In the midst of preparations for the start, Bug Eye and four other men arrived. They had forced their horses to the limit, and the ponies stood panting and covered with sweat in the ranch yard.
“Made good time,” Mr. Manley said to Bug Eye as the puncher dismounted.
“Had to,” was the grim answer. “When Mrs. Ball told us what had happened we saddled up and rushed over here pronto. My boss around?”
“Talking to Mrs. Manley. He’ll be out in a minute. Can you start as soon as your broncs get rested, Bug Eye?”
“Sure can,” Bug Eye replied grimly. “An’ we’re not holdin’ back any, either. What’s the plan, Mr. Manley?”
Before answering, Mr. Manley called his men around him. Mr. Ball had come out of the ranch house and was standing with the rest. Of the X Bar X men there were Nick Looker, Pop Burns, Gus Tripp and Nat Raymond, besides, of course, Mr. Manley and Roy and Teddy. Thus, with the four men who had ridden over from the 8 X 8 with Bug Eye, there was quite an assemblage in the yard, waiting for Mr. Manley to speak.
He held up his hand, and the talk died down. The men leaned forward eagerly. They sensed from Mr. Manley’s face that a serious moment was at hand. All of them had heard something of what had happened, yet they anxiously awaited the orders of the boss of the X Bar X Ranch.
“Boys,” Mr. Manley began, “this ain’t goin’ to be much of a speech. I don’t feel in the mood for talkin’, an’ I guess you ain’t hankerin’ to stand there listenin’, either. You all know that my daughter and Nell Willis and Ethel Carew were stayin’ at the 8 X 8. Last Saturday a man in an auto comes up to Pete Ball’s place with a note, sayin’ that he’s to bring the girls back with him. The note was signed with my wife’s name.” He paused for a moment, then went on:
“My wife didn’t send no such letter. This man took the three girls with him, to bring them home, as they thought. That was Saturday. To-day is Monday. We haven’t heard from the girls since.” Once more he paused, and his eyes roved over the men about him. Then he continued:
“I guess most of you heard about the message I got a week or so ago, sayin’ I’d get mine for pushin’ the charge against those rustlers we rounded up. That note was signed ‘Reltsur,’ and Roy an’ Teddy say the letter Mrs. Ball got was in the same handwritin’. Those rustlers are out of jail now—they made a getaway. Men, it looks bad—it looks bad!”