waved the sombrero on high.
The boys howled with delight--that is, all did save Stacy Brown.
"Huh! That's nothing. I can do that myself," he grunted. "I've seenthem do that in the wild west shows too many times not to know howmyself."
Walter smiled, with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Why not show us, then?" he said.
"I will," replied Chunky, confidently.
"Got your life insured?" asked Ned. "If you haven't I would advise youto go easy. Tad is an experienced rider."
"Don't you worry about me, Ned Rector. Guess I know how to ride. Letme have that hat, Tad," he demanded as the latter came trotting up tothe group.
Stacy, his face flushed, determination plainly showing in his eyes,stretched forth his hand for the sombrero. Riding bravely out into thefield, he tossed it to the ground. The first time he rode swiftly byit, leaning over to look at the hat as he passed, holding to thepommel firmly with his left hand.
Stacy dismounted and removed the hat carefully to one side.
"What's that for?" demanded Ned, wonderingly.
"Hat too close to me. I couldn't get it," explained Chunky.
The boys roared.
"Why don't you move the pony? You don't have to move the hat, youninny."
Once more Stacy approached the sombrero, his pony running well, and ashe drew near it, they saw him rise in his saddle just as Tad Butlerhad done a few minutes before.
"By George, he's going to try it," exclaimed Ned.
"Be careful, Chunky," warned Walter.
"He's got to learn," declared Tad.
Then Chunky essayed the feat.
At the moment when he freed his left foot from the stirrup, he threwhis body sharply to the right, reaching for the hat without taking theprecaution to grasp the pommel.
As a result, instead of stopping when he reached the hat, the boy kepton going. Fortunately, his right foot freed itself from the stirrup atthe same time, or there might have been a different ending. Chunkyturned a double somersault, lay still for a moment, then struggled up,rubbing his body gingerly, as the rest of the party came hurrying upto him.
"Are you hurt?" asked Tad apprehensively.
"No; that's the way I always get off," grinned Chunky.