The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers.
by Frank Gee Patchin.
CHAPTER I
EXCITEMENT ON THE WEST FORK
Leaving the main branch of Delaware Creek, a broad, sluggish stream that slowly made its way toward the muddy Pecos River, a party of hors.e.m.e.n turned up the west branch.
Horses and men alike were wearied, dusty, perspiring and sleepy under the glare of a midsummer Texas sun. Little had been said for some time. None felt like talking. For hours they had been working south by west, urged on by the green of the foliage that they could see a short distance ahead. At least it had seemed a short distance for the last five hours, but the green trees now appeared to be just as far away as when the party had first sighted them early in the morning.
At the head of the line rode a grizzled, stern-faced man, sitting on his pony very stiff and erect. Just behind him was a young man, slender, fair haired and smiling, despite the discomfort his red face showed him to be suffering. Still back of them rode three other young men, the last in the line being a disconsolate fat figure of a boy who slouched from side to side in his saddle, each lurch threatening to precipitate him to the ground. The boy"s pony was dragging along with nose close to the earth, the bridle rein slipping lower and lower over the animal"s neck. The fat boy was plainly asleep. He had been slumbering in the saddle for more than an hour, and occasional mutterings indicated that he was dreaming.
"Professor, don"t you think we had better make camp and take a rest?"
asked the first boy in the line, addressing the grizzled leader.
Professor Zepplin cast a critical glance down the line of jaded horses and riders, a faint smile twitching the corners of his mouth.
"All tired out, eh, Tad?" he questioned.
"Yes, I"ll confess that I am for once. Of course I can stand it as long as the next one, but there"s no use in wearing out the stock,"
answered Tad Butler. "Chunky"s asleep. Ned and Walter will be in a few minutes more."
"Very good; call a halt. We will ride into the bushes over there on the other side of the stream. The water cannot be deep. Some hot coffee will wake us all up."
"Hoo---oo!" cried Tad, interrupting the professor. "Wake up, fellows, and make camp!"
"Wha---what"s up?" demanded Ned Rector, straightening in his saddle.
"Nothing"s up, except ourselves, and we"ll all be down in a minute.
We"re going to ford the stream and make camp on the other side."
"Is this the Guadalupe range?" asked Walter Perkins sleepily.
"This is the loop all right, but not the Guadalupe," laughed Rector.
"Hullo, Chunky"s in the Land of Nod."
"Wake him up, Ned," nodded Tad.
"Not much. Let him wake himself up."
"His pony has gone to sleep, too," added Walter.
"Yes, they are a couple of sleepy heads, Tad."
As the lads turned to gaze at the fat boy, they could not repress a shout of laughter. Stacy Brown"s pony now stood the picture of dejection, its nose clear to the ground. Chunky had settled in his saddle until it seemed that the boy was less than half his natural height. His body had fairly telescoped itself. The fat boy sat leaning forward, his sombrero tipped forward until it covered his face, leaving only the point of the chin exposed.
By this time Professor Zepplin had driven his own pony into the creek, the others following, where the horses drank greedily. Stacy and his mount were still on the bank, too sound asleep to think of either water or food.
"Stacy!" shouted the professor.
"Oh let him sleep," begged the boys.
"Too bad to disturb his infantile slumbers," jeered Ned Rector.
"But he will fall off."
"It wouldn"t be the first time," laughed Tad. "Gid-ap!"
The ponies climbed the opposite bank, the tired Pony Riders throwing themselves off and quickly stripping the equipment from their mounts.
They then led the animals farther into the bushes, where the ponies were tethered until they should be wanted again.
Chunky still slumbered on.
In the meantime Tad was carrying water from the creek, while the other two boys were starting a fire on the bank, the smoke from which was already curling up lazily into the still, hot air. But not much of a meal was cooked. It was too hot to eat or to cook. The boys sat down to their little meal, almost choking with laughter every time they glanced across the stream toward the sleeping pony and its sleeping rider.
"Most remarkable," nodded the professor. "Surely the smell of food ought to awaken him if nothing else does."
"He"s just as much of a sleeper as he is an eater, Professor," declared Rector.
"That would be impossible," objected Tad. "As an eater he is a champion, as a sleeper he is just above the average. You"re the champion sleeper of this outfit, Ned."
"It"s too hot to resent your unseemly remarks, Tad. I"ll take that matter up when we get to the mountains. By the way, how much farther is it to the mountains?"
"Just as far as it was this morning. How about it, Professor?"
"We ought to reach them this afternoon. According to my understanding, we were a little more than forty miles from them this morning. Since then we have gone a good twentyfive miles."
"Then we will camp there to-night?" questioned Walter.
"Yes, I hope so."
"What are we going to do about Chunky?" demanded Walter.
All eyes were directed toward the sleeping fat boy and his slumbering pony. The latter was now beginning to show some signs of life. It had lifted one foot, then another, until it had taken two steps toward the creek. But the rider was as soundly asleep as before. Nothing seemed to disturb Chunky when he was having a nap.
"He will fall off. Wake him up!" commanded the professor.
"Oh, please don"t bother him. We want to see what he will do," begged Walter.
"I think you will see, all right," chuckled Tad. "You will see what you shall see, and---"
"There he goes!"
The pony had taken three or four more steps toward the stream. Now its eyes were partly open. It saw the rest of the party on the other side of the creek.
The cool water completed the awakening process for the horse. It drank freely then started for the other side, Chunky still sleeping. All at once the pony stepped into a deep hole in the creek. The animal went down on its nose with a mighty splash. Stacy shot over the disappearing head, then boy and pony vanished under the waters of Delaware Creek while the others of the party bowled with delight.