The Boy Ranchers on Roaring River: or, Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers

"Now, boys, if you'll give me a little time, I'll – " started Billee Dobb in a calm voice.

"Go ahead!"

"We're listenin'!"

"Well, in the first place, I don't think Joe Hawkins ever saw this Delton. You know what a hard job we had gettin' to the ranch – I bet if we had had Hawkins with us we would have had to fight our way in. That's what that guard was out for – the one that tried to stop us. He knew we weren't deputies, so he let us go through.

"Also, that bill was just printed and sent to Hawkins. Perhaps he didn't have time to look at it. And say – that accounts for Delton's quick get-away, too. One of his men rode in an' told him that there was a price on him, and he got, fast. He must have made this ranch his headquarters. No wonder he didn't have no sheep around! Boys, we can expect some right excitin' things to happen, in the next few weeks!"

Silence followed Billee's long speech. The veteran rancher had thrown a veritable bombshell into camp. Delton – the man lying asleep upstairs – the head of the smugglers! Two thousand dollars' reward! Why, all they had to do was to tie him up and carry him to town – over to the deputy's house. Capturing the smuggling king the first night at the Shooting Star! It seemed too good to be true.

"There's a catch in it somewhere," commented Dick. "No man with a reward like that on his head is going to dump himself into our hands."

"Why not? It wasn't his fault. He came sneakin' around the place to spy on us and got caught by the cyclone. Then a board or something hit him on the head and he fell where we found him. Nothing strange about that! We got him and got him good! Wow, what can't we do with two thousand dollars!"

"There's one thing we forgot, boys," the Kid broke in.

"And what's that?"

"We're downstairs, an' Delton is upstairs."

"That's soon fixed!" Bud cried, as he sprang for the steps. "Let's go, boys!"

"Take it easy!" cautioned the Kid quickly. "What's the use of scarin' him? We'll just go up there and truss him up while he's asleep. Won't hurt him. That cut on the head was all that ailed him. Now, take your time!"

The ranchers moved quietly toward the room in which they had left Delton. As he reached the door, Bud opened it slowly and peered in. Not a sound. Then he stuck his head in a bit further. Still no action. In the darkness he could see the outline of the bed but faintly.

Softly he turned the covers down. Farther – farther! Then he let out a yell.

"Hey, come here! Quick!"

"What's the trouble?" The Kid called as he entered the room.

"He's gone! He beat it! Look!"

In the bed, molded into the shape of a man, were two pillows. Delton had escaped, leaving the pillows in such a way as to make it appear that he was still in the bed.

"Here's a note!" Bud cried. "He left it on one of the pillows. Let's have that candle, Dick."

By the flickering spluttering light of the candle Bud read aloud:

"Sorry I got to go so sudden, but this bed is too hard. I wouldn't sleep well. If you guys want a little advice, you'll move along out of this section. It ain't healthy. A word to the wise. J. D."

CHAPTER XI

JOE HAWKINS'S VISIT

"Can you beat that!" Nort ejaculated when Bud finished reading. "Nerve – that Delton certainly has his share of it!"

The feeling which the note aroused was not just one of disappointment. The Kid seemed highly amused at the turn events had taken. Billee Dobb assumed an "I-told-you-so" expression which sat comically on his grizzled features. The rest looked slightly bewildered.

"Got away, didn't he?" Dick asked in a flat tone of voice. "Through the window, I guess. Yep. Slid down the rain water leader. Well – "

"An' he took with him your wireless and your new bunch of cattle," the Kid remarked sardonically. "Never count the chickens before they scratch. Mr. Delton is a slicker article than we figgered on."

"Let's see the note a minute, Bud," Nort said. "Huh – 'bed too hard – couldn't sleep!' Wise sort of a bird; isn't he? Say, he must have written this as soon as we left the room."

"Why?"

"Because if he waited too long he couldn't have seen to write – too dark. That means he's far away by this time. He probably – "

"The horses! Ten to one he grabbed one of them an' beat it!" Yellin' Kid cried.

Without further parley the boys and men filed from the room and made for the corral. The horses had been tied to a pole nearest the house, and they were not long in reaching them. They could be easily seen in the moonlight which now flooded the prairie.

"Mine's there!" Bud yelled as he came within view of the animals. "Guess you're wrong, Kid. Seems like there's – no there isn't, either! Only four! Whose mount is missing?"

"You might know it," the Kid said disgustedly. "The coot took mine – out of all that bunch to pick from, he had to rustle my new bronc! By golly, if ever I set eyes on you again, you old – "

"Take it easy!" laughed Bud. "Could be a lot worse. He might have turned the rest of 'em loose, too."

"No use beefin' about it," said Billee Dobb. "All over now. He's gone – an' so's the Kid's bronc. Talk about it in the morning. Me, I'm tired!"

The night passed uneventfully. At sun-up the Kid appeared at the door of Bud's room and grinned in at him.

"Ready for work?" he cried.

"You mean trailin' your horse, Kid?" Bud asked mischievously.

The grin left Yellin' Kid's face and his eyes flashed.

"No," he said shortly. "I'll leave that for later. When I got some time on my hands that I want to use up in enjoyment. Then I'll go after your friend Delton."

"He's no friend of mine," retorted Bud. "But let's not chop about it until after breakfast, anyway. Think that Mexican cook is on the job?"

"Heard him movin' around a while ago, Bud. Let's go down an' see. Billee is downstairs, and I guess Nort an' Dick are too."

When they reached the dining room they found the others waiting for them.

"Sleep good, boys?" Dick asked.

"Sure did. Felt like I'd never wake up. Say, steak this morning!" Nort cried as he saw the table loaded with food. "We got some cook here!"

"Don't it strike you all kind 'a funny that the Mex has got so much stuff on hand?" Billee Dobb wanted to know. "Course it might be that this Delton feller had just stocked up before we came. Hey, Mex!" he yelled into the kitchen. "Aqui! Pronto!"

The Mexican strolled calmly to where the five sat waiting.

"Where you get all this?" Billee pointed to the plates of meat.