The X Bar X boys on the ranch

CHAPTER XIV
GUS COMES HOME

Roy and Teddy were showing the two girls around the X Bar X the next morning.

“Here is where the bronco-busters do their stuff,� announced Teddy, when they came to the corral. “Rad Sell, who’s out on the range just at present, is one of the best leather-stickers we’ve got on the place.�

“Oh, Teddy, I wish we could see him tame a wild horse! Don’t you, Nell?â€� Ethel asked, eyes wide with curiosity. “Of course we’ve seen it done many times in the moving pictures, but—â€�

Teddy laughed heartily.

“When Rad climbs aboard some of those fresh ponies, he doesn’t stay in one place long enough to have a picture taken of him. How about it, Roy?�

“That’s right,� his brother agreed. “Remember the time he broke Tiger? First they tore around the corral like a cyclone. Then, all of a sudden, Tiger took a look at the fence, pulled back, and the next second he was over and running wild for the mountains. That was before dad had this other rail put on. No horse in the world could jump it now.�

“What happened then?� Nell inquired eagerly.

“Oh, nothing much,� Roy said carelessly. “Rad had a long ride, and when he got back Tiger had turned into a lamb. He’s one of the best saddle horses on the ranch now. You can ride him later, if you want to.�

“No, thanks,� Nell laughed. “I’d rather not, if you don’t mind.� She walked on a little way, and then said: “Look, here’s a notice of some sort. What is it about?�

Tacked upon one of the rails of the corral was a piece of paper, written on in heavy, black letters. Teddy and Roy gazed at it curiously.

“Never saw it before,� Teddy remarked in a puzzled tone. Then he came closer and read the words:

“That’s mighty funny,â€� Roy mused. “I wonder—â€�

“Lookin’ at my sign?� exclaimed a voice behind them, and Mr. Manley, together with Belle, came toward the corral. “I put that up early this morning. Belle Ada suggested it. Don’t know whether it’ll help or not, but I’d give a lot more than that to get General back. What say, boys?�

“I’ll tell a maverick!� Roy declared. “So would Teddy and I be glad to get Star and Flash back. Think it’ll encourage the boys, Dad?�

“Well, I don’t know,â€� Mr. Manley answered slowly. “I happened to hear Jim Casey and Gus Tripp talkin’ about the theft, an’ the way they feel they’d run themselves ragged to locate those rustlers. Pop would, too—he still sees red because the X Bar X brand was stolen. So I guess they’ll do the best they can, without that reward being offered.â€�

“Yes, but, Daddy, wouldn’t it be nice to give something to the boys if they did catch the thieves?� Belle asked. “And then, too, I think they’d look just a little bit harder, if they knew they’d get a hundred dollars when they found the horses. Now, wouldn’t they?�

“Mebby—mebby,â€� Mr. Manley agreed. “Won’t do any harm to try. Well, are the boys showin’ you around the place?â€� he asked, turning to Nell.

“Yes, and it’s perfectly thrilling!� Ethel broke in. “I’d just adore it if I could live here always.�

“Have you shown them the kittens we brought back?� Mr. Manley inquired of Teddy, winking one eye.

“Not yet, Dad,� his son returned. “We were just going over there when we saw this notice of yours.�

“What kind of kittens?� Ethel wanted to know.

“You’ll see!â€� Belle Ada exclaimed. “And I’ll bet you never saw any like them in your life before! Come on—they’re near the bunk-house.â€�

The two city girls bent eagerly over the large, wire cage that stood in the shelter of the bunk-house wall. When they saw the soft, furry little creatures romping about inside, Nell gave a cry of delight and was about to reach down and pet them when Roy caught her hand.

“I wouldn’t do that,� the boy warned. “Their teeth and claws are growing pretty fast. You might get nipped.�

“What kind of kittens are they?� Ethel wanted to know.

“Mountain lions,� answered Mr. Manley. “Real mountain lions! We shot their mother, and we figgered we ought to give the youngsters a start in life. So we brought ’em over here.�

“Aren’t they cute?� came from Nell. “When they grow up, maybe you can tame them.�

“And maybe not,� Teddy retorted grimly. “The only tame mountain lion I ever saw was a dead one. When these grow up they go to the circus, hey, Dad?�

“If they live,� answered Mr. Manley.

“Now,� said Roy, as he pushed the cage further out into the sun, “we’ll show you our famous cook, Sing Lung. This way, ladies and gentlemen! This way for the big show!�

They strolled to the front of the mess-house, and Teddy stuck his head inside.

“Hey, Sing Lung!� he called. “Come here a minute, will you? You have visitors.�

Sing Lung, his face wreathed in an expansive smile, shuffled forward.

“Hillo,� he greeted them genially. “How you? Nice day?�

“Keep him talking a while,� Teddy said in a low voice to Roy. “I’ll get his fiddle.�

“Sing Lung, this is Miss Carew, and this is Miss Willis. They are staying at the 8 X 8,� explained Roy.

“Glad to see you.â€� The cook smiled and extended his two clasped hands in the oriental welcome. “You velly pletty—almost pletty like Belle Ada,â€� and he grinned widely. To his mind few girls had reached Belle’s perfection of beauty.

“Thanks,� Nell answered, blushing a little. It was a new experience to be complimented with a reservation in favor of another’s beauty.

“Sing Lung, tell the ladies what you give the punchers for mess,� Mr. Manley said, with a wink to the cook.

“Mice,� Sing Lung declared, nodding his head. “Little white mice, velly tendle; bleckfast, dinna, suppa! Yep! Me catchee! You like I makie you mice stew? Maybe mice flied?�

“Heavens, no!� Ethel said, with a shudder. “Mr. Manley, I think that’s terrible! Do the men really like to eat mice?�

Belle and Roy could hold in no longer. They exploded into a hearty laugh. Nell and Ethel saw the joke immediately, and could not refrain from laughing too.

“I think you’re mean to tease us,� Ethel exclaimed, pouting in mock anger. “We are awfully green, aren’t we? I might have known you were only fooling!�

“Never mind,� Belle consoled the Eastern girls. “If you stay out here long enough, you’ll be a real Westerner. Then you can go back to New York and ride a horse down Broadway.�

At this moment Teddy returned with a black box.

“Here, Sing Lung,� he said, thrusting it toward the Chinese cook. “Give us a tune, won’t you? The girls have heard, all the way back in New York, what a player you are.�

“Me not so good,� and the cook grinned modestly, eyeing the box enviously, however.

“Sure you are!� Roy declared. “You play, Sing Lung, and then we’ll leave it to the girls. Hey?�

“Oh, please, Sing Lung!� coaxed Belle Ada.

“Well—â€� the cook hesitated, but it was plain to be seen that he was more than willing to oblige. Teddy at last settled the question by forcing the box into the cook’s hands.

With a look of almost reverence on his face, Sing Lung opened the box—and, as he did so, there sprang from it a mouse!

With a yell, the cook dropped the case and dashed into the mess-house, from which there immediately issued an explosion of high-fire Cantonese. The two girls, who had looked at the little rodent with simple curiosity and with none of the fright which members of the feminine sex are supposed to exhibit on such occasions, laughed merrily at the strange spectacle of a Chinese running from a mouse.

“He’s scared to death of mice,� Roy said, a wide grin on his face. “When I heard him talking about serving them to the punchers, I thought I’d try a little kidding myself. He’s got a trap back there that he catches the mice in, so I took one out and put it in his fiddle-box.�

“Poor old Sing Lung! I don’t think much of your joke!� declared Belle Ada.

“You’d better tell him the danger’s over, or he’ll go through the roof,� Mr. Manley declared, with a chuckle. “Teddy, you go in and bring him out, will you? Say Roy chased the mouse away.�

While the others—all but Belle Ada—looked on in amusement, Teddy braved the storm of cyclonic, oriental language and entered the cook house.

“All right, Sing Lung,� they heard him say. “Mouse gone. You can come down now.� Then, in an aside to the others: “Golly, he’s crawled onto a shelf and curled up!�

Reverting to English for a moment, the cook screamed:

“All lite! All lite! You say all lite when little lat he inside my fi’il? I no clazy! All lite! Ha! Maybe you puttee little lat in fi’il, hey?�

“It wasn’t a rat, it was a mouse, Sing Lung, and it’s gone now. So come on down.�

“You say so—yes?â€�

“Yes, I say so. Come on down.�

The cook descended cautiously to the floor and looked about him. Finding that the mouse was not in sight, he blew on his finger tips and, with a grin on his face, went to the door.

“She’s gone, I guess,� he said calmly. “Me no like ’um. Poison! Now, you, li’l Belle, you hand me fi’il; yes?�

“He knows if you give it to him, there won’t be any mice in it,� Mr. Manley laughed. “Go ahead, Belle Ada, give it to him.�

With a smile, Belle picked up the case, and, taking the queer-looking instrument out, she handed the two-stringed Chinese fiddle to Sing Lung. He took it gingerly, and, after receiving the bow, got ready to play.

“Now you’ll hear some real laundry music,� Roy said in a low voice to Nell. “Don’t laugh. Make believe you like it,� he warned.

Sing Lung slowly drew the bow across the strings. He evoked a peculiar, wailing noise, more akin to a sick cat on the back fence than to anything else to which the girls had ever listened, so they said later.

There was a sudden interruption. The sound of a rapidly approaching horse was heard, and all looked up in surprise. Gus Tripp was riding toward them, his steed in a lather.

As he came closer Mr. Manley noticed that Gus slumped oddly in his saddle. At the sight the cattle owner ran quickly forward. Gus held up his right arm in a mute gesture.

From his fingers blood was dripping!