And Andy, duly impressed once more with the fact that Frank was able to handle the situation, if any one could, only too gladly hurried after his cousin when the latter headed for the house.
No one paid the least attention to the fact that it was a fine airy morning, for the catastrophe which had come upon Double X Ranch so suddenly had by this time filled their minds to the exclusion of everything else.
And it was an excited group that gathered by the horse block in front of the door—the housekeeper wringing her hands in anguish; Frank and Andy looking very determined; Charley Woo in a flutter; and Alkali Joe furious because of his crippled condition.
CHAPTER XVIII—THE AEROPLANE PURSUIT
“But ain’t you a-goin’ to let me ride over and tell the boss what’s happened?” complained Alkali Joe, after Frank had in as few words as possible explained just what he and Andy meant to do; and while this was taking place his cousin had slipped into the house to secure the coveted guns, the value of which they knew only too well after that excitement over the bear hunt.
“You never could make it, Joe,” said Mrs. Ogden decisively, “chances are you’d give that leg a wrench on the way, and just faint from the pain. Besides, it would be a crying shame to let a wounded man gallop all day long nearly, or even for a few hours. I’d sooner ride myself than let you try it.”
“How about you, Charley Woo; can you ride a pony, and follow as plain a trail as the bunch left behind them?” asked Frank, turning to the Chinaman.
Charley Woo nodded his head so violently that his dangling queue looked like an animated rope hanging down his back. He removed his hands with their long fingernails, from the wide sleeves of the jacket he wore.
“Sure tling, Flank!” he exclaimed eagerly, delighted it seemed to have such confidence reposed in him; “him know where Mistah Withasploon camp las’ night; been samee place much many tlimes ’long with him. Go there light away, fast as Joe, he pony run. Tell when, that all.”
Alkali opened his mouth to object to his favorite cayuse being ridden by another than himself, and a miserable “Chink” at that; then he shut his teeth hard together as he remembered what it all meant, and how foolish he would be to throw any obstacle in the way of the rescue of the little sunbeam that had been the idol of the ranch for some years now.