The Pony Rider Boys in the Rockies

lief against the sombre background of the mountains. It was followed after an interval

sly on their cots and tucked th

another and louder one, that sent a

own, reaching from his cot and gr

, who for some time had lain wide awake listen

with wide-open eyes awaiting the moment when the s

ot long

rmy had been suddenly let loose upon them, the eleme

, as he crawled further down under the bla

impressive scene. Each flash appeared to light up the mountains for miles around, their crests lying dark and forbidding, pi

s of the pack train were stretched out sound asleep, while, off in the bushes, he could hear the

been shipped there in a stable car attached to the same train. In the city of Pueblo they found that all preparati

y and a pack train consisting of six burros, the latter in charge of Jose, a hal

do city in khaki trousers, blue shirts and broad-brimmed sombre

t possible time-in short, to take very good care of themselves under most

ooky promontory, under clear skies a

of lightning disclosed something m

hat!" he

and, peering out, waited for the next flash with eyes fixed upon the s

he muttered, when, after three or four illu

ion was once more attracted to the spot. And what

ading two of the ponies

r Zeppli

the tent flap quickly back in place in case the stranger chanced to g

d, pinching himself to make

er the scene, and, when the next flash came

ted only for the

e top of his voice, springing out

. Accompanied by the sound of breaking ropes and ripping canvas, the tent that had covered

cessant, and the thunder had beco

d from his cot, while the boys of the party came tumbling from their blankets, r

y divined the cause of the uproar, when, emerging from his

es, regardless of the fact that he was clad only in his pajamas, and tha

tor, quickly collecting his wits and fo

e startling announcement thrown ba

of Professor Zepplin and Stacy Brown, had set o

him they were working up into the dense second growth that he had seen in his brief tour of inspectio

set look that it had shown when he won the ch

So intent was the boy upon the accomplishment of his purpose that he gave no heed to the fact that the sounds ahead had

him, unused as he was to the methods of mountaineers. So the boy ran blindly on in

imself encircled by a pair of powerful arms, and, a

did not desert him, though the vise-lik

s only hope lay in attracting the attention of the others of his party, wh

el

unctuated a momentar

nes carrying clearly to Tad, filling him with a feeling as

he move been executed that Tad Butler found himself dangling, head down, before he really understood what had occurred. His head was whirl

are you

voice of the boy, too low

tood the purpose of his captor. At any second the boy might find himself flying through space-perhaps over a precipice. It plainly

plan fully into execution, Tad, with the resourcefulnes

hrew out his hands, clasping them about the left l

sperately. And the result, though wholly unexpected by the mountaineer, was not entir

faction, heard him utter a grunt as he struck. But before the boy could release himself he was grabbed and pulled up over his adversary by the latter's

his!" snarled the ma

ilt of a knife in the man's belt. And, as the boy was hauled upwar

imself. He flung the knife as far from him as his partly pinioned arms would perm

that cowardly weapon,

agonist. So, resorting to every wrestling trick that he knew, he sought to prevent the fellow from getting the right a

ntaineer threw himself on his hack, ho

got you, yo

rength on his adversary's stomach. From the growl of rage that followed, Tad

retorted the boy, breathing hea

rtunity to escape, of which he would have been quick to take advantage; and so, gulping quick, short breaths, a

, for the moment, the breath w

an effort, he raised a

lighted up the scene, nor heard the voices of his companions frantically calling upon him to c