The Pony Rider Boys in Texas; Or, The Veiled Riddle of the Plains

hen the first guard, having complete

d of singing was borne to

Stacy Brown, sitting up with

Lament,'" laughed Bo

d a rich tenor voice raise

bull came down

lside, down

bull came dow

time

ontemptuously after a moment of silence on the part

out on the range,"

ge? Why not?" d

tampede the herd," spo

ollowed at Chu

e a full grown man," added Big-foot. "The Pinto rounded up a bunch of stray cows to-nig

d, with an approv

ces of the evening, as well as from the pra

d the lad. "I just gave him his he

erfeet would have do

, and the others had gathered around the

you will be fit for duty to-morrow. We've got a hard drive before us, and every man m

the only way to enjoy such a night as this, is to sit up until you fall

thin an hour he found himself alone, t

Stacy after the foreman had u

rywhere. Our beds, on the plains, are w

boys," said Stallings. "I had Pong get out the blankets f

them, with an ordinary wagon sheet doubled for a tarpaulin. These th

in the lot, declaring that he could n

k, the lad had fallen over two cowboys

ed cowpunchers, accompanied by dire threats as to what they would

for the night, and the camp set

g, for animals on the trail are seldom staked down. For these, a rope had been strung from a rear wheel of the wagon and another from the end of the tongue, back to a

night through. Ned Rector had come up smiling when awakened for his trick on the third guard. With Stacy Brown, howe

urned over and we

and he administered, what to him, was

nky, sitting up an

I reckon, and you'll wish you hadn't. If you can't keep shut, the boss'll be for making you sleep under the chuck wagon. If you make a

manded the boy. "What'

y ready for you. I wouldn't have saddled it but the boss said I mus

oy, tightening his belt and jammi

ky to be alive in this outfit, let alo

circle around the sleeping cowmen that he might not

him with dis

not appearing to be aware that his rider was preparing hi

red up the reins on the right side

The cowman was swinging his arms and seeking to attract the lad's attention. Chunky, ho

e stirrup, the boy prepared

indignation that anyone should attemp

addle. No sooner had the pony felt the leather over him than he ra

n. He struck the soft sand several feet in advance of the pony, his

fore the irate cowboy had him by the co

rried a world of meaning with them. "Don't you know any more than

the lad v

does it m-m-make any differenc

ake any di

and down as if the words he would

id the first man he heard using language while you t

e pony, Lumpy grabbed the boy and tossed him into the saddle, g

the effort was not worth while, settled down to a rough tr

ady gone out, Chunky meeting the retu

cows'll sleep themselves out of sight before

they?" as

ring answer as the sleepy cowmen spurred their ponies on toward camp, mutt

d had thrown themselves down beside their companions, pulling

wsily crooning the lullaby about the bull t

since the boys turned in before they were a

ed, bringing the sleepy cowpu

had died away, a shrill voice piped up

i-le! Grub

g his call for breakfast, in accor

r tone, after which his head quickly di

the spring near which the outfit had camped, a steaming hot breakfa

their breakfast in a hurry that they might rid

seemed to think they were expected to hurry through their meal as well. "Those fellows have to go out

chorused

, Mr. Pr

nishing with how little a man

orning?" asked the foreman,

up Shorty Sa

g the progress of a large slice of bacon, which hung s

angler," answered

time making trouble, isn't

horse wrangler is the fellow who goes out and rounds up the ponies. Sometimes he does it in the middle of the night when the thunder and lightn

words that aren't in the

re, Master Tad, if you will consult

tood rubbing his palms, a happy smile on

," announced the Professor,

to him if he didn't serve go

mean?" aske

uld become of you if you were to serve

o rows of white teeth

likee this,"

" ask

ng a gun from his belt, and puffing out

you?" asked Walter. "I hardly t

," grinned

to eat, then," laughed Tad, as the boys rose fro

e this morning. When we make camp at noon we will cut out the strays. I trust none of you w

tined not to pass the day without