CHAPTER XIX
WINNING THEIR REWARD
The horse-hunters had bound the black and left him, while they entered the corral to assist in roping the rest of the herd that were dashing wildly about. Every time a rope swung above a broad-brimmed sombrero, and shot out, a wild horse came down.
"I fell in, but I got him," greeted Chunky Brown, triumphantly, as Tad Butler rode up to him.
Tad laughed heartily when he saw his companion, Stacy Brown, proudly sitting on the head of the angry, snorting black stallion.
"You did, indeed, Chunky. How did you ever do it?"
"Just like any other experienced man would," replied the fat boy, in an important tone. "We got them both, didn't we, Tad!"
"Yes."
"And we'll keep 'em, eh!"
"Oh, no, Chunky. We couldn't do that. These horses belong to the hunters. They spend a great deal of money in preparing to capture them. It would not be right for us to expect to keep these two. We've been well paid for our labor in the fun we have had. Don't you think so?"
"Well, yes," decided Stacy a little ruefully.
"Let's see if we can help them," concluded Tad, riding up to the edge of the corral.
"Orders?" he called, as soon as he could attract Bud Stevens' attention.
"Yes; you might ride around to the entrance and come in. You can help us rope and hobble the stock if you want to."
Tad did as directed. There was no sport of the range that he took a keener enjoyment in than he did in roping, and by this time there were few men who could handle a rope more skillfully than he.
Ned and Walter were assisting in guarding the narrow entrance to the canvas corral when Tad finally rode through, entering the enclosure, where the excited animals were charging back and forth and round and round.
Bud was sitting on his pony in the center of the milling animals, directing the operations. First the hunters would rope and throw an animal; then they would bind up one of the front legs at the elbow, after which the horse was released. When the animals had staggered about the enclosure a few times trying to throw off the leg-binders, they were quite willing to stand still and nurse their anger.
"Sail in, boy!" called Bud.
Tad picked out a little bay that was kicking and squealing, dodging every lariat that was thrown at it. His first shot missed. The lad coiled his rope deliberately.
"I'll see that you don't dodge me this time, Mr. Bay," Tad muttered, and began slowly following the animal about the ring. The instant the bay's head was turned away from him Tad let go the rope, and the next second the stubborn animal lay on its side, another cowboy having made a successful cast over its kicking hind legs the moment it struck the ground.
Tad released his rope, then started for another cast. So he went on from one to another, and with as much coolness as if he had been roping wild horses all his life.
After half an hour's work young Butler saw Bud motioning to him. Tad rode up. The boy was bare-headed, having lost his sombrero somewhere in the enclosure, and not having thought to look for it, even if he had realized its loss.
"Take a rest," directed the horseman.
"I'm not tired."
"Yes, you are, but you don't know it. First thing you know, you'll tumble off your pony with a bad case of heat knock-out. Your face is as red as a lobster. Too bad the stallions got away," added Bud, who had been so thoroughly occupied in the corral that he had given no heed to what had been taking place outside.
"Lost the stallions?" questioned Tad, elevating his eyebrows.
"Yes, Satan and the Angel."
"Why, Mr. Stevens, we didn't lose them."
"I know, we got them in the corral all right, but that isn't getting them. They always manage to give us the slip somehow."
Tad's eyes danced.
"Then you've got a surprise coming to you, Mr. Stevens. Both stallions are lying outside the corral at this minute, tied up so tightly that they won't get away again."
"What! You're joking."
"No, I'm not. I mean it," laughed the lad in high glee.
Bud bent a steady look upon the boy. He saw that Tad was speaking the truth.
"How did it happen, kiddie?"
"Chunky roped the black by one of its hind feet just as the animal was taking the jump. Chunky got a bad fall, but he held fast to the black till the others could get their ropes on it."
"Hurray!" shouted Bud, carried away by his enthusiasm. "But what about the Angel, eh? Get him too, did you say?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"I jumped the fence after him, and ran a race with him out into the foothills, where I managed to get my lariat over his head and pulled him down. We had quite a scrimmage, but I should have lost him if I hadn't had help. The boys came to my rescue just in time."
"Huh!" grunted the cowboy, observing his companion with twinkling eyes. "You've got anything roped and hobbled that I ever saw."
That was Bud's only comment at the moment, but it carried with it a world of praise, causing Tad to blush.
All the rest of the afternoon was devoted to securing the animals that they had captured. Not a horse had escaped. Shortly after sunset the task was completed and the horse-hunters gave utterance to their feelings in a series of triumphant yells.
In the meantime three of the men had been sent back to bring over the camp outfit, which, owing to the fact that it had to follow a round-about trail, did not get in until some time after dark. Ned and Walter had accompanied the men back to camp to assist in packing their own outfit, Tad and Stacy remaining to keep watch over the prizes that they had captured.
Dinner that night, though a late one, was an occasion of boisterous good-fellowship, the two happy Pony Rider Boys coming in for much good-natured raillery.
"Don't want to join us, do you, kiddie?" asked Bud quizzically.
"I'd like to, of course. But it is not possible," answered Tad.
"We'll be off in the morning with our stock, you know. Better come along. You'll dry up and blow away down on the desert. It's had medicine where you're headed for."
"We're used to taking our medicine," laughed Tom Parry. "You probably have noticed as much in the short time you've known our bunch."
"You bet I have," laughed Bud. "And you take it in big doses, too."
"Allopathic doses," interjected the Professor.
"Don't know what they might be," answered Bud. "Sounds as though it might be something hard to swallow, though."
This bit of pleasantry caused a general laugh. The fun continued until late in the evening. Next morning the camp was astir at an early hour.
The captured horses were found to be considerably subdued after being roped all night. Bud's first work in the morning, after breakfast, was to take the two stallions in hand. They were freed of their bonds, and after a battle during which nearly every member of the party had been more or less mauled by the spirited beasts, the horse hunters succeeded in saddling and bridling Satan and the Angel.
Bud Stevens rode them about in turn, to the delight of the Pony Rider Boys who had never seen such bucking.
"Let me ride now," begged Stacy, after Stevens had to some extent subdued Satan.
The horseman permitted the lad to take to the saddle, but no sooner had Chunky done so, than Satan hurled him clear over the corral. Chunky, nothing daunted, came back smiling and tried it again, this time with entire success. Satan did not again succeed in unseating him.
Tad mastered the Angel without being thrown, and amid the cheers of the cowboys, who shouted their approval of his horsemanship.
All was now in readiness for the start of the cowboy band and their great herd of horses. Stevens had directed his men to take the two stallions outside the corral and stake them down securely. Then the men began driving the rest of the captured stock from the canvas prison. At first the animals evinced an inclination to run away. But with one leg in a sling this was not an easy task, and the horsemen rounded up the bunch with little difficulty.
"Here, here!" cried Tad. "You're forgetting the stallions, Mr. Stevens. You've left them staked down out back of the corral."
"Have I?" grinned Bud. "What did you want me to do with them?"
"Take them with you, of course," answered Tad, as yet failing to understand the horse-hunter's plan.
"Don't you want them, kiddie?"
"Want them—want them?" stammered Tad.
"Yes. They're yours, yours and the fat boy's."
"Oh, no, no, Mr. Stevens! I couldn't think of such a thing."
"Master Tad is right," approved the Professor. "We have not the least claim in the world on those animals. We——"
"Say, Professor, who's running this side show?" demanded Bud.
"Why—why, of course it's your hunt, but——"
"All right then, seeing as it's my outfit, I've decided that I don't want the stallions. Look here! We'd have lost part of that bunch, at least, if it hadn't been for your kids. Master Tad alone saved the herd from scattering all over the Ralston Desert. No, sir, I'm getting off cheaply. The stallions belong to the boys, and that's all there is to be said. S'long everybody. Come up to Eureka on your way out, and if I don't cut the town wide open for you, my name ain't Bud Stevens."
With a wave of his sombrero, Bud put spurs to his mount and galloped away to join his companions, who had started the herd on its way to Eureka, where the animals were to be shipped East.
Tad and Stacy were too full of surprise to express their feelings.