Several women and girls came rushing out of the house and ran around the corner toward one of the corrals.
The girl running toward the cowboys was Inza Burrage. She waved her hand toward the corral.
At that moment a horse bearing a double burden was seen to shoot out from the corral and go racing across the plain.
“It’s Indian Charlie’s critter, an’ that’s Charlie on its back!” cried Hank Kildare.
“Right ye are!” agreed Pecos Pete; “but it’s more’n Charlie ridin’ ther critter! He’s got somethin’ in his arms! Dern my eyes! I reckon he’s tryin’ ter kerry off Rodney’s gal!”
“That’s it!” burst from Frank Merriwell. “He is kidnaping Miss Rodney! After the fellow, men! We must run him down!”
Frank was right. Charlie, driven desperate and maddened by several drinks he had taken, had quite lost his head. Again seeking Sadie Rodney, he had found an opportunity to catch her in his arms, carry her to the corral, where his horse was saddled and ready, and bear her away.
Ordinarily the man would not have attempted such a thing. Just now he was ready for any desperate deed.
He believed he had a horse that was the superior of anything on or about Rodney’s ranch, and so he had tried to kidnap Sadie, hoping to get a big start before he was discovered.
Inza had seen him, and she ran to tell Frank what had happened.