CHAPTER XXX.
KIT'S TROUBLESOME PRISONER.
"Kit, you're the most reckless boy I ever knew," said Stella, as heclimbed into his saddle with some effort, for his arm was stiff andswollen, and it was all he could do to keep from groaning with everyjump of his pony.
"What in the world made you start after them alone?" asked Ted.
"Well, you were busy with the big bully, and, although I felt certainthat you would get the best of him in the end, I thought it wouldn't begood policy to take any of the boys with me, in case there should be ageneral fight. I know you would need all the fellows."
"Well, but, dog-gone you, you ought to have taken some one," said Ted."How did you know but the old man and the jockey were not dangerousfellows? Men in their business are generally bad actors when it comes toa scrimmage."
"Oh, I thought I could handle them," laughed Kit. "And I could, too,only I got careless, and let that jockey get the drop on me. The old manknuckled under gracefully when I presented my card."
"Did you get the old man after you were shot?"
"Yes. You see, this was how it was: I got sight of them a short waysahead of me. They were evidently saving their horses, for they weretraveling slowly."
"Didn't they get next that they were being followed?"
"I don't think so. They saw only one rider, and I suppose they thoughtthat if they were pursued at all it would be by several men, and theywere confident that with their horses they could run away from anythingwe had except Hatrack."
"It's a wonder they didn't light out quick."
"I think they figured to save their horses until they were sure theywere being followed."
"Then what happened?"
"I saw them look back at me several times, but they did not hit up theirspeed any."
"Were you fogging along pretty fast?"
"Not so very. You see, I didn't want them to think that I was on theirtrail. I went just fast enough to overtake them gradually. If they hadgot on to me they would have been out of sight before I could gather upmy reins."
"Foxy Kit," said Stella.
"And they let you come right up with them?" asked Ted.
"Yep. I was right up on them before they got on to me."
"They recognized you, eh?"
"They did when I was about twenty feet away. Then I heard the old manholler, 'It's one o' them dern broncho boys.'"
"And then what?"
"Well, you see, I didn't have my gun out, and, as he says that, thejockey pulls and fires one shot, which landed in my arm. Then, before Ican reach around and get my gun out with my left hand, he gets away. Butthe action was too quick for the old man, and he sat still until I hadhim covered, when I had sent a couple of balls after the jock to makehim hit up the pace a bit."
"The old man was easy, eh?"
"Easiest kind. But he might have got away from me if he had the nerve."
"Well, Kit, you did a great stunt. I'm mighty glad you landed the oldcoot. But I don't know what to do with him now that we have him."
"Well, we better take him to town, anyway. He'd get lost if we turnedhim loose out here. Let his friends take care of him, when he getsthere."
"All right; let's move on."
Not much was said as they made their way back to town. Old man Norrisdid not open his mouth, but looked dejected and sad, as if he wasbrooding over what would happen to him when he arrived at hisdestination. He was plainly uneasy, and probably wished they would turnhim loose.
When they were within a mile of the town they saw a cloud of dustapproaching them rapidly, and watched it curiously. It was a horseman,fogging along at a rapid pace.
Finally out of the dust emerged Bud Morgan, and as he came abreast ofthem he pulled his horse down on its haunches.
"Howdy?" he said.
"How?" answered the others.
"So yer got ther ole pelican, eh?" said Bud, with a grin.
"Kit did," said Ted.
"Bully for you, Kit," said Bud heartily. "I was in town, an' a fellerfrom over to Running Water told me you and Stella had come out this way,an' I follered. What's the matter with your arm, Kit?"
"Got a shot through it."
"Sho! Did that old pirate give it to you?"
"No, the jockey, and then he flew."
"I've got a good mind to go after him, an' bring him in."
"Wouldn't do any good. At the rate he was going when I sent a messageafter him, he's clear into the suburbs of Chicago by this time."
They were soon on the outskirts of the town, and as they entered themain street they saw a crowd of men coming toward them.
"Here comes a reception committee," said Ted. "Wonder who they are, andwhat they want."
"By Jove, there's that big fellow Shan Rhue," exclaimed Kit. "I wonderwhat he's after."
"I thought he had enough o' our kind o' medicine not to want ter tackleus so soon again," said Bud.
"I don't like the looks of that gang," said Ted.
"Neither do I," said Stella. "I've a hunch that they mean mischief."
"In what way?" asked Ted.
"Well, I can't exactly define the feeling I have, but somehow I thinkthey don't want _us_."
"Eh? Whom do they want?"
For reply Stella made a motion toward Norris. Ted looked at herthoughtfully for a moment, then comprehended.
"I see," he said seriously. "Well, they won't get him."
"Bud, where are the other boys?" asked Stella.
"Uptown som'er's. Why?" said Bud.
"They ought to be here," said the girl seriously. "I think we'll beneeding them soon."
"I tumble, an' I'll jest fog on ahead an' gather them up."
"Yes," said Ted. "and while you're about it see if you can't find thatforeman of the Running Water Ranch, and have him round up his boys or afew good fellows who will back us up if it comes to trouble. I don'tknow what his name is, do you?"
"Yes, his name is Andy Bowles, an' he's as good as three ordinary men."
"Then fly. There's no telling what's coming off."
Bud gave his pony the rowels, and in a moment was out of sight in acloud of dust. Ted and the others rode steadily forward, the twoparties approaching nearer every moment.
The party headed by Shan Rhue had taken to the middle of the road, andsoon they had come together, and both halted. For a moment nothing wassaid.
Ted was in advance, holding the reins of the pony on which Norris wastied hand and foot, Stella was on one side of Norris, and Kit on theother.
"Well?" said Ted inquiringly, as they came face to face.
He looked directly at Shan Rhue as he said it, then allowed his eyes towander over the crowd. In it he saw some of the toughest characters inthat part of the country.
They were men who bore the reputation of being cattle rustlers onprovocation, and who had been suspected of horse stealing and othercrimes.
"We want that man," said Shan Rhue shortly and roughly.
"Is that so?" said Ted, with feigned surprise.
"Yes, that's so," was the surly reply.
"Then why didn't you go out and get him?"
"We left that to you," said Shan, with a nasty laugh.
"Then you'll still leave him to me."
"Well, we want him, and that's all there is to it."
"What do you want with him?"
"We'll show you when we get him."
"It's a cinch you won't get him until you do show me."
"Now, I don't want to have any trouble with you, young feller, but--"
"I shouldn't think you would."
At this retort a snicker went up in the crowd, and Shan turned upon hisfollowers with a brow like a thundercloud. But he said nothing, as thesnicker subsided as soon as it began.
"And I don't want any of your lip, either. Give us the old manpeaceable, an' you can go."
"Say, that's real good of you. But I want to tell you one thing, ShanRhue, before you lose any more breath in conversation, you don't get himunless you
tell me what you propose doing with him, and perhaps notthen. It's up to me to say who gets him, or what is done with him. Youseem to forget that he's my prisoner, not yours."
"Well, I'll tell you what we're going to do with him," said the bully,with a blustering air. "We're goin' to hang him as high as thattelegraph pole out thar."
"Bet you anything you've got you don't," said Ted, with a pleasantsmile.
There was a murmur of anger in the crowd.
"Don't let them get me," wailed old Norris.
"Dry up!" said Stella sternly. "Don't you see he's trying to save you."
"Why do you want to hang this old man?" asked Ted.
"Because he whipsawed us all. He's the only one who got any money out ofthat race. We gave him five hundred dollars to pull it off. He wasbroke, and couldn't have bet a cent on it, anyway. That's why. He saidhis horse would win in a walk, and every one of us went broke on it."
"Good! I'm glad to hear it," said Ted heartily. "You ought to have lost.But I'll tell you one thing, the old man really thought his horse wouldwin. He didn't know that Bud's horse was the old Mexican racer,Chiquita; neither did any of us except Bud, who kept the matter tohimself, and there you are. The old man is a professional skin, I'm freeto confess, but he was out to skin us, not you. You've got nothingagainst him. You were beaten by gambler's luck, and now you're not gameto stand by it. But there is one sure thing, you'll not get old Norrisfrom me until you kill me. That's a cinch."
"You're a game kid, all right," said Shan Rhue, "but you're committingsuicide with that kind o' talk. I didn't lose so much myself, an' Iain't got nothin' agin' the ole man; it's you I'm after--"
"Why didn't you come alone if you wanted me? Was it necessary for you tobring a whole posse with you?"
"Now, the less I hear of that kind o' talk, the easier it will be foryou. Hand over the old gaffer, an' go your way peaceful. You'll get thatmuch chance."
"Thank you for nothing. I stay by the old man."
Farther up the street Ted saw a commotion out of which evolved a partyof men moving in his direction. He had no doubt it was Bud and AndyBowles, the foreman of the Running Water Ranch.
"For the last time, give up that man!" commanded Shan Rhue.
"No."
"Then we'll take him."
Kit had cut the old man's bonds, and thrust a revolver into his hand.
"Fight for your life," he said.
With a roar the mob was upon them. Revolvers were drawn, and as theyrushed forward the dauntless three surrounded Norris--three againstfifty.
"Halt!" cried Ted. "The first man to lay a hand on any of us is a deadone."
"Go on an' take him. I'll attend to the kid," shouted Shan Rhue.
"Get him!" "String him up!" "Lynch the old thief!"
These were the cries with which the mob advanced.
Out of the mob came several shots. Ted heard a cry of pain behind him,and turned to see Stella reel in her saddle, pale to the lips, with herhand pressing her head, Then she fell.
With a cry of horror and rage, Ted turned toward her, but just then hefelt himself seized and dragged from his saddle. Something struck him onthe back of the head, and all became black.
But as he was going off into unconsciousness he heard a shout. It wasthe old Moon Valley yell, and he knew that Norris would be safe.
Bud was coming with reenforcements. Ted had dropped to the road underthe feet of the terrified ponies, and it was a miracle that he was nottrampled to death.
All about him the fight was going on.
Bud and Andy Bowles, and about twenty men whom they had hastily gottogether, had come to the rescue, and the gamblers' gang was soon on therun. They had not been able to get near Norris, for Kit had fought themoff with his one good arm until, finding themselves attacked in therear, the would-be lynchers ran for their lives.
The fight was swift and decisive, and several men lay in the dust whenit was over, for Andy Bowles and Bud and Ben had fought like tigers.
When Ted recovered consciousness again he found himself lying in theroad beside Shan Rhue, who had been knocked senseless by a blow from thebutt of Bud's pistol.
Ted staggered to his feet.
"Where's Stella?" he cried.
The other boys looked around. Just before the fight began they had seenher, Kit, and the old man, but now she was gone.
"Stella was wounded," cried Ted. "Where is she? Scatter, men, and findher. She cannot be far away. If anything has happened to her, some onewill suffer."
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