Were the outlaws as uneasy over these new arrivals as they seemed? Or was it pretense to trick the girls? Gale wished she knew. To her the terror of the outlaws seemed real enough. There was no mistaking the fear on the face of Pedro when a bullet entered through the window and pinged against the fireplace alarmingly close to him. They feared these men, but why? Were the new arrivals officers of the law or a band of rival outlaws? Were there such things as rival groups of bandits?
Gale pulled Val against the wall beside her. It was safest out of range of any gun that might shoot in the window. Suddenly from the rear of the cabin came a shout. Another voice took it up. A hasty glance out the window showed men running from cover and toward the door.
“Use your gun,” screamed one of the outlaws.
“No,” Gale said firmly. “We’ll see who they are—first!”
CHAPTER XV
Capture
Walking to the door Gale threw it open and stepped into the arms of the two men who rushed forward. She recognized them with a great overwhelming joy.
“Tom! Jim! How on earth did you get here? Who—”
“We’ve brought the Sheriff and his men,” Tom said breathlessly. “Looks as though you had the situation well in hand,” he added after he had greeted Valerie and taken in the sight of Pedro and the other two.
The Sheriff with two of his deputies crowded into the room and took charge of the three bandits.
“Reckon you’ll do no more rustlin’ cattle or robbin’ banks,” the Sheriff said, as he snapped handcuffs on the bigger of the two, while one of his men did the same with Pedro.
“Ya can’t keep me in jail,” the man returned. “An’ when I get out—I’m goin’ after these two kids!”
“Threats won’t get you anywhere,” Tom said practically. “Well, girls, want to go back to camp? Your chums are pretty worried about you.”
Valerie and Gale mounted the latter’s horse and Tom took them back to camp. Jim remained with the Sheriff to see the prisoners started on their way to the K Bar O and from there to Coxton. Later he would join the Adventure Girls again.
“Who shot at us from the window?” Tom demanded as they jogged along.
Gale grinned. “I did. How did I know it was help? I thought it was some more bandits.”
“And you were taking no chances, eh?” Tom laughed.
“But how did you know we were in the cabin?” Valerie asked him next.
“Recognized Gale’s horse standing in back,” Tom replied. “How did you get there in the first place?”
“When the rain came on yesterday I was looking for shelter,” Gale explained. “I got in there and just had time to crawl out the back window when I saw the men ride up. I decided to hang around and see if I could learn anything about the cattle that are being stolen from your Dad. I did. I heard them plotting to steal some more last night and drive them over the border into Mexico. Then all but the Mexican went away. Along about midnight two men came back and had Val with them. From then on things moved fast.”
“I saw the rustlers last night, Tom,” Valerie chimed in. “At least I think it was them. They were rounding up a herd of cattle and I turned to come back to camp and tell you when two men grabbed me and took me to that cabin. There the Mexican managed to scare me out of a year’s growth—until Gale came along.”
“I left the camp last night for the ranch and to get Dad and some men,” Tom added his bit. “I met the Sheriff and three of his deputies riding out to meet us and this morning we picked up the trail of the two men who had kidnapped you, Valerie. You know what happened after that. Oh, yes, Dad and some of the boys got the three who were after the cows last night.” He smiled. “I want to hear what happened all night and how you managed to trick those fellows, but I’ll be patient until we get back to camp and you’ve had some breakfast. I suppose you are hungry?”
“Are we!” Gale and Valerie echoed together.
“And I’m so sleepy I could sleep standing up,” Gale declared.
“You and me both,” Valerie murmured.
The three of them soon after rode up to the camp. The girls pounced on the two adventurers and welcomed them with open arms. While they were waited on and served with breakfast they told their story and the other girls declared it thrilling. After the last bite of breakfast Gale and Val went to their tent so sleepy they could scarcely keep their eyes open. They slept the sleep of utter exhaustion for ten hours. When they awoke the sky was aglow with sunset colors and the other girls were waiting with their supper.
“We are going to ride tonight,” Virginia informed them as the two appeared. “While you were snoozing we had a nap, too, so we could ride by moonlight.”
“Grand,” Gale declared.
“We thought you would never wake up,” Janet complained. “How could you sleep so long?”
“A clear conscience is the secret, my dear,” Valerie declared with a laugh. “I’ll bet you never slept as soundly as we did.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” Janet demanded in a loud voice. “I’ve nothing on my conscience—”
“How about the time you spilt ink on the professor’s desk? And the time you rang the fire gong when there was no cause, and the time—” Carol was enumerating when Janet interrupted.
“They should keep you awake,” Madge added mischievously.
“You’ve committed just as many crimes,” Janet defended quickly.
“I’ll wager they have,” Virginia said with a sympathetic arm about Janet’s shoulders. “Well, Tom?” she said to her brother who was approaching from the horses. “All set to go?”
“As soon as we take down the other tent,” he agreed. “How’re you, girls?” the last was to Gale and Valerie.
“Fine as a fiddle!” Valerie declared.
Indeed she appeared to be. Gale had at first watched her friend with some trepidation, remembering the strenuous events of last night. Before, Valerie had always been worn out, utterly exhausted after any excitement or nerve strain. Now she was as calm and steady as any of them. It was borne home to them all that Valerie had surely won her long fight for health.
Val herself was the happiest as it was natural that she should be. She, too, had been anxious as to the results of last night’s adventure. This morning when she and Gale had gone to bed, tired as she had been, she had feared an undoing of all the good work these weeks in the sun and air had done. But now, to her own amazement as well as to the surprise of her friends, she felt more fit, more cheerful than she had done for many months. It was a continual joy to her to be able to ride and compete equally with her friends, to know that she was as capable of meeting an emergency as any of them.
“Oh, Val!” Phyllis said, hugging her exultantly. “You look marvelous this morning.”
“Indeed she does,” Gale agreed, as the three of them walked to their horses.
“I feel it too,” Val declared.
“All the credit goes to beautiful Arizona,” Phyllis said cheerily.
“No it doesn’t,” Val said sturdily. “You girls deserve a vote of thanks on my behalf. I hereby express it,” she said gayly.
“Who is getting thanked and for what?” Janet interrupted, overtaking the three while Madge, Carol, and Virginia lagged behind.
“I’m offering all the Adventure Girls a vote of thanks for helping me back to health,” Valerie said.
“And we claim we didn’t have anything to do with it,” Gale said immediately. “It was sheer grit on Val’s part that she won out.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Janet said to Gale. “She has been wonderful, hasn’t she?”
“My word!” Valerie laughed. “I’m getting a lot of bouquets. You will bring on a rainstorm with such compliments.”
“It’s the truth,” Phyllis asserted. “And our trip has served its purpose.”
“What do you mean?” Valerie demanded suspiciously. “Was this Arizona trip planned for my especial benefit?”
“Well, you see—we—ah�
��” Phyllis floundered.
“Phyllis Elton!” Janet sighed. “You never open your mouth but you put your foot in it!”
“Well, I couldn’t help it,” Phyllis grumbled. “Val shouldn’t be so suspicious.”
“Gale,” Valerie commanded, “tell me what this is all about. What does she mean by the trip has served its purpose? Tell me!” she insisted as Gale hesitated.
“Why—um—you see, Val, we—got together and sort of talked it over and we decided—”
“You all decided to spend your summer out here so I could get well,” Val said, a suspicion of tears in her voice. “Was there ever a girl had such friends?”
“Bosh!” Janet said crisply, immediately dispersing all sentiment. “We did it for ourselves. Aren’t we the Adventure Girls and didn’t we come, out for some more adventures? But so far,” she added humorously, “you and Gale have been doing all the adventuring. Getting kidnapped and—”
“And almost run through by a Mexican and his knife,” finished Valerie. “Well, from now on, Janet, I cheerfully resign all my adventures in your favor.”
“Can I count on that?” Janet asked when the other girls joined them.
“We are on our way home, girls,” sighed Carol, “and all our adventuring is over for another summer. Dear me, winter and school are dull times, don’t you think?”
“Yes!”
“No!” came simultaneously from Janet and Phyllis.
Carol had not spoken the whole truth. They were on their last long ride of the summer, but their adventures were not over, and this they were shortly to discover for themselves.
CHAPTER XVI
Alarm
The moonlight turned the ground to silver dust and gave the girls the appearance of ghostly white riders as, single file, they started on their journey back to the K Bar O ranch house. They were feeling a trifle sad and regretful that it was almost time to leave these wide open spaces they had grown to love, when all thought of the approaching parting was jogged out of them.
Janet, who had been riding behind Gale, turned her horse from the line to come up beside Phyllis. At the same moment something, presumably a squirrel or jack rabbit, darted across from the side of the trail in front of her horse. She had been riding with loose reins, her horse’s head drooping forward, and now, when her horse reared in sudden fright, she was almost unseated. The horse stood for a moment balanced on his hind legs, pawing the air wildly with his forehoofs, then came down to earth and raced away, Janet trying frantically to retrieve her reins.
Jim had joined them again for the return to the ranch house, and now the minute he saw Janet’s horse was a runaway, urged his own mount after the girl’s. Tom was a close second, with Gale right behind him. The others strung out behind the first three, all bent on catching the runaway or saving Janet from an accident.
The wild dash of her horse, taking her utterly by surprise, had knocked all thought from Janet’s head and now she could do nothing but cling grimly to her seat. Darn the horse! she thought exasperatedly. He was supposed to be tame and used to the wild life of the plains and hills, yet a little jack rabbit could scare him out of his wits! She flung a hasty glance over her shoulder and saw her friends bearing down on her. But as if her own horse decided he didn’t want to be caught, he put on a sudden spurt and widened the distance.
Janet could see the reins dangling over the horse’s head, just out of her reach. Murmuring soothingly in his ear, Janet endeavored to catch the elusive reins but failed. One hand clinging desperately to the pommel on her saddle, Janet rose in her stirrups. For an instant she felt the reins in her fingers and then she had lost them again. She was quite well aware what the consequences would be if her horse threw her. She might suddenly find herself with a broken shoulder or arm or a fractured skull. The thought wasn’t at all pleasant and she set her teeth grimly, determined to stop the fool horse before something did happen to both of them.
They were coming out onto a wide plain where her horse had the best chance of all to run himself out. But she didn’t propose to stick to him until he was tired. She wanted him stopped now before he jolted all her bones loose. Clinging to the saddle and rising in her stirrups she leaned as far forward as possible. The horse lurched suddenly and it was by the merest piece of luck that she wasn’t thrown off on her face. But she clung to her saddle and persisted in her attempt to reach the reins. Finally her fingers closed on the left rein and she hung onto it desperately. She pulled with all her strength but the horse didn’t slacken in speed, not a fraction. He seemed bent on reaching some invisible object ahead and nothing could swerve him from his purpose. Janet braced her feet squarely in the stirrups, put both hands on the rein and continued to pull.
Phyllis, who was behind Gale in the race to reach Janet, saw the runaway swerve suddenly, an act all of them had been unprepared for. Janet’s horse raced parallel to its pursuers and it was a moment of lost precious time before either Jim or Tom could change the course of their own mounts. Phyllis, by the time Jim was after Janet again, had sent her horse at an abrupt angle from the group. If Janet’s horse did not swerve again, and she herself kept on at the present line, the two were bound to come together. Perhaps if they collided it would bring Janet’s horse to a halt, she reflected with a bit of humor.
For all of Janet’s tugging at the rein her horse was adamant. He did not slacken his speed until he began to feel tired. He had swerved from his course, but he would not stop. Janet, her whole attention claimed by the horse under her, did not see Phyllis until horse and rider loomed up before her. She felt herself suddenly hurled over her horse’s head as he made a mad attempt to stop himself, and the next second she found herself on top of Phyllis on the ground.
Janet rolled off her friend and sat up. She felt herself all over to be sure she was still in one piece. It had been quite a jolt, that landing on the ground. Then she turned to Phyllis. Her chum had not stirred and Janet feared the girl might be seriously hurt.
“I say, Phyll, are you all right?” Janet asked anxiously.
Phyllis opened her eyes and grinned through the dust and grime she had acquired when she pitched headlong to the ground.
“Yes,” she said thickly through a mouth full of dust. “I s’pose I’m all right, but you knocked all the wind out of me. I also saw several stars I never knew existed. But we stopped him, didn’t we?” she demanded, gazing at Janet’s horse which was standing meekly beside Phyllis’ own, all trace of rebellion gone.
“He ought to stop now, the crazy thing,” Janet said, getting stiffly to her feet. “You know, Phyll,” she said with a laugh, “you aren’t at all soft to land on. I’m all bumps and bruises.”
“You can be glad I was here to land on,” Phyllis said, “you might have picked a cactus, you know.”
“It isn’t everybody has a runaway,” Janet said with satisfaction. “I’ve certainly something to write home about now,” she declared, as the two turned to greet their friends.
“All right?” Gale asked anxiously as the others flung themselves from their horses and gathered solicitously around.
“Yes, but I’m going to sue Janet for damages,” Phyllis declared, rubbing a bruised place tenderly. “She had no right to knock me off my horse.”
“You had no business running into me,” Janet laughed in turn.
“Our hearts were in our mouths when we saw Janet fly through the air over her horse’s head,” Val declared.
“She floats through the air with the greatest of ease—” Carol started to sing when Janet glared at her.
“Riding, especially runaways, gives me an appetite,” Virginia said. “Suppose we have a bite of lunch.”
“You are indeed my friend,” Janet declared to Virginia. “You always know just what I need.”
A half hour later the ride was resumed. Janet and Phyllis, to the amusement of their friends, both lowered themselves gingerly into their saddles. Their experience had left them jolted and bruised and before much riding they beg
an to coax the others to camp for the rest of the night.
“We might as well,” Tom said. “It’s already nearing morning and this afternoon will see us at the K Bar O even if we take our time.”
They camped on the plains and decided not to put the tents up for the few hours that they meant to remain there. The girls rolled in blankets, feet toward the campfire, and in a few moments all but Gale and Virginia were dozing.
Lying flat on her back, the earth warm beneath her, staring up at the stars overhead, Gale felt suddenly tiny, so infinitesimal. The plain was so wide, the sky so near, the stars so bright—
“What are you thinking about?” Virginia asked from beside her.
“The stars,” Gale answered. “Didn’t somebody call them the windows of heaven?”
“Are you looking for the angels with their golden harps?” Virginia laughed.
“Yes,” Gale agreed with a smile. “Do you think I’ll see any?”
“Never can tell,” Virginia said, smothering a yawn. “Which one is your wagon hitched to?”
“Which angel?” queried Gale.
“No, silly, which star?”
“That one up there, see it? The little one, all sparkly. Oh!” Gale laughed, “It winked at me.”
“Not very big,” Virginia commented, squinting at the sky. “Whyn’t you pick a big one?”
“Wait until it grows up,” Gale murmured. “Just like me, wait until I grow up!”
“Won’t that be sompin’,” Virginia giggled. “What are you going to be? A female Lindbergh?”
“Never can tell,” Gale said. “Maybe I’ll be another Columbus.”
“I don’t know whether there are any lands left to discover, so you might have a little difficulty along that line,” was Virginia’s opinion. “Meanwhile—I’m getting sleepy.”
She fell silent and Gale, too, pulled her blanket closer for a cool wind had sprung up. The last thing she remembered before Tom brought them all wide awake with a loud banging on the frying pan was the wild, untamed howl of a coyote.
With the first dancing rays of the sun, the riders were up and about their business. Packs securely fastened on the pack horses and the girls mounted, they started on their way. As always when riding their spirits rose with the sun. Tom was playing his harmonica and Janet and Carol both insisted on giving voice to the tune Tom was playing until the other girls threatened dire punishment unless they stopped.
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