Teddy fetched the water and food and laid them by the side of the man, together with a rifle and a box of cartridges. Then he jerked a blanket off the couch and threw it over the figure on the floor. This done, the boys prepared to leave.
“So long, boys! Remember me to Froud—with an ounce of lead! Ride’ em, buckers! Go get ’em!â€�
Teddy and Roy made for the door. In a moment they were on their ponies.
A cold wind cut their faces as they raced across the range. Night was fast approaching. The prairie lay like a sodden blanket beneath a gray sky.
In the cabin they had just left, a man pulled himself across the floor and into the next room. His hand reached out toward a pile of branding irons, and his fingers closed over the one without a handle. Clutching this, he struggled back to the fire, and held it to catch the glow of the dying embers. His fingers passed gently over the raised surface. Then with a sigh of satisfaction he sank back and watched the last sparks fade into blackness.
CHAPTER XXV
THE ROUND-UP
The first stars were peeping from a cloud-strewn sky when Roy and Teddy rode into the yards of the X Bar X. Without waiting to tie up their horses, they rushed into the house. Mrs. Manley was talking to Norine in the living room.
“Mother!� Teddy exclaimed, “where’s dad? Is he in?�
“Just went toward the corral, Teddy,â€� Mrs. Manley answered. Then, as she saw Teddy’s face, she asked: “What happened? Is Belle all right? She didn’t—â€�
“Nothing like that at all, Mom!� Roy cried, giving her a quick hug. “We’ve got good news. We know where our horses are!�