"Perfectly," answered Tad.
"You might first take a gallop to the Springs. That will give you all an appet.i.te."
"Where are the Springs?" asked Ned.
"About seven miles to the eastward of the ranch. A most picturesque place," answered Colonel McClure. "Professor, while the young people are enjoying themselves, suppose you ride over here and spend the afternoon with me? We can ride about the ranch if it would please you."
"I should be delighted."
"I was going to suggest, too, that it might be a pleasant relief for all of you to accept the hospitality of the Ox Bow ranch and remain here while you are in the vicinity. We have room to spare and would be glad to have you."
"I am afraid the young men would prefer to remain in camp, thank you.
They will get enough of sleeping in beds upon their return home, discourteous as the statement may seem," answered Professor Zepplin.
"Not at all--not at all. I understand you perfectly. I shall not press the point. But spend all the time you can with us. The place is yours.
Make yourselves at home."
"No; Mr. Stallings would not like it if we were to remain away over night. You see, he expects us to do our share of night guard duty,"
explained Tad. "We are earning our keep as it were."
The boys laughed.
"That is, some of us are," corrected Ned, with a sly glance at Stacy, who was eating industriously. "Others are eating for their keep."
The Pony Rider Boys caught the hidden meaning in his words, but they tried not to let their hosts observe that it was a joke at the expense of one of them.
"Stallings," murmured Miss Brayton, her eyes staring vacantly at Tad Butler.
Tad flushed at the memory of what he had heard on his first visit to the ranch.
Miss Brayton excused herself rather abruptly and left the room. They did not see her again that evening.
"My niece has been ailing of late," explained Mrs. McClure.
"Perhaps she had better not try to accompany us to-morrow, then,"
suggested Tad.
"Oh, yes, I wish her to. It will do her good--it will take her mind from herself."
Tad Butler noted the last half of the sentence particularly. For him it held a deeper meaning than it did for his companions.
"I wonder if she knows Mr. Stallings," mused Tad. "I"m going to find out. No, I won"t. It"s none of my business. Still, it will do no harm to ask him, or to mention the name to him. That surely would not be wrong."
Under the charm of the evening his mind soon drifted into other channels. After supper games were brought out and a happy evening followed.
Ten o"clock came, and Professor Zepplin, glancing at his watch, was about to propose a return to camp, when one of Colonel McClure"s cowboys appeared in the doorway, hat in hand.
"Beg pardon; may I speak with you a moment?" asked the man.
"Certainly," replied the colonel, with the same gracious manner, Tad observed, that he used toward his guests. "Excuse me a moment."
After a little their host returned, but rather hurriedly, it seemed, and Tad"s keen eyes noticed that he seemed disturbed.
Mr. McClure caught the lad"s inquiring gaze fixed upon him. He nodded.
"Is anything wrong?" asked the rancher"s wife.
"Yes; I am afraid there is," he answered quietly.
"What is it?"
"I am not sure. Perhaps I should not alarm you young gentlemen, but I think you should know."
"At the camp, you mean?" asked Tad.
"Yes."
"What"s that?" demanded Professor Zepplin sharply. "Something wrong at the camp?"
"My men think so. They say they hear shooting off in that direction, and want to know if they shall ride out."
"You think it is a--a----" began Tad.
"A stampede? Yes; I should not be surprised."
"We must go," announced the lad, rising promptly.
"Why go?" asked Margaret.
"We may be needed."
"But my men have started already," replied the rancher. "They surely will be help enough."
"Mr. Stallings will expect us. We may be able to be of some a.s.sistance."
"Well, if you must. Yes; you are right. Business is business, even when one is out on a pleasure trip. It"s a good sign in a young man. Tell your foreman that he may call upon us to any extent."
"Thank you, I will," replied Tad.
Bidding their hosts a hasty good night, and promising to be on hand at the appointed hour on the following day if the condition of the herd permitted, the Pony Rider Boys ran for their ponies. In a few moments they were racing toward camp. They, too, were now able to hear the short, spiteful bark of the six-shooters.
It was a significant sound. They had heard it too many times before not to understand it. In their minds they could see the hardy cowboys riding in front of the unreasoning animals, shooting into the ground in front of them, seeking to check the rush.
"What do you think about this business?" asked Tad Butler, drawing up beside Ned Rector.
"I think there is more in this spook story than Colonel McClure knows of, or, at least, will admit."
"So do I," answered Tad.