CHAPTER XXXII.
A NIGHT CHASE.
The tent occupied by Singing Bird was pitched some distance from thatoccupied by Mrs. Graham and the two girls, Stella and Hallie, and whenshe had attended to the wants of Mrs. Graham, she retired to it.
It was early in the evening, and when she saw that her friend hadretired, Stella sought out Ted, and told him the story she had heardthat afternoon.
At first Ted was inclined to be somewhat incredulous about Woofer'sshare in it as told by the Indian girl, but when he thought it over andput together certain facts which had come to his attention, and recalledquestions, apparently innocent at the time they were asked, which Wooferhad put to him from time to time, he began to suspect that the merrycow-puncher was, after all, merely acting a part.
Ted took Bud into consultation, and the three went over the mattercarefully.
If it were true that Barrows was after the gold, he had a double causeto do injury to the broncho boys.
There could be no doubt that Barrows, by virtue of his position, wascapable of being a very dangerous foe, especially in this part of thecountry where the boys were virtually alone, and where they had nofriends, and were compelled to rely absolutely upon themselves.
That their doings were probably known to Barrows by means of a system ofespionage conducted by Woofer, who, Ted now recalled, was in the habitof leaving the camp for long, solitary rides at intervals. What could beeasier than when Woofer heard them talking about their plans to ride outand meet a courier sent by Barrows to get the information?
Ted resolved not only to fight Barrows with his own weapons, and to afinish, but to interfere with his plans to get the gold in the mine towhich Singing Bird only could guide them.
It was necessary, therefore, to guard the Indian girl closely, and thishe proposed to do, and when he had rid the camp of Woofer, and scouredthe country for Barrows' spies and sent them off, he would proceed tothe mine.
As it was, they were headed in the direction of the Missouri River, andit would not be at all out of their way, or interfere with theirbusiness.
Woofer was sitting with the boys around the camp fire, regaling themwith stories of cow-punching in various parts of the country, and makingof himself a most agreeable companion, and Ted, watching him carefully,could see nothing guilty or suspicious about him.
But that didn't prevent him from keeping his eyes open.
Gradually the camp settled down for the night.
Stella went to bed after she had peeped into the tent occupied bySinging Bird, and satisfied herself that she was sleeping quietly andsafely.
One by one the boys rolled themselves in their blankets beside the fire,and dropped into deep slumber.
Woofer had said good night among the first, saying that he was verytired, and would "crawl into the wool," as he expressed it.
Only the night guard was awake, as they rode around and around thesleeping herd, their voices breaking out softly into song as a restlesssteer arose and sniffed the air and began to walk around.
Ted was lying in his blankets, breathing softly and deeply, evidentlysound asleep.
Overhead the stars sparkled brightly, casting a radiance upon the earththat made things several feet distant perfectly observable.
Woofer's blankets had been spread at the edge of the circle farthestfrom the fire. Ted also slept on the outer rim, and not more than tenfeet from Woofer.
It was past midnight, as Ted could tell by the stars, for he was notasleep, although feigning to be.
He lay facing the place where Woofer was circled up in his blankets,when he saw the cow-puncher raise his head cautiously, not more than aninch or two, and look around.
Ted closed his eyelids to a mere crack, for the light from the fireshone on his face, and in that position watched Woofer's movements.
Woofer was very sly and cautious. Ted had observed that he hadostentatiously pulled off his boots when he lay down. Now he could seeby the movements of the blankets that he was pulling them on again outof sight.
"That fellow is going to get up in a minute," thought Ted, "and I thinkI know just what he is going to do."
He had not long to wait, for presently Woofer crawled out of hisblankets on the far side, and began to wriggle away on his belly, like asnake.
Ted still kept his eyes upon him.
Once Woofer stopped and looked back to see if his escape from camp hadbeen observed, or if any one was stirring.
Ted had not moved, and apparently was as sound asleep as ever.
Reassured that no one had seen him leave his blankets, Woofer proceededuntil he was without the radius of the camp fire's glow, when he rose toan upright position.
But Ted could still follow him by the starlight.
Evidently believing himself safe, Woofer did not again look around, butwalked slowly and silently toward the tents, which were plainly to beseen about fifty feet distant from the fire.
The tent in which the Indian girl was sleeping was farther from the firethan that occupied by Mrs. Graham and her two charges.
Ted had slipped from his blankets at the moment when Woofer rose to hisfeet, and was creeping along, close to the ground paralleling Woofer'sprogress, but about twenty feet to the left.
Woofer arrived at the Indian girl's shelter and stopped, and seemed tobe listening.
This gave Ted time to creep nearer.
He saw the cow-puncher lift the flap of the tent and look within, stilllistening carefully for anything that would tell him that Singing Birdwas awake.
Ted was not more than ten feet away when Woofer disappeared.
He had entered the tent.
Suddenly from within it there came a muffled cry, then the tent began topitch and toss. Evidently a savage struggle was going on within.
But it was all so silent that had Ted not been within striking distanceof it, he would not have heard anything of it.
Suddenly the tent flew apart, and Woofer appeared, carrying in his armsthe insensible form of the Indian girl.
Woofer was a very powerful man, and he ran swiftly from the tent bearingthe girl in his arms as if she were a child.
Ted dashed after him. It did not occur to him to raise an alarm.
But as swiftly as he ran, Woofer had the better of him, for a fewstrides took him out of Ted's sight.
Ted stopped and listened, blaming himself for not closing with Woofersooner.
Not a sound of Woofer's retreat came to his ears.
Suddenly he heard a nicker at his elbow almost, and looked around. Itwas Sultan, who had smelled him, and had come to him, and was nowrubbing his velvety nose against Ted's sleeve.
In an inspiration Ted leaped upon his back, and caught the headstall,which he always left on Sultan when he turned him loose in the night sothat he could get him in a hurry should there be a night alarm of anysort.
An idea came to him as soon as he felt Sultan under him.
Woofer undoubtedly had thought to have a horse saddled and ready waitingfor him somewhere near the camp. If he could only get Sultan to call toit and get an answer, he would soon find him.
He had no sooner conceived the thought when Sultan whinneyed like atrumpet call.
From a distance came an answering cry. It was the voice of Magpie, andTed knew it well. Stella's little black-and-white mare and Sultan werethe greatest friends, and when she heard him call, she replied.
Woofer was about to steal the most valuable and swiftest of the animals,except Sultan. That was another reason why Ted was now so keen on thechase. He turned Sultan's head in the direction of Magpie's call, andthe little stallion galloped away like the wind.
Ted had no bridle, but that was not necessary, for he and Sultanunderstood one another so well that a slight pressure of the rider'sknees was all the guidance the horse needed.
Again came Magpie's shrill call, and this time Sultan nickered andfairly flew. Somewhere ahead, in the darkness, Ted heard for the firsttime the hoofbeats of the pony, and knew that Woofer
had reached it andwas away.
"Follow her; catch her, Sultan," called Ted, and Sultan seemed tounderstand, and let himself out to his full stride, although he missedthe firm, guiding hand on the bridle.
Magpie was put to her utmost, but she was heavily handicapped bycarrying double for a race against Sultan, who was not even burdened bythe heavy saddle he usually bore.
So it was that Sultan steadily gained on the little mare, who was notdisposed to do her utmost even under whip and spur, which Woofer did notspare.
They were now racing in the dark along the ridge of a deep coulee, thewall on the right of which went down steeply to a depth of thirty ormore feet.
Ted could not see the way, but he knew that they were riding a perilouspath, and that a slip of the foot or a rolling rock might cost themtheir lives.
But he knew Sultan's feet were sure, and that unless an accident whichcould not be avoided took place, they were safe.
He had so gained on Woofer that he could now see him dimly outlinedagainst the sky in advance of him.
If it were only level ground on which he could urge Sultan, it would notbe a matter of more than a few minutes before he would be up with him.
But evidently Woofer saw him, also, for there was the flash of arevolver, and a ball sang past Ted's head.
He dared not fire in return for fear of hitting Singing Bird.
But the race must end soon, for Ted was steadily gaining.
At length they swept down from the ridge and into the coulee, along thelevel bottom of which they galloped, Sultan always edging up, closer andcloser to Magpie, who evidently was slowing down.
Now Ted spoke to Sultan and urged him for the first time, and thegallant little beast spurted forward, and in an instant's time wasabreast of the other horse.
Ted's eyes were almost put out by a blinding flash, and there was adeafening roar.
Woofer had placed his forty-five close to his head, leaning far out ofhis saddle, and fired.
By same interposition of Providence, however, the ball went past hishead, singeing his hair, and he bent forward and struck Woofer on thehead with the butt of his own weapon.
Woofer seemed to shrink in the saddle, like a wet rag, and the Indiangirl was slipping from his arms to the ground when Ted seized her andtransferred her to his own saddle.
At the same moment the insensible form of Woofer slipped to the ground.
Feeling herself free of her burden, Magpie came to a stop, and trottedback to where Ted was waiting for her, and rubbed noses with Sultan.
The Indian girl had been rendered unconscious by a blow on the head inthe tent, and was just recovering as Ted rescued her from a fall to theground.
Presently she opened her eyes, and, not knowing what had taken placewithin the last few minutes, she tried to struggle out of Ted's arms, atthe same time uttering shrill screams, and trying to use her fingernails on his face. She was fighting like a wild cat, and it was all Tedcould do to prevent her from injuring him, while he was trying to gether quiet enough to realize the change in her fortunes.
Finally she recognized his voice and ceased to struggle, but sat up andlooked at him in amazement.
"It is I, Singing Bird," said he. "I followed you and took you away fromWoofer. You are safe."
Then she saw it was so, and remained quiet.
He let her slip to the ground, and then assisted her to mount Magpie,and thus they rode slowly back to camp.
Before going Ted got down from Sultan's back and found Woofer, who waslying where he fell. He was not in a serious condition, but Ted knewthat he would suffer from a severe headache when he awoke. Then he wouldhave to take care of himself, alone on the vast prairie without a horse.But it was his own lookout, and perhaps it would teach him a much-neededlesson.
When they reached camp the night guard was changing, and, seeing Ted andthe Indian girl come riding in together, the boys aroused the whole campwith their eager questions.
Ted told them briefly all that had happened during the attemptedabduction of Singing Bird, but the time was not ripe to divulge theburden of the Indian girl's story of the gold in the mother lode.
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