Comrades of the Saddle by Frank V. Webster

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But with a blind obstinacy the leader of the cattle thieves
persisted in continuing the pursuit, and set the pace at a fast
gallop.

In due course of time, as the boys before them, they discovered the
glare from the camp fire.

"We'll ride into the mountains, dismount and then find out who it
is that has the fire," declared Megget.

"You're playing with trouble, Gus," protested his companions.
"From what I know of Wilder, he won't let a bunch of his cattle be
lifted without doing something. That may be his fire."

"All the more reason why we should go to it--to make sure," snapped
the leader of the raiders. "Wilder is a fool or he wouldn't leave
his herd unguarded at the Witches' Pool."

"You'll find he's smarter than you think. I'll bet all my share of
these raids will come to that the only reason the herd was alone
was because his whole outfit is on the trail from the bottoms,"
asserted another.

"Well, the boys can take care of 'em if they are. I said I was
going to find out who built that fire, and I'm going to." And
without more ado, the leader of the raiders dashed into the woods.

Riding cautiously among the trees until he thought he was about
back of the fire Megget gave the word to dismount.

A short distance to the south and above them was a ledge from which
they would be able to command a view of the camp fire, and rapidly
the raiders made their way to It.

What they saw when they reached the top and gazed down caused them
to exclaim in amazement.

The cowboys were saddling their ponies, and instead of the three
men they had expected to discover, Megget and his companions saw a
dozen.

"That's the Half-Moon bunch!" declared one of them.

"There are too many of them," asserted another. "We're in a pretty
mess now. Those three men we followed have evidently informed them
of finding our trail and they are starting to pick it up."

"Don't you worry about that," growled Megget. And before his
companions were aware what he intended to do, he uttered the calls
that caused the ranch owners and cowboys to start out into the
prairie.

Eagerly the raiders watched them disappear and Megget chuckled:

"I thought I could fool 'em. It's easy when you are above any
one." And then he added: "You'll wish you had never started after
me, Wilder!"

Wondering at their leader's meaning, his fellows had no chance to
ask, however, for even as he spoke Megget was descending from the
ledge.

Arriving at the camp fire, he glanced about for a few moments, then
sent his men for the horses.

As soon as he was sure he was alone, the leader of the raiders
walked out on the plains, paused, wet his finger in his mouth, then
raised his hand above his head.

"Great! I'm sure playing in luck," he muttered to himself. "The
wind is blowing from the west--straight out across the plains."
And chuckling grimly, the cattle thief returned to the fire to
await the horses.

Mounting quickly when they arrived, Megget gave a curt order for
his own men to follow and galloped in the same direction the ranch
owners and cowboys had taken.

At the end of a quarter of a mile he drew rein and again went
through the performance of wetting his finger and raising it above
his head, murmuring more to himself than his pals:

"I didn't know but that the hills might have changed the direction
of the wind.

"Here, you," he added, turning to his men, "two of you ride a mile
up and Squinty and I'll ride south. When I give the call, fire the
grass and then ride for the trail and drive the cattle to the mine.
I'll cut across and warn Vasquez and the others."

CHAPTER XX

THE PRAIRIE FIRE

As his men heard the words and realized their significance, they
glanced at their leader and then at one another.

Yet none of them moved.

"Are you deaf?" roared Megget. "Do as I say--and lively. Squinty,
come with me." And clapping spurs to his pony, he dashed southward.

Fearing to disobey, the two raiders delegated to ride to the north
started. But as soon as they were out of earshot one of them said:

"Megget can fire the prairie if he wants to, I won't. I'm none too
stuck on cattle raiding, anyhow, but when it comes to starting a
fire that will probably wipe out the Half-Moon outfit and perhaps
even the herd, Bobby Lawrence balks!"

"Showing the white feather, eh?" snarled his companion. "I warned
Gus you wasn't any good, but he wouldn't believe me. You'll do
what he says, though, as long as you're with Red Ike!"

Red Ike was a giant in strength, the bully of the gang, and
Lawrence had seen too much of him to care to risk an encounter with
him, so with a growl he said:

"All right. Lead the way."

"Not much. I'll ride beside you, so you won't come any tricks."

But though Lawrence had appeared to yield, it was only as a matter
of policy, and his determination not to fire the prairie was as
firm as before. Yet how he could prevent it, he was at a loss to
determine until suddenly he remembered that Red Ike had asked him
for a match that afternoon.

As the thought flashed through his mind that his companion had no
means for carrying out Megget's instructions Lawrence put his hand
to his belt, where he carried his tobacco outfit, and quickly
unloosening it, let it fall into the grass.

None too soon was his action, for even as he opened his hand to let
go of the pouch that held his pipe, tobacco and cigarette papers
Red Ike snapped:

"I reckon we've gone a mile." And as he turned to look back the
signal sounded, and in a trice he saw the flames, set by his
leader, leap in the air.

"Quick, Gus has touched off!" he cried, then added as he felt in
vain for any matches, "Gimme some of your fire-sticks, mine are all
gone."

Suppressing the smile that came to his face at the words, for
Lawrence bad feared his companion might have obtained a supply from
one of the others, he replied:

"Can't. I haven't any."

"What?" roared Red Ike. "You can't come any such game on me. You
had plenty this afternoon. Hand 'em over--and be lively!"

As he spoke the bully edged his pony closer to the other.

Lawrence, however, only repeated his statement calmly.

"You won't gimme them, eh? Then I'll take 'em myself." And like a
flash his powerful fist shot out, striking his companion under the
right side of his jaw with such terrific force that it lifted him
from the saddle.

Springing to the ground, Red Ike roughly searched the motionless
body, and when he found that the tobacco pouch was indeed gone he
realized the trick that Lawrence had played.

For a moment the baffled raider glowered upon the man who had
outwitted him. Then his attention was distracted by the sound of
hoof beats and, turning, he beheld the two horses racing toward the
hills, having taken fright at the flames leaping over the plains.
And never thinking of the man he had unhorsed, Red Ike dashed after
them.

Advancing cautiously, the ranch owners and their men were beginning
to wonder if they could have mistaken the direction of the signals
when they heard the call again.

"That's back of us," declared Pete.

Instantly the others turned in their saddles, and as they did so
the flames bounded into the air.

"They fooled us good and plenty!" growled Nails, while all the boys
glared at the foreman of the Three Stars Ranch.

"They did," asserted Mr. Wilder grimly, "but it's no use talking
about it now. We've got all we can do to get away from the fire."

In terror the boy chums watched the flames spread as if by magic
till in a few minutes a towering wall of fire was racing toward
them.

"Shall we start a back fire?" asked Bill.

"No use," returned several of the cowboys, "the wind's in the wrong
direction."

"Then we've got to ride for it," asserted Snider.

Well did the cowboys realize the danger, and with might and main
they urged their ponies, each one bent only on saving himself.

For a time the two brothers and Horace kept pace with them, but
they were not skilled in the fine art of getting the most out of
their ponies when the animals began to tire, and it was not long
before they found themselves dropping behind.

"Wait for us!" shouted Horace as he noticed the distance that
separated them constantly increasing.

For a moment it seemed to the terrified lads that their cry had not
been heard, yet just when they began to despair three horses
dropped behind, and as the boys came up with them they recognized
the two ranch owners and Pete.

"Take Horace, Pete; Snider, Tom; I'll take Larry," commanded Mr.
Wilder, and each of the men leaped their horses to seize the bridle
of the boy indicated.

Not more than two miles behind them was the terrible wall of fire.
In front of it coyotes and all other animals of the plains were In
full flight, their cries of fear or pain as they fell victims to
the all-devouring flames now and then rising above the sullen roar.

"Oh, it's gaining! it's gaining!" wailed Horace.

"Don't look behind. Keep your eyes in front and _ride_!" commanded
his father.

Sparks borne by the wind began to fall all about, now and then
starting blazes which the cowboys put out by beating with their
blankets where they could, yet none checked his speed. To the hot
air was added smoke, and men and horses were breathing with
difficulty, gasping and coughing.

"If you've got handkerchiefs, jam them in your mouths!" cried
Snider.

Nearer, ever nearer drew the wall of flame. It seemed to the chums
that they must be breathing fire, so did the air burn their mouths.

Time and again they swayed in their saddles and would have fallen
had it not been for the men beside them, who had let go the bridles
to steady the boys, at the same time rowelling their own mounts.

Just when it seemed to the boys that the shirts on their backs
would burst into flames a shout went up from in front:

"The river! The river!"

"One more spurt, everybody!"

Gamely men, boys and horses responded.

"Right over the bank! Don't stop!" bellowed Pete.

Ignorant of the height, caring little, eager only to gain the
water, the boys felt their horses leap through the air and the next
minute were sputtering and gasping as they sank below the surface
of the river.

CHAPTER XXI

A RIDE FOR LIFE

Quickly the horses swam for the shore, and as the Elkhorn was only
deep for a few rods, it was not many minutes before the cowboys
were shaking and removing their wet garments. But the boys were
oblivious of their condition.

In open-mouthed wonder they stared at the spectacle presented by
the flames from whose devouring fury they had so narrowly escaped.

The wall of fire had in reality been farther away than it had
seemed. For several minutes it advanced, the tongues of flames
towering in the air. A moment the livid wall paused as it reached
the brink of the river, while jets of fire reached out as though
striving to clutch the men who had escaped. Then seemingly bent on
overtaking them, the flames leaped over the edge, devouring the
brush and grass to the water's edge, where, loath to admit defeat,
the flames flickered uncertainly and then died away, leaving
nothing but a pall of smoke to mark their course of destruction.

"They came mighty near getting us that time," exclaimed Pete,
looking back over the still glowing plains.

"Too near," assented Mr. Wilder. "But Megget's men will suffer for
this trick, never fear."

"They'll sure be surprised when they see us," chimed in the owner
of the Three Stars.

"That's just it," returned Mr. Wilder. "Of course, they think we
have perished in the flames, and when they see us riding in on them
they will be so scared it will take all the fight out of them."

None the worse for their experience, the cowboys were eager to be
under way again that they might exact satisfaction upon the raiders
for their unwilling flight. But Mr. Wilder curbed their
impatience by saying:

"It's all right to want to get on the trail again, but if we should
start now, while the plains are still hot, we run the risk of
crippling some of our ponies. We'll eat breakfast here and then in
an hour I guess we can start. What do you think, Jim?"

"It will be all right to take grub and we can tell about the ground
when we've eaten."

Fate, however, was still on the side of the ranchers, for while
they were at their meal it began to rain.

With a shout the cowboys greeted the first drops, but their masters
grew serious.

"This rain will make it mighty hard to pick up the trail," observed
the owner of the Three Stars.

"But we won't need to search for it," interposed Tom.

At his words all eyes were turned upon him, and Mr. Wilder voiced
their sentiments by asking:

"Why?"

"Because I know the very place where Horace and Larry and I rode
into the mountains. I thought I might want to remember it, so I
broke off some branches and cut a half moon in one of the trees
with my jackknife."

"That's all right, but why should we follow that trail?" demanded
Bill. "The men who set the fire were all of--how far, Horace, from
Tom's trail?" and he looked at his brother.

"A good twenty miles."

"Why should we ride twenty miles when we can start right in at the
hills back where the fire started?" continued Bill.

Some of the cowboys laughed at this seeming evidence of Tom's lack
of understanding of the situation, but the younger of the chums had
his good reasons, as he quickly proved by replying:

"Because that is where they drove fifty cattle in. Mr. Jeffreys
said it was a short cut. Besides, it stands to reason the men
wouldn't have gone that way unless the trail led to the mine where
they could join the rest of the gang. I may be from the East," and
he glanced at the boys who had laughed at him, "but I'm not so much
of a tenderfoot as not to know four men aren't going on a pleasure
trip with a herd of fifty steers."

"I reckon the kid is right," said the owner of the Half-Moon after
the merriment this jibe evoked had subsided. "Even if the
'rustlers' didn't know we had started when they lifted the cattle
from the pool, they'd know something was up when all the boys were
away and that we could follow the trail to the mountains.
Consequently, they being only four, would take the shortest route
to join the main body."

"That argument would have been all right before the fire, Jim, but
things are different now," rejoined Bill.

"Certain. But the difference is the raiders will take more time in
driving the cattle in the thought that there's no one to pursue 'em
till the fact of the prairie fire reaches Tolopah."

"And then that bow-legged sheriff will set out," grunted Skinny.
"He couldn't catch a prairie dog. There's only one man I'd like to
see on the job besides the bunch we've got here."

"Name him," cried several of the cowboys.

"Shorty Jenks."

"Why, that's our friend!" exclaimed Tom and Larry.

"I don't know about his being a friend of yours, but there's
nothing on two or four legs he's afraid of. And he's great on
tricks. He'd think up a scheme in no time to land Megget."

"I think Tom's idea is the right one," said Mr. Wilder. "By riding
that trail we can reach the Lost Lode probably in a few hours,
while it might take days to find where the gang that set fire rode
into the hills. This rain has cooled off the ground, so we can
start right away."

No direct command to pack the food and saddle up did the cowboys
need and as day dawned they again entered the Elkhorn River.

Tom had been provided with an extra rifle Mr. Wilder had been
carrying and great care did he and the other lads take to keep
their arms and ammunition from getting wet a second time.

Arrived at the top of the bank from which they had leaped to
safety, the party beheld a long stretch of blackened ground. As
far as they could see, it stretched away to the north and in width
it was about four miles.

"Why didn't it burn everything, instead of cutting a sort of path?"
asked Larry after a survey of the scene.

"That's one of the things you can't explain," replied the owner of
the Three Stars. "It just don't, that's all. Of course, the wind
has to be right--that is, stay in the same direction as when the
fire was started. And when it does you can count on the fire's
following pretty close to its lines. You see this one was set in a
sort of semi-circle, with the ends burning toward one another. If
you want a fire to spread, start it fan-shaped."

"There's one way the fire helped us," said Horace. "We can travel
faster than we could through the grass, and it doesn't tire the
horses so."

"Just another proof it's an ill wind that doesn't do somebody
good," quoted Mr. Wilder, smiling.

"Maybe, but I'd rather go without the wind than have another
experience like last night's," returned the owner of the Three
Stars.

CHAPTER XXII

LAWRENCE'S PLAN

Realizing that they would be able to advance but slowly along the
trail, giving their ponies a chance to rest, the men were riding a
stiff lope.

At first Mr. Wilder had insisted that the three youngest boys
return to the ranch as soon as Tom had showed them the trail, but
they had pleaded so hard, asserting they were entitled to accompany
the pursuers because of their discovery of the trail, that he had
finally consented, making the condition, however, that when they
entered the hills the boys must ride next the rear, where in case
of attack, they would not be in the brunt of it.

Larry was following the edge of grass as they drew near the place
where the fire had been started. As his eyes roved over the
billowy plains, they suddenly were attracted by a peculiar furrow
that seemed to run through the grass like a channel.

For the moment he was tempted to call the attention of the others
to it, and then, fearing their ridicule, decided to find out what
it was first.

Accordingly he reined his pony to one side and was approaching the
furrow when he was startled to hear a cry of delight:

"I've got it! I've got it!"

Hastily unslinging his rifle, the elder of the chums pointed it in
the direction whence the unexpected voice had come and shouted:

"You there, in the grass! Stand up before I count five or I'll----"

But Larry had no occasion to complete his command.

Unconscious that there was another soul within miles of him, the
person addressed raised his head cautiously to see who had accosted
him.

"Stand up straight, I said!" ordered the boy.

As the fellow obeyed, Mr. Wilder, Pete and the others, who had been
almost as surprised at hearing Larry's words as the prisoner
himself, dashed up, quickly followed by the cowboys.

Intuitively each man felt they had captured one of the raiders, and
without waiting for instructions, closed in on him in a circle,
completely cutting off any chance for escape.

"Who are you and what are you doing, sneaking along in the grass ?"
demanded Mr. Wilder sternly.

"I'm Bobby Lawrence, and I was hunting for my tobacco pouch,"
returned the fellow, undaunted by the angry faces gazing at him.

"That's the name of one of Megget's right-hand men," declared
Nails. "I found that out at Tolopah."

With no gentle hands half a dozen of the cowboys searched Lawrence,
taking from him his pistols and a long knife.

When their prisoner was harmless Mr. Wilder resumed his questions.

"Who set the fire last night?"

"If I play fair with you, will you treat me square?" demanded
Lawrence.

"That depends," temporized the ranch owner. "You belong to the
gang that has been raiding my herds and last night tried to destroy
us by fire. You can't expect much leniency from us under the
circumstances. Still, if you give us any assistance in founding up
Megget, we'll not forget it."

"Well, I'll do all I can, honest I will, Mr. Wilder."

"Don't trust him, Wilder," interposed the owner of the Three Stars,
"When a man is so willing to turn on his pals, there's something
wrong."

"See here, Jim Snider, you keep out of this. I'm talking to Mr.
Wilder, not to you. He's square. If it was only you, all your
ponies couldn't drag a word out of me!" snapped Lawrence.

This retort angered the owner of the Three Stars, but before he
could say anything the proprietor of the Half-Moon exclaimed:

"If you can give me any reason why I should believe you, Lawrence,
do so."

"That's easy," returned the captive, and without wasting words, he
related the incidents of the pursuit of the three boys, Megget's
signals, the order to set the fire and his own action that alone
had saved the herd at the pool from destruction.

In silence, now looking at one another in amazement and then at the
speaker, the cowboys listened.

"That's a likely story, throwing your tobacco away," sneered Snider.

"I believe it," announced Larry calmly. "The only way I knew it
was a man I'd discovered was because I heard him say twice I've
found it.'"

This confirmation of his words from the very one who had captured
him gave Lawrence heart, and quick to see the advantage it gave
him, he pressed it, saying:

"There, you see, I'm telling you straight. And everything else
I've said is just as true."

"Why didn't you strike for the hills when you recovered your
senses?" asked Mr. Wilder. "You would have been safe there, both
from Megget and from us."

"Because I wanted my tobacco."

Whatever doubt was in the mind of the Half-Moon owner as to whether
or not Lawrence had been telling the truth was dispelled by this
answer.

Indeed even the owner of the Three Stars was convinced by the
answer, and after a whispered consultation with Mr. Wilder, the
latter announced:

"I have this proposition to make you, Lawrence. Your act in
refusing to obey Megget, which beyond doubt has saved my cattle at
the pool, shows you are not thoroughly bad. Therefore, if you will
lead us by the shortest trail to the headquarters at the Lost Lode
and help us round up Megget and his gang, I will give you a job on
my ranch."

For a moment Lawrence gazed at the ranchman as though unable to
believe his ears, but the kindly light in Mr. Wilder's eyes
reassured him and he replied:

"Will I? Say, Bobby Lawrence knows a white man when he meets one.
Give me a horse and I'll have you at the Lost Lode before dark
to-night!"

CHAPTER XXIII

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Openly the owner of the Three Stars objected to the proposition of
providing the erstwhile raider with a pony.

"If we're going to trust Lawrence to lead us to the mine, we can
certainly trust him with a horse," declared Mr. Wilder. "Horace,
climb up behind Tom and let Lawrence have your mount."

Quickly the change was made, and again the party advanced.

"To think we were within two miles of meeting Megget again,"
exclaimed Tom as they rode along. "I'm afraid we would not have
got away from him so well this time."

As he heard the remark, Lawrence turned and looked the boy over
from head to foot, finally saying with a smile:

"So you are the lad Gus ran foul of up in Oklahoma?"

"Yes, but my brother was with me."

"Which is he?"

"The one who found you."

At this information Lawrence threw back his head and laughed
heartily. "My, but that is a good one," he ejaculated when he had
recovered from his merriment. "You tenderfeet make a monkey of Gus
and then capture one of his men. I'll let Gus know it was you who
found me, if I never speak again. It will make him more angry than
anything else could."

To their surprise, the ranchers learned that the Lost Lode was only
about five miles from the plains and that it was at the foot of one
of the mountains, instead of high up in them, with a splendid
valley where the cattle could graze close beside it.

"Why, I've ridden through that place at least twice," asserted Pete
as he recognized Lawrence's description of the spot, "but never a
sign of cattle or mine have I seen."

"You noticed there was heavy woods on both sides, didn't you?"
returned the former raider, smiling.

"Yes."

"Well, that explains why you didn't learn anything, though of
course it might be that no cattle were in the valley when you
struck it."

This explanation only served to arouse the curiosity of the hearers
the more.

"The woods are the thing," he continued. "Every time any one comes
along, we drive the cattle into them and no one would think to look
for the entrance to a mine among the trees."

"But how does it happen you have never been taken by surprise?"
queried Mr. Wilder.

"Because when we had steers in the valley we always kept a lookout.
There's a cliff just above the mine from which a man can see the
trail for at least two miles."

"Then won't some one discover us?" asked Bill.

"Not if we hurry. Every man jack of Megget's gang is out on this
raid. All we need to do is to get there first."

"How about that fellow who was with you?" Bill inquired. "Won't he
be on the lookout?"

"Who, Red Ike? Not much. He'll be too anxious to tell Gus about
me. He knows his chief was going to cut across to join Vasquez and
the others, and he'll follow. They'll be so tickled at the thought
you all were lost in the fire they won't hurry much. Still, if
we're going to round them up, we must get there before dark
to-night. There's a spot just before you enter the valley where we
can lie in wait and get them all."

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