Jack Ranger's Western Trip Part 37

"Mount!" called Rattlesnake Jim.

The lads were very glad of the practice they had in riding with Mr.

Hardy, for they felt their new guide was watching them closely. If he had any fault to find he did not mention it.

It was a pleasant afternoon, and, once they were out in the open country, after ascending a slight rise, the boys let their animals out. They found them plenty speedy enough.

"Not so bad for tenderfeet," muttered Rattlesnake Jim, under his breath.

The road led along a long level stretch, the big plateau extending for miles ahead of them.

"About what time will we get to my uncle's place?" asked Nat

"Grub time, I reckon," said Rattlesnake Jim, who, as the boys afterward learned, had gained his name from the hatred he bore to the reptiles.

"Very busy now?" went on Nat.

"Pa.s.sably so. Been rustlin' after horse thieves for th' last few nights," replied Jim coolly.

Before the boys could get over this rather startling remark, Jack's horse suddenly s.h.i.+ed. The lad was nearly thrown off, and, as he recovered his balance, and looked to see what had scared the animal, he saw, in the shadow of a big stone at the side of the road, an old man crawling along.

"Hold on thar, stranger!" called Rattlesnake Jim, drawing his revolver and covering the man.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE OLD MAN

"Don't shoot!" the old man begged, trying to stand up, but toppling in a heap. "Don't shoot! I haven't done anything!"

"We'll see about that," went on Jim, as he dismounted. "What are you sneaking around like that for, hiding under a rock? If it had been a little darker we wouldn't have seen you. Who are you?"

"I don't know's it any of your affair," replied the stranger sullenly, as he sat down on the ground.

"Shot, eh," remarked Jim, as he noticed that the man's left foot was covered with blood. "Now you'd better tell me all about it, before I make trouble for you."

"It was an accident," replied the man. "I was cleaning my gun. I forgot I had a sh.e.l.l in it, and it went off and hit my foot. It was back there, and I thought I'd crawl along until I got to some place I could get help."

"Likely story," said Jim with a sneer. "That don't go with me, stranger. You stay here and I'll send some of the men to have a look at you."

"Are you going to leave him here?" asked Jack, who had dismounted, and was walking toward the old man.

"Sure. What else can I do?"

"Let me look at his foot," went on Jack, "I know a little bit about first aid to the injured. Maybe I can bandage it up,"

"Better let him alone," advised Jim, mounting his horse again.

But Jack was bending over the man, and had already taken off his shoe, which was filled with blood. As the boy was drawing off the sock, the man caught sight of Jack's hand.

"That ring! That ring! Where did you get it?" he asked excitedly, as he caught sight of the moss agate emblem on Jack's finger. "Tell me, who are you?"

Jack looked at the man in astonishment. His words and manner indicated that some unusual emotion stirred him. For a moment he gazed at the ring and then a film seemed to come over his eyes. His head sank forward, and a second later he toppled over.

"He's dead!" exclaimed Nat.

"Only fainted, I guess," replied Rattlesnake Jim coolly. "Lost considerable blood I reckon. He's left quite a trail, anyhow," and he pointed to where a crimson streak in the gra.s.s showed that the wounded man had crawled along.

"What shall we do?" asked John. "We can't leave him here."

"Don't see what else there is to do," said Jim, as he turned his horse back into the path. "We can't carry him. Besides, he is probably only one of a horse-stealing gang, and has been shot in some foray. Better leave him alone."

"I'm not going to," declared Jack. "First I'm going to fix up his foot, and then we'll go for help."

"I guess my uncle will see that he is taken care of," spoke Nat, with all a boy's confidence in things he knows nothing about.

"Well, you can have your own way, of course," Jim said. "I'm only sent to show you the way, but if it was me I sure would leave him alone."

By this time Jack had torn several handkerchiefs into strips to make bandages. Jim, who began to take interest in what the boy was doing, even if he did not believe in it, showed him where there was a pool of water. With this Jack bathed the old man's foot. It had a bad bullet wound in it, but the bleeding had stopped. Carefully bandaging the wound, Jack made a pillow out of a blanket he found rolled behind the saddle and with another covered the senseless form.

"Now let's hurry on to the ranch, Nat," he said, "and ask your uncle to send out a wagon. If none of the men want to come we'll drive."

"Of course we will," spoke Nat, with rather an unfriendly look at Jim,

"Oh, I'm not so mean as that," the cowboy hastened to say. "You'll find out here we have to be mighty particular who we make friends with, son. But if you boys are so dead set on taking care of this-- er--well, this gentleman, why I'll volunteer to drive a wagon back."

"Thanks," said Jack, but from then on there was a better understanding between the cowboy and the three chums.

The boys mounted their horses, and, as Rattlesnake Jim put his to a gallop, they urged their steeds to greater speed. As Nat swung up along side of Jack he asked:

"What makes you so anxious about that old man?"

"Because I think he may know something of my father. Did you notice how excited he was about the ring? Well, that gave me a clue. He may be able to lead me to where my father is hiding. I must have a talk with him."

There was considerable activity about the range when the boys and their guide arrived. A score of the cowboys were coming in from distant runs anxious for supper. Horses were being tethered for the night. Half a dozen dogs were barking as though their lives depended on it. Here and there men were running about, some carrying saddies, others laden down with blankets, and some hopping around and firing off their revolvers in sheer good feeling.

From a little cabin a Chinese in the regulation blouse, with his queue tightly coiled about his head, came to the door.

"Wood-e!-Wood-e?" he called. "Me no glet glub me no got wood-e!"

"Get c.h.i.n.ky the cook some wood!" yelled a man who seemed to be a sort of overseer. One or two of the cowboys got up from the ground where they had thrown themselves and brought armsful to the cook's shanty.

"Here we are," called Rattlesnake Jim, as he and the boys rode into the midst of this excitement.

"h.e.l.lo, Nat!" called a hearty voice. "Land alive, but I'm glad to see you!"