“Buck up!” she exclaimed firmly. “Teddy, you’re not going to weaken now, are you? Come on, Pete is waiting for you. I’ll telephone your folks—the linemen just finished their work on this section and we can use the phone again—and send Bug Eye over with some men to your ranch right away. We’ll be so hot on the trail of those rustlers they’ll wish they’d never heard of the West! Why, you’ll have your sister back within twenty-four hours! We’ll rake this whole prairie with a fine tooth comb! We’ll get ’em, no matter where they hide! You listen to me—I know what I’m talking about! Look up now and ride after ’em, boys! Go get ’em!”
Teddy came to life as though he had touched a live wire. Then he threw back his shoulders and his eyes blazed. The blood returned to his face with a rush.
“We’ll get ’em!” he exclaimed harshly. “I don’t care where they hide—they can’t get away! Roy, let’s go! We’ll ride ’em down, wherever they are! Good-bye, Mrs. Ball—don’t worry! Roy! Come on!”
The boys ran across the room. The door slammed shut behind them. There was a slight jar as they leaped down the steps. In another moment the roar of a motor sounded, the cutout on full. Mrs. Ball rushed to the window, and saw the auto, with her husband and the boys in it, speed madly up the road. For a moment she stood there, watching the cloud of dust settle as the car disappeared over the hill. Then she covered her face with her hands and sobbed:
“Let them find them, O Lord! Let them find them! I haven’t asked for very much up to now; but please, Lord, let them bring the girls home safely! Send their sister back to those two dear boys and my nieces back to me! Please! Oh, please!”
Gradually her sobs subsided. Then, calm-eyed and determined, she went to the telephone. Mr. Ball had not misplaced his trust in her.
The occupants of the car which was burning up the road between the X Bar X and the 8 X 8 were, for the most part, silent, sunk deep within their thoughts. Teddy was driving automatically, his eyes fixed upon the road, his mind spinning with tangled ideas. The rustlers had made good their threat. His father’s fears had been realized. But in what a fashion! None of them had anticipated anything like this! Even now it was hard to realize. That there could be men in this country who would stoop to a scoundrel’s trick of this sort! If they had only had some intimation of what was about to occur! They had imagined the rustlers might make trouble of some kind—steal the cattle or even shoot them down from ambush. Better, far better, that the whole herd be killed than this!
What would his father say? And mother! Teddy blinked his eyes rapidly. Viciously he pressed the accelerator to the floor and the car shot ahead.
“Not wastin’ any time,” Mr. Ball declared, leaning forward from his seat in the rear. Teddy shook his head, but did not trust himself to reply. He was not sure his voice would be quite steady.
Roy turned to Mr. Ball.