CHAPTER XVIII
ON A PERILOUS HIDE
"Grab him! Don't let him get by you!"
One of the ponies swept by Tad Butler like a black projectile. Theboy's hand shot out, fastening itself in the pony's mane.
Tad's feet left the ground instantly, his body being jerked violentlyinto the air, only to strike the earth again a rod further on. Sorapidly was the pony moving, that the boy was unable to pull himselfup sufficiently to mount it.
Almost in a twinkling Tad had been lifted out of the camp and whiskedfrom the sight of his companions. The lad was taking what he realizedto be the most perilous ride of his life.
As soon as he was able to get his breath, he began coaxing the pony,but the continual bobbing of his body against the side of theterrified animal outweighed the persuasive tones of his urging. Witheach bump, the little animal, with a frightened snort, would leap intothe air and plunge ahead again.
Tad did not know to which of the ponies he was clinging. Nor did hefind an opportunity to satisfy himself on this point.
His flesh was torn from contact with thorns, while his face was ribbedfrom the whipping it had received by being dragged through the thickundergrowth, until tiny rivulets of blood trickled down his cheeks andneck.
Yet Tad Butler clung to the mane of the racing pony with desperatecourage. He had not the slightest thought of letting go until hoshould finally have subdued the animal.
"Whoa, Texas! Whoa, Jimmie! Whoa, Jo-Jo!" he soothed, trying the nameof each of the ponies in turn. But it was all to no purpose. Finally,the little animal slackened its speed, somewhat, as it began theascent of a steep rise of ground. Tad took instant advantage of theopportunity, and, after great effort, succeeded in throwing his righthand over the pony's back. Then his right leg was jerked up. It camedown violently on the animal's rump.
Startled, the pony sprang forward once more, causing Tad to slide backto his former unpleasant position. But the boy had succeeded ingetting a mane-hold with his right hand as well. This was a distinctgain, besides relieving the fearful strain on his left hand, thefingers of which were now cramped and numb. Hardly any sense offeeling remained in them. Instead of being dragged along on his leftside, the plucky lad was now able, with great effort, to keep his faceto the front.
"If I could only get my hand on his nose and pinch it now, I'd stophim," breathed Tad Butler.
In the meantime, excitement at the camp was at fever heat. Lige hadfailed to bring down the cougar and every one of the ponies haddisappeared.
"Bring torches!" commanded the guide calmly, not wishing to let theboys see that he was in the least disturbed. "We must try to round upsome of the stock. One of you build up the fire."
"But Tad?" urged Walter. "Don't you know Tad's gone? He'll be lost. Wemust go after him at once."
"That's what I want you to start the fire for--so he can see it.He'll come back with the pony. No fear about that, for Tad Butleris not the boy to give up until he has accomplished what he's setout to do. One of you must remain here, though, while the rest ofus go out to look for the stock. Will you stay, Ned?"
"I will," answered the boy, though far from relishing the taskassigned to him.
"You have your rifle. Signal us by shooting into the air if anythinghappens. But be careful. Don't get the 'buck fever' and let go at us,or at Tad, if he should return before we get back."
"I'll be careful," answered the boy. "Please don't worry about me. Anydanger of that cougar jumping down on me here?" he asked, glancingapprehensively at the rocks overhead.
"I think not. He's gone. We shall be more likely to see him than youwill. It's the ponies the brute's after. And he may have gotten one ofthem before this," added the guide.
Ned pluckily took his station just outside the circle of light formedby the replenished fire, and sat down with rifle laid across hisknees.
The guide, with Walter Perkins and Stacy Brown, set off at a trot insearch of the stampeded ponies. At Lige's direction they spread out soas to cover as much ground as possible, the torches making it wellnigh impossible for any of them to get lost.
"Call your ponies," advised the guide. "We may be able to pick up someof them in that way after they have spent themselves."
Yet, though the forest rang with their calls, no trace were they ableto find of the missing animals.
"No use," announced Lige finally. "We shall only get lostourselves. It will be better to return to camp and wait fordaylight. If the cougar is going to eat any of them, he probably hasthem by this time. However, I think my shooting has frightened himoff, and that he is several miles from here by now. That was my mainobject in wasting so much ammunition on the beast."
"Yes, but what are we going to do about Tad?" insisted Walter.
"If he has not returned, we can do nothing more than to keep thefire burning and discharge our guns now and then to let him knowwhere we are. When daylight comes, I probably shall be able tofollow his trail. But first of all we must get the ponies. We cando nothing without them."
"Do you think we ever shall find them?" asked Stacy.
"I most certainly hope so. At least, I expect to get some of them. Ifany are then missing, we can buy a couple at Eagle Pass, which is notvery far. But you trust Master Tad to take care of himself. He'll getback somehow, My duty is to remain with you boys. We will look him uptogether when we get something to ride on."
The little band trudged ruefully through the dark forest on theirreturn to camp, guided carefully by Lige, without whom they surelywould have lost their way.
In the meantime, Tad had been dragged over an entire mountain range,the ranges in this case, however, being no more than a succession ofsummits of low peaks. The pony had reached the top of one of thesewhen, without pausing in its mad course, it dashed on over the crest,and started down the opposite side.
All at once Tad realized that they were treading on thin air. Themeaning of it all, smote him like a blow.
"We're over the cliff!" he groaned.