The Broncho Rider Boys on the Wyoming Trail Part 7

"All they'd have to do would be to drive them in, and then hang out around the neck of the bottle; for the coulie is so narrow at the mouth it can be closed as easy as anything," was the reply Adrian made.

"Then take it from me that's the place we're going to bring up at, Ad."

"The sooner the better," Adrian told him.

"Ditto!" came in a grunt from the rear; for Billie liked to let people know he was alive, and able to enter into the game, as well as the next one.

Gradually they kept pulling in their ponies, because it was plain to understand that they were drawing up on those whom they pursued. The sound of yells came very distinctly to their ears, and Donald was even able to tell the shouts of one puncher from those of his mates; so that his former impression that there could not be more than a quartette of the rustlers was confirmed.

The two who led the chase were fully aware of the tremendous task they had undertaken. They did not lightly dash into this thing as though it would turn out to be a regular picnic. But Adrian was so filled with anger and indignation, over being made a witness to his own loss of valuable stock, that he was ready to take considerable risk in order to attempt their recapture.

As for Donald, he had all his life been raised in just such an atmosphere of daring, and it was not so remarkable that he should throw himself into this hazard heart and soul.

Whatever they did, Billie was bound to join in also; with such leaders he would have plodded after, no matter what the risk; for he never stopped to count the cost, if only he did not have to be left alone.

"There! it's come at last!" exclaimed Donald, suddenly; and somehow the very fact of his lowering his voice announced that in his opinion they must begin to exercise due caution.

"They've stopped running, for a fact!" echoed his chum, alongside.

"Course they have," added Billie, just for all the world like a poll parrot.

Donald immediately pulled his pony up sharply.

"Time we called a halt, then, and figured things out," he announced.

"Oh! joy beyond measure!" murmured a faint voice from the rear-Billie talking to himself, of course.

When they had pulled up they sat there in their saddles with heads bent forward, trying to catch further sounds from ahead that would tell in some measure what the rustlers were doing.

The shouts still continued but had changed more or less. Both ranch boys could tell that the punchers must be driving the stock steadily ahead of them now, and in all probability into the gaping jaws of the big ravine known throughout that section as Bittersweet Coulie. If this proved to be true then Donald's guess had been along correct lines. This little fact seemed like a good omen to begin with. Now, if it turned out that this further prediction regarding the limited number of the rustlers also came to pa.s.s, and they could only catch them off their guard before dawn arrived, it would not be strange if they turned the trick, daring as their plans might appear.

"Now, first of all we've got to m.u.f.fle our ponies' heads so they can't betray us by neighing," announced Donald.

"A good idea, I say," Adrian went on to remark, approvingly. "I've known the best trained cayuse going to let out a neigh when it scented some of its own kind near by. That's a thing they just can't help, seems like.

So, the sooner we get their muzzles tied up the better."

"You'll have to show me how," said Billie; "because that's where my education's been sorter neglected, so to speak. But I want to know, just stick a pin in that, please."

He soon learned just how this could be accomplished by the aid of their blankets. The horses objected to such treatment, but had to submit in the end. And when the job had been completed they were so muzzled that they could not have whinnied, no matter how hard they tried.

Mounting them again the three boys moved cautiously ahead. It was their purpose to cover a certain distance, and then again dismount, after which they would arrange to leave their steeds while they crept up toward the mouth of the coulie.

"That's fine!" Donald suddenly said in a low tone.

"They've started a fire, seems like," whispered Billie; "and I reckon now that's what you meant, Donald?"

"Yes, because it shows that they've got to the end of their run, and mean to take things easy for a spell. Couldn't suit us better, fellows, could it?"

"I only hope they feel like making merry over the grand success of their little raid, and take so many nips from their old bottles that they'll be dropping over in a sound sleep before long," Billie suggested.

"So say we all of us, Billie," Adrian a.s.sured him; "that would make things easy for our plans, you know."

"Ain't I glad I brought my reliable Marlin along," sighed Billie. "It got me that ferocious old grizzly down in that spur of the Rockies, you remember; and every time it's done the business. All I have to do is to aim straight, and pull the trigger, and it does the rest. And whenever I think of them rustlers getting away with the pick of Adrian's herds it kinder riles me, so that I feel as if I'd like to do something _terrible_-pink one of the same in the leg, mebbe, and make him sorry he ever embarked in such a measly game."

"Less mumbling, Billie; it won't do to talk after this, unless you've got something worth while to say."

"Huh!" grunted Billie, sorely perplexed as to what Donald might mean by these words; but at the same time falling into his wishes; for he feared that if he gave any trouble by being noisy or clumsy, his chums might take a notion to tell him to stand by and watch the ponies, a job Billie had no liking for at all.

At another time he might have taken exception to that remark about his "having something worth while to say," but just now he must swallow his indignation, and do whatever they told him, if he wanted to be in the hunt.

"How much closer had we better go mounted?" asked Adrian, speaking in a whisper of course.

"I'm hoping to run across a likely spot where we can leave the ponies,"

Donald told him; "something that is marked, so we can find it again later on without any trouble. And here it is right now. There's a tree growing alongside this rock that lies here on the open prairie, you note, Ad."

"Yes, and seems to me I remember that same rock too; fact is, it was right here that bull knocked my pony over, and wanted to impale me on his horns," Adrian told him.

They dismounted again, and made the animals secure by using their ropes, which could be readily fastened to the tree; and possibly Donald may have had some such idea in his mind when he persisted in looking for a landmark.

Being now free from their ponies, which could not betray them by any shrill neigh, the three boys could advance toward the spot where the fire flickered amidst the brushwood at the mouth of the big coulie.

Each of them gripped his rifle, and was filled with a grim resolution to use this weapon should necessity compel such tactics. At the same time Billie was wishing that they could overpower the rustlers while they slept, making it a bloodless victory; and this in spite of his bold threat made a short time back, too.

The nearer they drew to where the fire had been started the more convinced both ranch boys became that they had guessed the truth when figuring that the cattle thieves must have hurried the stolen herd into the coulie, and intended remaining there near the mouth of the ravine until daylight allowed them to get to work altering the brand of the Bar-S to that of the Walker ranches.

While Donald had expressed his vain wish that some of the husky punchers belonging to the Keytone ranch away down in Arizona could be with them, to make matters more interesting, Adrian on his part was also sorry they could not have the a.s.sistance of those three stout cowboys whom they had met and exchanged greetings with on the previous afternoon; and whose knowledge of the country, as well as ability to handle cattle, would be a strong factor in carrying out their game.

But this could not be, and as things now looked the three Broncho Rider Boys must depend entirely upon themselves for balking the evil designs of this Walker crowd of rustlers.

CHAPTER IX.

READY TO ACT.

The cattle had apparently quieted down, now that they were no longer pestered with the shouts of the galloping punchers, coupled with the snap of the cruel quirts. They had run far enough to be in a sweat, and were doubtless glad of the chance to lie down in the coulie, to find the rest they craved. Outside of an occasional "boo," or possibly a crash of horns, there could be heard nothing that would indicate the presence near by of a pretty large bunch of steers.

That ravine would afford the finest sort of a corral, with its narrow neck, in which the fire had been built, around which the tired rustlers were now grouped, taking things easy, and filled with exultation no doubt because of their fine success in running off the herd without a single shot having been fired, because Mr. Comstock dared not give orders for his men to pursue, with that virago under his roof holding him in check.

After a bit the boys dropped down on all fours, and started to crawl along, since in the bright moonlight it was growing risky to stand erect. Billie had some difficulty in flattening himself as much as he thought necessary; indeed, it seemed to his excited fancy that he must be towering there in a most discouraging way; and he feared that one of the others in glancing back would notice it, and tell him he must diminish his size or else drop out.

But as the ground was broken, and growing rougher every rod or so, neither Donald nor Adrian thought anything of this; and Billie was certainly making a good job of his "creep," they could see, all things considered.

Of course the two would have preferred attempting the business by themselves; but they knew that the fat chum would object to being left out, and in fact absolutely refuse to play so unimportant a part in the proceedings.

And if it did come to a showing of hands they might be glad to have a third member of the party along, so as to overawe the foe by sheer force of numbers. Besides, Billie carried a rifle, and knew how to use it too; he had demonstrated that fact to the satisfaction of his chums more than once; so that he could not be wholly ignored on such grounds.