Boy Ranchers on Roaring River; Or, Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER X

  BUD FINDS A NOTE

  Billee Dobb approached deliberately and gazed long and earnestly intothe face of the recumbent man.

  "So that's Delton, is it?" he said. "He sure took a funny way to comeback. Wonder if he's--" the rancher stooped swiftly and laid his handon the breast of the man. "Nope! Still living. We'd better get himto the house soon as possible. Grab hold there, Bud."

  Lifting him as gently as they could, so they might not cause the bloodto flow more strongly, they carried the injured man toward the ranchhouse. They laid him on the couch in the living-room, which was knownas the "parlor," and generally reserved for funerals.

  "I'll get some water and bandages--if I can find any," said Bud when hehad disposed of his burden.

  "That white shirt of the Kid's will do," Billee suggested as Bud madefor the door. "He's got it rolled up in his saddle pack."

  The man on the couch seemed to be breathing more strongly now. Theblood from the cut had partly clotted, and the flow was greatlydiminished. But a glance at his face showed that he was in a very weakcondition.

  "Must have been lyin' out there quite a spell," Billee commented, asBud returned with the shirt and a basin of water. The news of theunconscious visitor had traveled fast, for Dick, Nort and the Kidfollowed Bud into the room.

  "Who is he?" asked the Kid as he bent over. "Little feller, ain't he?"

  "Recognize him, Dick?" Bud said, kneeling down by the man's side anddipping one end of the shirt in his basin.

  "No, can't say that I--yes I do, too! It's the fellow that was herewhen we came--the one who offered us the thousand! It's 'J. D.'!"

  "Right. We found him lying over by a shack, dead to the world. Billeeand I carried him in here. Seems to have a nasty cut, but I don'tbelieve it's dangerous. Way he talked to me here awhile ago, he's tooornery to die."

  "Must have been caught in the big wind," Nort said. "Hit by a board,probably."

  "So that's Delton, hey?" Yellin' Kid drawled. "Well, mister, I'mpleased to make your acquaintance. You don't look pertikerly dangerousto me. But you can't tell about these quiet ones. Liable to fly upany minute. Don't wash that blood off, Bud! Leave it lay. Have himbleedin' again if you don't watch out. Nort, mosey out an' see if thatdumb Mex has got the coffee ready. Bring in some, will you? Leave the'Canned cow' out of it. When this boy wakes up he wants somethingstrong."

  The man's eyes opened for a minute, then closed again. The duskoutside was settling rapidly now, and the room was growing darker.Dick ran to the kitchen and returned with a lighted candle, which heheld close to the head of the recumbent figure. By this time theirvisitor had regained consciousness, and was staring wide-eyed at thegroup surrounding the couch--three men leaning expectantly over hisbody, while a fourth held a lighted candle aloft like a weird statue.Little wonder that a man awaking to such surroundings would be somewhatbewildered.

  "How do you feel, mister?" Yellin' Kid asked solicitously when he sawthat Delton was conscious.

  "Not so--good," was the jerky answer. "Stomach--sick--head feels--"

  "Swally this," urged Billee holding to his lips the steaming coffeeNort had brought from the kitchen. "Sure it's hot! Don't want coldsody, do ya? 'At's-a-boy--drink 'er down! Better now?"

  "Yea," the man answered in a weak voice. "What happened? Woolworthtower fall on me? Wow! What a head! Seems to me I remember takin' asubway train at Times Square--or was that last year? Can't just thinkstraight now----"

  "New York," whispered Bud to Dick. "Thought he didn't look like awesterner!"

  "Just you lay quiet," advised Yellin' Kid. "Won't do you a bit of goodto talk now. Got lots of time to do that. You stay here to-night,an'----"

  "I remember now! That storm! I was riding over toward the Shootin'Star ranch, when the sky got black, and that dumb-bell horse of minestarted to act up. The next minute I got hit by a ton of bricks."

  He was silent a moment, thinking.

  "Say--" he suddenly propped himself up on one elbow and glanced around."I know where I am! Yes. And I know you--and you!" pointing at Budand Dick. "You're the two galoots that--oh!" he finished weakly, andsank back. He closed his eyes again. It was not evident to thewatchers whether he had really fainted, or whether he realized he wastalking too much.

  At all events it was useless to expect him to say more. At Bud'ssuggestion he was carried upstairs, and after his heavier clothing hadbeen removed he was laid in one of the beds. He seemed to be restingeasily, and if his sleepy attitude was simulated at first, it certainlywas not now, as his regular breathing and relaxed condition indicated.

  "Better let him sleep," Dick said in a low voice. "He'll be all rightwhen he wakes up. The bleeding from his head has stopped, and if hehad anything else the matter he would have told us. I think we'd allbetter eat. Let's get out of here, anyway--we'll disturb him if wetalk much."

  "Eat!" exclaimed the Kid when they had all left the room wherein Deltonlay. "Let's see now--have I heard that word before, or did I dream it?Believe me, when I sit down to this chow nothin' is goin' to drag meaway--fire, wind or flood! Seems like that Mex cook of ours is ahoodoo. Every time we start to eat something happens."

  "Guess we'll go through with it all right this time," Dick remarkedwith a laugh. "Here we are, boys. Set! And go to it! Enough baconhere for an army. Kid, go easy on that bread! You want to choke?"

  The five were seated around a table in the rear of the house. In themiddle of the table was a huge plate of bacon, and next to this was amess of beans, steaming hot. Bread, butter, coffee and condensed milkor "Canned cow" completed the repast.

  "Wonder where the Mex got all this food?" Nort asked as he reached forthe bread. "Real good, anyhow. Guess we'd better keep the Greaser, ifhe'll stay."

  "Keep him 'til we get settled," added Dick. "I don't exactly like hislooks. He's too much like the Mex that Joe Hawkins pointed out--theone he said to watch out for--remember?--to suit me."

  "Don't be tryin' to find trouble, Dick," advised Bud. "That Mex isjust as good as the next one. But it is funny why he should belingering around here when all the rest lit out. And to have this foodall ready for us. Well----"

  "Got a few suspicions up your own sleeve, eh?" laughed Dick.

  "Boys," Billee said slowly, "I want to tell you something. Youremember what your Dad said about smugglin', Bud?"

  At the word the men at the table gave a slight start.

  "Yes, smugglin'. You'd forgot all about it, hadn't ye? Well, I ain't.While we were in Hawkins's office I noticed a bill-head on his desk. Itook it. Here it is."

  He passed over the paper to the Kid. The others got up and leaned overthe Kid's shoulder, reading it.

  "Two thousand dollars' reward," said the Kid haltingly, "for the a-restand con-viction of--the person whose picture is below, and who is knownin New York as Dapper Dan Craven. He is wanted for smuggling Chinese.Escaped custody at----"

  He stopped. His eyes sought the picture.

  "By the ghost of my aunt Lizzy's cat!" he exclaimed. "If it ain't ourfriend Delton!"

  Bud reached over and slowly took the paper from the Kid's nervelesshand.

  "Delton!" he cried, as he saw the picture. "Just as sure as I'mliving, that's who it is!"

  "But why didn't Hawkins arrest him, then?" Nort asked in a puzzled toneof voice. "He knew where he was. He could have come out any time andput the bracelets on him and he'd have his man."

  "Now, boys, if you'll give me a little time, I'll--" started BilleeDobb in a calm voice.

  "Go ahead!"

  "We're listenin'!"

  "Well, in the first place, I don't think Joe Hawkins ever saw thisDelton. You know what a hard job we had gettin' to the ranch--I bet ifwe had had Hawkins with us we would have had to fight our way in.That's what that guard was out for--the one that tried to stop us. Heknew we weren't deputies, so he let us go through.

  "Also, that bill was just printed a
nd sent to Hawkins. Perhaps hedidn't have time to look at it. And say--that accounts for Delton'squick get-away, too. One of his men rode in an' told him that therewas a price on him, and he got, fast. He must have made this ranch hisheadquarters. No wonder he didn't have no sheep around! Boys, we canexpect some right excitin' things to happen, in the next few weeks!"

  Silence followed Billee's long speech. The veteran rancher had throwna veritable bombshell into camp. Delton--the man lying asleepupstairs--the head of the smugglers! Two thousand dollars' reward!Why, all they had to do was to tie him up and carry him to town--overto the deputy's house. Capturing the smuggling king the first night atthe Shooting Star! It seemed too good to be true.

  "There's a catch in it somewhere," commented Dick. "No man with areward like that on his head is going to dump himself into our hands."

  "Why not? It wasn't his fault. He came sneakin' around the place tospy on us and got caught by the cyclone. Then a board or something hithim on the head and he fell where we found him. Nothing strange aboutthat! We got him and got him good! Wow, what can't we do with twothousand dollars!"

  "There's one thing we forgot, boys," the Kid broke in.

  "And what's that?"

  "We're downstairs, an' Delton is upstairs."

  "That's soon fixed!" Bud cried, as he sprang for the steps. "Let's go,boys!"

  "Take it easy!" cautioned the Kid quickly. "What's the use of scarin'him? We'll just go up there and truss him up while he's asleep. Won'thurt him. That cut on the head was all that ailed him. Now, take yourtime!"

  The ranchers moved quietly toward the room in which they had leftDelton. As he reached the door, Bud opened it slowly and peered in.Not a sound. Then he stuck his head in a bit further. Still noaction. In the darkness he could see the outline of the bed butfaintly.

  Softly he turned the covers down. Farther--farther! Then he let out ayell.

  "Hey, come here! Quick!"

  "What's the trouble?" The Kid called as he entered the room.

  "He's gone! He beat it! Look!"

  In the bed, molded into the shape of a man, were two pillows. Deltonhad escaped, leaving the pillows in such a way as to make it appearthat he was still in the bed.

  "Here's a note!" Bud cried. "He left it on one of the pillows. Let'shave that candle, Dick."

  By the flickering spluttering light of the candle Bud read aloud:

  "Sorry I got to go so sudden, but this bed is too hard. I wouldn'tsleep well. If you guys want a little advice, you'll move along out ofthis section. It ain't healthy. A word to the wise. J. D."