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

"Say, Mr. Hawkins, what's the penalty for smuggling in this state?" Bud inquired. "I just wondered – "

"Ten years," the agent answered briefly. "Delton's due for quite a long stretch. He'll have time to think over his errors."

"Ten years," Bud said musingly. "Ten years in jail! Mr. Hawkins, if we testified that Delton wasn't so bad as he's supposed to be, and that – "

The boy stopped. Hawkins looked at him long and hard. Then he walked over and held out his hand.

"Son," he said simply, "that's the whitest thing I've ever seen a man do. I'll try to fix it up for you. We'll do what we can to lighten his sentence."

"Thanks," Bud said gratefully.

"Well, when do we start?" Mr. Merkel asked. "If you men are hungry, we'd better get going. Did I understand you to say we'd have a load going back, Bud?"

"And then some! Now let's see how we can arrange this. Billee Dobb goes back in the buckboard. And so do the others who are badly hurt. How many do you think can ride, Kid? You know we've got their horses at the back, and some can come along on them."

"Figure Delton and two of those other guys should go in the wagon. The rest can fork the broncs. They're able. Well, let's get those fellers that are going along with this wild man in the wagon. Think you can take it easy a short spell?" Yellin' Kid asked the grinning driver.

"Sure! Like an am-bu-lance. They'll never know they're ridin'."

"All right. Now about these Chinks. Guess they'll have to get along on the ponies."

"But maybe they can't ride," Nort suggested.

"Maybe they can't – but they're gonna take a lesson right now! Their first an' last. Let's get hold of Billee an' lift him in the wagon. Still asleep?"

"Yep. Easy now. That does it – "

As they raised the form of the old rancher he stirred uneasily. Then he opened his eyes.

"Boss!" he exclaimed. "What do you think of me bein' carried around this way. Wait a minute, boys, I can walk. I want to – "

"You're to lay right still," admonished Yellin' Kid. "Think we want you bleedin' all over the landscape? Now go slow, an' Mr. Merkel will shake hands with you when we get you in the wagon."

"How are you, Billee?" the cattle owner asked warmly. "Heard you had an accident! Well, we'll feed you up good for a couple of days and you'll soon be on horseback again."

"Sure will! Can't say I like this lyin' down idea. But the boys won't let me get up."

The buckboard carrying Billee and the other injured men went first, and the rest of the procession followed, with Mr. Hawkins and Dick in the extreme rear, to see that everything went well. And thus they started for town.

They had scarcely gotten under way when all heard the sound of a horse behind them. They turned and saw a riderless pony galloping toward them.

"What the mischief – " Bud cried out as he saw the horse nearing them. "He wants to visit! Look – his halter has been broken. Must be a runaway. I wonder – "

"Runaway nothin'!" yelled the Kid. "He's comin' home! That's my bronc!"

The horse made straight for Yellin' Kid.

"Look at that – knows me! Well! Well! Well! Come home to papa! My bronc, sure as you're a foot high! See that spot above his eye? I'd know it in a million! Come here, baby – where you been? Huh? I been lookin' all over for you."

There was a sudden exclamation from one of the smugglers who was riding in front of the Kid.

"Got away!" the man muttered. "Thought I tied her – "

"So-o-o you're the coot that had her, hey? An' you tied her up tight, hey? So she couldn't get loose? Well, let me tell you that this little paint can bust any halter, if she wants to. Can't you, baby? By golly, I – "

"Sing it, Kid, sing it!" Dick laughed. "Do you tuck her in bed at night, too?"

"Well, she's the best bronc I ever had!" the Kid said definitely. "An' I'm goin' to ride her in. Dick, hang on to this pony, will you? Lead her in for me. Well!" As he got into the saddle of his own mount. "Here we are again, baby! Now I won't need that other horse that you were goin' to get me, Mr. Hawkins. 'Scuse me a minute, boys – "

He threw the bronc into a gallop and tore across the plain. Then he wheeled and came rushing back.

"He's happy," Nort said with a grin. "Never expected to see his bronc again, and she runs right into his hands. Hey, you – where did you keep her?"

"Around the side," the man who had spoken before answered with a scowl. "Thought I might need her in a hurry. His horse, was it? Well, he was ridin' mine. A fair exchange is no robbery. Now he's got her back he's got no kick comin'."

"Hasn't, hey? Don't know about that. If he finds any marks on her – "

"She wasn't touched," the man said quickly. "Fast enough without that."

"Lucky for you," Nort commented, meaningly.

After his mad dash the Kid returned in easier fashion. And so the strange procession wended its way back to Roaring River. It took them rather a long time to get there, as the buckboard had to be driven slowly on account of the injured. True to his promise, the young "wild man" held his verbally much-abused horses down to a walk.

The smugglers were removed to jail, with the assurance from the warden that those who were injured would be treated by a local doctor. The Chinese were also jailed, to be held for the federal officers. Deportment, first back to Mexico, and, eventually, back to China was their portion. They seemed to realize it, for they were a sad and silent bunch.

Billee Dobb was given a room to himself in the ranch house where he could rest and get well, and then the others washed up and "filled up," as Nort expressed it.

"Now comes the reward," said Mr. Hawkins, and he arranged to have it paid to the Boy Ranchers, with Yellin' Kid and Billee Dobb sharing in it. There was an additional reward for capturing the smuggled Chinese as well as the smugglers, so there was a fund large enough for all to share.

"Let's go up and see Billee now," proposed Bud, when they had eaten and quieted down.

They found the old rancher restlessly picking at the coverlet of his bed, his weather-tanned face in strange contrast to the white pillow cases. As the boys and Mr. Merkel entered, Billee grinned.

"Fust time I ever been t' bed by daylight in seventeen years," he said. "Don't know what to do with myself. Now if Snake Purdee was only here, he could – "

"An' here I am!" exclaimed a voice outside the door. "Hello, Billee! Heard you was receivin' callers an' I came right over. What'll you have – a song? All right, boys – come on in! Billee wants us to sing for him!"

Into the room shuffled Billee's companions of Diamond X: Slim Degnan, Fat Milton, and the rest.

"Hello, Billee!"

"Howdy, you old de-teck-a-tive you!"

"How's it feel to be a hero?"

"Now boys – are you ready? Ta da – let's go!"

They all joined in the song. And as Billee Dobb "smiled a smile" that reached to the corners of the room, the notes of "Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie, With Variations," filled the house and flowed over into the outer air. And Billee Dobb just lay there, smiling and smiling.