Proudly escorting his mother to the stable, Tad exhibited the vehiclethat he had spent many nights putting together. It was truly acreditable piece of work, and Mrs. Butler made her son happy bytelling him so.
Tad's business venture had proved more profitable than even he haddreamed, and the owners of cars breaking down on the rough road madefrequent use of the invitation extended on the sign. Soon, however,there were so many calls during the day, when the young man was atschool, that he was considering the advisability of taking in apartner who would attend to the towing when he was not available. Theonly reason Tad hesitated was because he feared his assistant wouldnot be considerate of Jinny. Yet this, he told himself, should notdeter him from making the move the moment he found the right sort of aboy to go in with him.
During the past week there had been frequent conferences betweenMrs. Butler and Banker Perkins, and on several occasions Tad's motherhad called at the hank in person. Of all this the young man knewnothing. But one afternoon something did occur to stir him moreprofoundly than he ever had been stirred before.
Ned Rector had called a meeting of the Pony Rider Boys, and the wordwas passed that important business was coining up for discussion.
Tad said he could not spare the time from his business down the road.
"I wish you would take the afternoon off," advised his mother. "Youhave been working hard of late, and I imagine the boys will havesomething to discuss that will be of great interest to you," addedMrs. Butler with a knowing smile.
"W-e-l-l," answered Tad. "If you think I ought to, of course Iwill. What are you going to do?"
"I am going out to take tea with Mrs. Secor. I will leave your supperin the oven and you can help yourself. Besides, it will do Jinny fullyas much good as it will you to have a rest. Have you seen Mr. Perkinsto-day?"
"No. Why?"
"He said something about wanting you to drop in soon, when I saw himdowntown this morning," answered Mrs. Butler softly. "Now, run alongand attend your important meeting, my boy."
"All right," answered Tad cheerily, after a second's hesitation. Heran lightly from the house, whistling a merry tune as he went.
Arriving at the headquarters of the club, he found all the membersthere awaiting him.
"Hello! How's the skate!" they cried in chorus.
"Howdy, fellows," greeted the freckle-faced lad with a pleasedsmile. "Jinny goes when the automobile doesn't. Give me a horse everytime. How's the new pony, Chunky? Been too busy to drop in to look himover."
"I fell off yesterday," replied Stacy Brown with a sheepish grin.
"That's no news," jeered Ned Rector. "I guess we'll have to get a netfor Chunky to perform over. However, fellows, as the notice stated, wehave some very, very important matters to talk over to-day. PresidentBrown will please take his chair and call the meeting to order. Thatis, if he is able to sit down. If not, I think there will be noobjection to his standing up," announced Ned, amid a general laugh.
The president rapped sharply on the floor with his foot, and themembers of the club settled down to the keenest attention.Anticipation was reflected on each smiling face. Tad instinctivelyfelt that there was something behind all of this that he knewnothing about. But he bided his time.
"What is the pleasure of the meeting?" asked the president.
"I move," said Ned Rector, "that our friend and fellow member, WalterPerkins, now take the floor and outline the plans which I understandhe has in mind. I think none of us know what they are, beyoud the factthat some sort of a trip has been planned for us. We are all ears,Mr. Perkins."
Walter rose with great deliberation, a smile playing over his thin,pale features, as he looked quietly from one to the other of his youngfriends.
"Fellow members," he began.
"Hear, hear!" muttered Ned.
Stacy Brown dug his heel into the floor for order.
"As brother Rector already has said, we are soon to take a trip. Thematter has all been arranged. In the first place, our doctor says thatI must spend the summer in the open air--that I must rough it, youunderstand. The rougher the life, the better it will be for me. Hedidn't say so to me, but I overheard him telling father that I wasliable to have consumption, if I did not----"
"You don't mean it?" interrupted Ned with serious face.
"Yes. That's what he said. So they have planned a trip for me and allof you boys are to go along."
"Hooray!" shouted Chunky.
Ned fixed him with a stern eye.
"A president never should forget his dignity," he warned. "Mr. Perkinswill now proceed."
"We all now have our ponies, except Tad Butler, and when we get readyto start we shall have nothing to do but go. Professor Zepplin is toaccompany us. Father has bought him a big new cob horse. The professorwas once an officer in the German army, and he knows how toride--that is, the way they ride over there. He reminds me of astatue on horseback, when he's up. Anyhow, he will go along to seethat we are taken care of."
"When do we go?" asked the president.
"As soon after your school closes as is possible."
"I am afraid our fathers and uncles will have something to say aboutthat," said Chunky with a wry face. "Uncle never would let me go offlike that. It's all very well for you, but with the rest of us it'sdifferent."
Walter smiled knowingly.
"That has all been taken care of, fellows. Tour fathers, as well asmine, know all about it."
"You don't mean it?" marveled Ned.
"Yes."
"Is Tad Butler going on that old skate of his?" bristled Chunky.
"I can't say as to that," answered Walter.
"Well, if he does, it's me for home. Why, we never would get beyoudthe water works station, he would be so slow. Does my uncle know aboutTad's old mare?"
"Never mind about the mare," growled Ned Rector. "We have other andmore important matters to attend to just now."
"Yes, and we shall have to settle among ourselves what we are to takealong, though father said he had a man who would look out for allthat. We are going to rough it, you understand, so we shall have toleave behind all our fine clothes. And sometimes we may go withoutmeals, even. But we all will sleep out-of-doors, most likely, everynight after we get started. In the meantime, I would suggest that wepractice riding--that is, form ourselves into a sort of company witha regular captain. I move that Tad Butler be made captain, and he candrill us."
"You don't need to make that motion," announced Ned, springing to hisfeet, full of excitement. "He will be our captain without beingelected. He already is master of horse. It's now up to Tad to get busyand drill us. We will begin to-morrow afternoon."
Tad, who had taken no part in the conversation, now shook his headslowly, which caused the others to shout in chorus:
"You won't!"
"Of course I will drill you, if you boys wish it. But, you know I can'tgo with you. Therefore, you had tetter make some one of you threefellows the captain."
"Why can't you go?" demanded Ned Rector. "Of course you are going."
"In the first place, I am too busy," answered Tad with a wansmile. "Then there are other reasons. I can't afford it. I must stayat home and earn money this summer. Then, again, I have no pony."
"Oh pshaw!" growled Ned. "That's too bad. I would rather stay at homemyself."
Tad flashed an appreciative glance at him.
"Thank you. But I would rather you went, Ned. I'll drill you willinglyif you boys want me to."
"That's right," approved Walter. "Perhaps something may turn up in themeantime, so you can go with us. It really will spoil our trip if youdon't go along."
"Nothing will turn up. Nothing can turn up. I tell you, I must stay athome with my mother. But I don't even know where you are going. I candrill you to better purpose if I know what sort of riding you expectto do."
"Yes! Where are we going?" demanded Chunky, with quickened interest.
"That's so. I hadn't thought of that. Where did your father say we wereto ride to? We must be going quite a distance away, judging by all thepreparations," besought Ned Rector. "And, by the way, are you sure youare right about this business, Walt?"
"There is no doubt," smiled Walter Perkins good-naturedly. "That iswhat this meeting was called for--to tell you about it. It was leftto me to announce it to you boys, because it is my party, if you wantto call it that. And you want to know where you are going?"
"Yes, of course we do," they shouted.
"Boys, we are going to the Rocky Mountains! We are going over theroughest and wildest part of them. Perhaps we shall go where no whiteman's foot ever has trod. We shall be explorers. What do you think ofit?"
For a full moment no one spoke.
Each was too full of the wonderful news to do more than gape at thespeaker. Only the sound of their labored breathings broke thestillness.
"Will--will there be bears and things there?" asked Stacy,hesitatingly.
"I presume so," smiled Walter.
"Ugh! And snakes?"
"Maybe."
"Rattlers. I've read about them out there," added Ned.
"I--I guess I'll stay home," stammered the president.
"Don't be a baby," jeered Ned. "I rather think you'll be able to standit if the rest of us can. And, besides, Walt's professor will bealong. He'll fix the animals and reptiles with, his cold, scientificeye till they'll be glad to run away and leave us to ourselves."
"You boys are to come over to my house tomorrow night, when father isgoing to tell you more about it. He has not told me everything yet. Buthe directed me to give you the main points of the plan, which I havedone."
"I propose three cheers for Walter Perkins and his father," criedNed, springing to his feet. The boys joined in the cheers with a will,Tad no less loudly than the rest, though there was no joy in his facenow. The boy's disappointment was keen, yet he determined that hisfriends should not see it. And, as quickly as he could do so, Tadslipped away and went home to fight out his boyish sorrow all alone.
Tad's mother found him out in the barn half an hour later, vigorouslygrooming the old mare. Mrs. Butler smiled to herself as she observedthat he studiously managed to keep the mare between himself and her ashe worked.
"Do you want to sell Jinny?" she asked after a little.
"What?"
Tad was all attention now.
"I said, do you want to sell your horse?"
"No. That is, I might if I got enough for her. But I can't say that Iam anxious to. Why, I am making plenty of money with her," answeredTad coining out from behind the mare. "What made you ask thatquestion, Mother?"
"I didn't know but you might be willing to part with her. And then,with the money you might be able to purchase a better one--a horsethat you would be able to earn more money with."
Tad studied his mother's face a moment inquiringly.
"Not with any money that I could get for Jinny."
"How much do you think you could get for her?"
"Not more than ten dollars. I doubt if any one would be willing to paythat, even. Who wants to buy her?"
"Yes; Mr. Secor, the butcher, spoke to me about it while I was at hishouse this afternoon. His delivery horse broke a leg yesterday andthey had to shoot the animal to-day."
"Too bad," muttered Tad.
"He thought Jinny was just the horse he wanted, because she is sogentle and will stand without hitching. It takes too much time tohitch a delivery horse at every stop, you know!"
Tad nodded his understanding.
"Did you tell him what ailed Jinny?" asked Tad.
"Yes, as well as I could. But he said he knew all about her, and waswilling to take all chances. Mr. Secor said he believed Jinny was goodfor ten years yet, with the kind of work he would require of her."
"Make an offer?" asked Tad, with an eye to business.
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Twenty-five dollars."
"W-h-e-w! He must be crazy. All right, he can have her so far as I amconcerned. I'll go over to see him this evening."
That night Tad Butler came home with twenty-five dollars in hispocket, which, added to what he already had earned, made the tidy sumof forty dollars--a little fortune for him.
He dropped the handful of bills into his mother's lap, and, going outto the porch, sat down with his head in his hands, tothink. Mrs. Butler followed him after a few moments.
"Do you think you would like to go with the boys on their jaunt thissummer?" she asked, innocently enough, it seemed.
"Yes, but I can't."
"Why not, my boy?"
"First place, I've got no pony."
"Don't be too sure about that."
"What do you mean, Mother!"
"Run out to the stable and see," smiled Mrs. Butler.
Wonderingly, Tad did as she had directed. And there in a stall stood asleek Indian Texas pony, quite the finest little animal he had everseen.
"Wh--whe--where did he come from!" gasped the astonished boy.
"You earned him, Tad, and the money you brought home this evening willcomplete the purchase price. You shall accompany the Pony Riders ontheir trip to the Rockies----"
"But----"
"Mr. Perkins has arranged to have you go with Walter to look afterhim. You will be his companion, and for this service Mr. Perkinsagrees to pay you the sum of five dollars a week and allexpenses. Understand, you are not going as a servant--he wished thatmade very clear--but as the young man's companion. You can easilyget someone to do your work at the store for another month, when youragreement will be worked out."
"Yes--but--but you, Mother?"
"I am invited to spend the summer with Aunt Jane, so you need have noconcern whatever about me."
Tad's eyes grew large as the full significance of it all was home inupon him.
"Mother, you're a brick," he cried, impulsively throwing his armsabout Mrs. Butler.
But Tad had no thought of the thrilling experiences through which hewas destined to pass during the coming eventful journey.