Thudding along, their ponies seemingly as eager to reach the ranch camp as were the boys themselves, Bud, Nort and d.i.c.k raced toward the mysterious light. For that it was mysterious they all agreed, and that it was flashing from the top of the watch tower they had built to spy for rustlers was another conclusion.
"Do you s"pose it can be Old Billee, or Yellin" Kid signalling to us?" asked Nort, as he galloped between Bud and d.i.c.k.
"They wouldn"t know we were coming," Bud answered. "I said we might not be back until to-morrow."
"That"s so. But who do you think is signalling?" asked d.i.c.k.
"And who are they signalling to?" Nort wanted to know. "That"s what we"ve got to find out," spoke Bud, grimly. "And it"s what we"re going to find out in a short time! Come on, Sock!" he called to his pony. "This is only exercise for you!"
Indeed the animals had not been hard pressed, and this burst of speed was rather a relief than anything else. Together the boy ranchers hastened toward their camp.
For some time the lantern--it was evidently that and not a torch--was waved to and fro, parallel to the horizon, and again up and down. It was so evidently a signal, or a series of them, that the boys no longer questioned this theory.
But who the signaller was, and to whom he was flashing his message in the dark night--those were other questions. And they were questions that needed answering.
"It must be one of our men," remarked Bud. "No one else could get into camp and climb the tower without a row being raised."
"How do you know there hasn"t been a row?" asked d.i.c.k.
"What do you mean?" countered Bud.
"I mean there may have been a fight," d.i.c.k went on. "Maybe the rustlers have surprised our camp, put Yellin" Kid and the rest of our bunch out of business and are signalling to the main crowd to come up and drive off the cattle. I might as well say that as think it," he added. "And that"s what I"ve been thinking the last few minutes."
This dire suggestion struck Bud and Nort silent for a moment. And then, more because he did not want to believe it, than because he did not believe it possible, Bud exclaimed: "I don"t believe any such thing!"
"I don"t want to believe it!" said Nort. "But of course there may have been a fight."
"If there was, there"s a lot of dead Greasers and rustlers scattered around, you can depend on that!" declared Bud, grimly.
"Yes, I reckon Old Billee, Snake and the rest would give a good account of themselves," a.s.serted d.i.c.k.
"And they wouldn"t be taken by surprise, either," added Nort.
"Not likely," affirmed his cousin.
Again they directed their gaze toward the flashing signal on the tower. Once more they saw it slowly raised and lowered, and then swept from side to side.
"Are they spelling out a message in Morse or Continental code?"
asked Bud.
"It does look like the Morse," said Nort. "We learned that when we were Boy Scouts. I can make out some letters, but they don"t spell anything that has any sense to it."
"Maybe it"s in Spanish," suggested Bud, who was not familiar with the method of spelling words by flags or lanterns. "There"s a lot of Greasers around here who don"t know anything but Spanish."
"That"s so," agreed Nort. "I didn"t think of that. I"ll try and catch what the next word is, and maybe you"ll know it, Bud," for the western lad understood some of the language of Mexico.
But just when Nort was directing his attention to the signal flashes d.i.c.k, who had ridden on a little ahead, suddenly called:
"Is that a fire?"
They looked to where he pointed and, for a moment, thought it was another blaze in the dried gra.s.s. For the eastern skyline that had been only dimly seen was now outlined in a red flare.
"It is a fire!" a.s.serted Nort.
"It"s the moon rising!" said Bud.
And so it proved. The moon was coming up, big, round and red, and, when below the horizon, cast a reflection not unlike a fire.
The boys laughed with relieved spirits as they rode on. But when Nort next directed his attention to the flashing lantern it was no longer signalling. In the direction of the watch tower there was only blackness, for the moon"s rays had not yet reached it.
"Looks as if they"d quit," said d.i.c.k.
"Maybe they thought the moonlight would give "em away," suggested Nort.
"We"ll soon know about it," declared Bud, with grim meaning.
They were now within a short distance of the tents, gleaming white in the moonbeams. From one of the larger canvas shelters shone a ruddy light, showing dark figures within. And then was borne to the ears of the boys the sound of laughter.
"That doesn"t seem to indicate a raid or fight," spoke Nort.
"You can"t be sure," Bud remarked. "We"d better be careful. Let"s dismount and go on foot."
They left their ponies, throwing the reins over the heads of the animals, and cautiously approached the tents of the cow punchers on foot. This tent was, practically, the "bunk house," the a.s.sembling place of the men after their hours of work. But before the boys reached this their approach was evidently heard. For a figure came to the flap and a challenging voice called:
"Who"s there?"
"Old Billee!" cried Bud, as he and his chums recognized the tones, and with the recognition came a sense of relief.
"Oh, you"re back; are you, Bud?" asked the veteran cowboy. "I thought I heard some one."
"Who"s up on the watch tower with a lantern?" called Bud, once it was certain that no disaster had occurred.
"Watch tower?" repeated Yellin" Kid, coming to the flap to stand beside Old Billee.
"Lantern?" added Snake.
"Somebody"s signalling," went on Bud.
"You"d better come out and we"ll have a look. Are you all here?"
"All of us," answered Old Billee. "Come on, Four Eyes!" he cried.
"Tumble out of your bunk. There"s somethin" doin"!"
"Four Eyes must have gone to bed early," said Bud to his cousins as they stood outside the tent. For Billee"s call indicated that the spectacled cowboy had retired.
"Hi! Four Eyes!" shouted Yellin" Kid, in a voice that would have awakened the proverbial Seven Sleepers. "Turn out!"
There was a moment"s pause, during which Buck Tooth came up to the bunk tent from his own special nook for sleeping. And then, the voice of Snake Purdee announced: