The frontier boys on the overland trail

Contents

CHAPTER . page

1 . Westward Ho! 9

II. The Alarm 15

CHAPTER I WESTWARD ho!

Hey, there, Tom, why did you hitch the trace under the off horse’s hind leg?” asked Jim, from the front seat of our prairie schooner.

“ I didn’t ; I reckon the beast kicked over ; he is always doing that.”

“ You fix it,” commanded Jim.

“All right; but you are always kickin’,” Tom acquiesced.

“ No, it’s old Bill, who does the kickin’,” retorted Jim.

“ Does that suit you, boss ? ” asked Tom, as he lifted Bill’s stubborn hind leg into its proper place between the traces. Then with a crack of the long whip by the driver, we started briskly off.

“All aboard. Pike’s Peak or bust,” I yelled, as we crossed the line into Kansas, with our horses’ heads turned westward, until at last, after many 9 adventures, we should reach the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, in search of the mine we believed was there for us.

“ Did you mail that letter to the home folks,” inquired Jim of me.

Sure I did,” I replied ; “ I mailed it before we left Kansas City.”

“ Lucky you didn’t forget it,” remarked Jim,

for we won’t see a postoffice again for some time.” These were the contents of the letter :

Somewhere, Missouri,

''Dear Folks , —

We were mighty glad to get your letter at Sedalia and to hear that you and all our friends back east were well. Jim thanks you for remembering his birthday. He is quite proud because he is sixteen. But he does not have it much on Tom and I, because as we are twins our combined age of near thirty years gives us the advantage. Then, too, we have the distinction of being named for grandfather, who fought in the Revolutionary War. So Jim cannot boss us on the ground of his new birthday.

“ We are having the time of our lives and haven’t been sick once, except Jim who ate too many pawpaws the other day. We got through Missouri all

WESTWARD HO!

II right, without being held up by Jesse James and his gang, but maybe they will catch us in Kansas. (Don’t read this to mother because she will worry.) We saw the place where they robbed a train on the Wabash last week. It was a mighty lonesome spot. A deep cut in the woods with a swamp nearby. They piled a lot of ties on the track and the headlight of the engine showed the ties just in time for the engineer to stop, with her nose almost against it. We were sure glad to get out of those woods, without being robbed.

“ The horses are in fine shape and are as fat as butter. Old Bill sprained his hind leg by getting his foot caught when we were crossing a creek. We rested him for a day and he is all right now. Tom does the cooking and Jim and I look after the horses and do the foraging.

Sometimes we feel as though we would like to be home and see the old town again and all the home folks. I wonder if our boys will win the pennant this year. I wish I was there to pitch for the team. That Morris school pitcher is a corker. He’s got an awful drop. But it was my high in-shoot that fooled them. No more baseball for us until we have made our fortunes in Colorado, then we will buy some new uniforms for the team and treat the girls to enough ice cream to last them a week.

How is old Rover ? I should like to see him. We have a fine dog that a farmer gave Dan in Ohio. He is part Newfoundland (that is, the dog, not the farmer), and part collie. When this letter reaches you we will be in the wilds of Kansas and do not worry if you do not hear from us for some time. We have learned how to take care of ourselves. Love to all the folks from Tom, Jim and “ Your affectionate son,

^'Jo Darlington.”

So much for the letter. We will now continue our trip.

I wonder if we will see any game to-day ? ” remarked Jim.

"'If we do it’s Tom’s turn to stay with the horses,” I said.

" You can’t hit anything, not even the broadside of a barn, to say nothing of a deer or prairie chicken,” put in Tom.

" That’s all right,” I replied, " it’s my turn anyway.”

We were now trotting steadily along the prairie road. Suddenly Tom pulled the horses to a standstill.

“ There’s some prairie chickens, sitting on the fence posts,” he said.

Immediately Jim and I grabbed our respective

WESTWARD HO!

shotguns out of the back of the wagon. Cautiously we got off on the far side of the wagon and crawled along in the road screened by the tall grass and weeds.

Don’t shoot until I say fire,” cautioned Jim in a stage whisper. However, I did not wait for the word of command but let fly when I was within fifty yards of the nearest bird. Instantly the heavy bundles of gray feathers whirred a short distance into the air. Dan brought his gun to his shoulder and fired. One of the birds dropped into the tall grass. It made good eating that evening by our first campfire on the prairie. Our first night in Kansas and what followed we will remember as long as we live.

‘‘ Let’s camp under this big cottonwood, boys,” I said. It’s a dandy place. It will be shady during the day and we can stay here for a couple of days and fish and hunt.”

“Don’t you know better than that by this time, Jo,” said Tom.

“ Of course, he don’t,” chimed in Jim, “ he don’t never think.”

“ Well what’s the matter with that place, anyway, you wise guys,” I asked.

“ Humph, don’t you see, that the creek has been all over here, onc’t. What’s to hinder it from rising again and drowning us out. It looks as black as thunder up north now/’ retorted Tom. So that was settled by the majority. Our tent was pitched on a rather narrow shelf below the higher bank of the old time river. It was now time to feed the horses.

** How much grain do you mix with the bran ? ” I asked, holding a nose bag in either hand. This was just to be mean for I knew it would stir up my dear brothers.

“ What d’ y’e think of that,” exclaimed Jim, looking at Tom, ‘‘ he ain’t learned yet.”

One quart of grain to two of bran, you bloomin’ Injun,” replied Tom grimly.

“That’s so, I forgot,” I said mildly, “I hope you will mix those biscuits as well as I do this feed.”

Then I carried the well filled bags to the whinnying horses and they plunged their noses deep into the grain before I could fit the strap over their ears.

Chapter II The Alarm

The two boys slept in the tent and I in the wagon. I had our faithful watchdog for company. He had thick black hair with a white ‘‘ shirt front on his chest and he was a bully fighter.

I felt very comfortable as I lay back in the wagon under the blankets with the dog at my feet and my rifle near my side. I was glad to be off the ground, so there could be no rattlesnakes crawling over me.

About midnight a heavy storm come on and I could hear the rain pattering in large drops on the canvas roof of the wagon, and flashes of lightning showed the wet stretch of rainy plains.

Suddenly the dog, “ Ben,’’ jumped to the front of the wagon barking furiously. Hastily grabbing my rifle, I looked out into the darkness but could see nothing, but the dog evidently did, for every hair on his back was bristling. Then a flash of lightning showed me three men on horseback, with broad sombreros and armed with rifles, making off with our horses. Instantly I brought my rifle to IS i6 my shoulder and fired at the men as they started off with their booty. I ducked down just in time, as three spurts of fire jumped out, then the bullets tore through the canvas over my head.

Jim and Tom came running out from the tent hurriedly armed.

‘‘ What’s the matter,” yelled Tom.

‘‘ Some horse thieves have stolen our horses,” I cried, and we started in chase. The men were somewhat delayed by the antics of our frightened horses. A flash of lightning revealed the desperadoes, crossing the stream, about a quarter of a mile above us.

“ Come on, boys,” said Jim, '' they are coming down the south bank of the creek.”

I bet that they are some of Jesse James’ gang from Missouri,” said Tom, ‘‘ and they have been on our trail.”

We now plunged into the stream, which was up to our waists, holding our rifles well above our heads, we reached the opposite bank. Finding our way through the thin woods on the other side, we came to a deep gully, which cut down towards the creek.

‘‘ They will have to cross this higher up,” I said, and perhaps we can head them off.”

We had gone perhaps two hundred yards when we heard the sound of horses’ hoofs and the heavy

THE ALARM muffled voices of the men talking as they came in our direction.

'' Are you all ready,” whispered Tom. “ Yes,” I said, as I threw the lever of my rifle down, bringing it up. again with a cartridge in the barrel. We had not long to wait. We could just see the dark forms of three men on horseback as they started to cross the gully about a hundred and fifty feet above where we laid in ambuscade.

Now let them have it,” whispered Tom, and three rifle shots rang out together. There was a terrific yell as they fired in return and I felt a burning sensation in my left shoulder. We heard a thud as of a heavy body falling then the sound of galloping hoofs.

“ I believe that weVe got one of them” said Jim.

We hurried up the ravine and saw a black body in front of us and an object trying to get loose.

Quick, boys,” yelled Jim, and he ran ahead of us and threw himself on the struggling form.

Help, I can’t hold him,” and we ran to his assistance, just in time. The desperado had struggled to his feet with Jim clinging to his back like a wildcat. Tom made a flying tackle about the fellow’s knees and I sat on his head.

''Get his gun, Jo,” Jim yelled to me. This I did and we had the Missourian covered and without a weapon. Suddenly his horse, which we had i8 THE FRONTIER BOYS

supposed was shot, got to his feet and galloped oif. It seemed that he had stepped in a prairie dog hole, fallen, and just to be contrary had laid still like the broncho he was.

Well, sonny, what are you going to do with me,” asked our captive of Jim, whom he appeared to regard as the captain.

'' You march to the tent and then we will see,” replied Jim.

You haven’t got a chaw of tobacco, any of you boys? I reckon, I spilled mine when my horse fell.”

“ No, we don’t chew,” replied Tom.

That’s too bad,” he returned, “ Whar are you fellars from anyhow ? ”

Never mind about that,” replied Jim, we want our bosses back.”

Did you lose some? Waal thet’s bad too. What did they look like, may be I could find them for you uns.”

“ No, you don’t,” retorted Tom, “ you stay with us until we get them back, you fellows stole them.”

“ It does look sort of suspicious, but it was so dark we couldn’t tell what color they was. We missed some horses ourselves back in Missouri and I reckon you boys took them.”

Oh, ho, that’s your game is it,” replied Tom. “ Maybe you will change your tune.”

THE ALARM

By this time we had arrived at the camp and by the light of the lantern we had a good look at our prisoner. He did not look like the desperadoes we had read about. He was not over twenty, and more like a big heavy-limbed farmer boy, with very black hair heavily plastered down by the soaking rain. He wore blue overalls, a cheap black shirt and a gray felt hat.

“ ril just make myself comfortable, boys,^' he said, seating himself on the grub box, “ and please keep that purp of yours from hurting himself chewing on my boot.’’

Lay down, Ben,” commanded Jim, to the dog, who was bristling and growling around the stranger.

‘‘ Why, sonny,” he said, looking at me, “ something has torn your coat.”

“ Gee, Jo, it looks as if a bullet had done that,” said Tom.

“ That’s what it is,” said Jim, making a hasty examination, and the skin on my shoulder had a red streak.

“ I remember when those fellows fired, something seemed to burn my shoulder and I guess it was a bullet.”

Lucky it didn’t go any lower or it would have broken your shoulder,” remarked Tom.

That must have been Cal did that. He’s awful careless with weapons, especially at night,” drawled the Missourian.

“ I guess you belong to Jesse James' gang,” I said, ‘^they are apt to be careless with weapons.” A black look came into his eyes, that made him ugly enough.

‘‘ Ugh ! ” he growled, you boys have been reading dime novels, I reckon, tenderfeet from the east, that’s what you are.”

“ Here, don’t touch that knife,” said the ever watchful Jim, grabbing a knife, at the same moment, from under the man’s carefully creeping hand, ‘‘ we ain’t such tenderfeet as you might think.”

“ I was just going to clean my nails out of respect to the company. You mustn’t be narvous, boys, because of the past excitement.”

“We ain’t narvous,” I said, adopting part of his dialect, “ but we are kinder sleepy being kept up so late. Why didn’t you fellows call earlier and we could have given you a warmer welcome.”

“ It was warm enough, sonny,” grinned our prisoner, “ but growing boys need sleep so you just turn in and I will look out for the camp and sees that no one steals the dog.”

“ Mighty thoughtful of you,” replied Jim, “ but somebody might come along and steal you and we can’t spare you just yet.

THE ALARM

That’s so/’ I put in, “ it would be mighty lonesome without you now the horses are gone.”

“ I never thought I would make such good friends so soon, and you tenderfeet too. It ain’t my nature to make friends with strangers sudden as it were.”

“ No, I bet it ain’t,” exclaimed Tom, who had been keeping very quiet, but you make friends with their horses, pretty quick. But it’s dangerous business, showing such a sudden fondness for animals that don’t belong to you.”

“ That just shows,” said the Missourian sorrowfully, how you are misunderstood when you are found in bad company. Now if anybody should come along and see me in such desperate company my reputation would be gone.”

Tom was seated by our camp table with his rifle laid across his knees, convenient to his hand. Tom was the thinker of the crowd, while Jim and I were for action. It turned out that he had not been thinking in vain as he addressed the Missourian. It might have been a court martial as far as Tom’s demeanor was concerned. He was a veritable judge.

Chapter III

“You might just as well stop this kidding and get down to business. We have the drop on you and you know it. Now we have got to have our horses back and soon too.^’ Thus spoke Tom.

“Just so” replied the prisoner, sitting up on the box, with his powerful arms resting on his knees and looking narrowly at Tom, “ what’s your proposition ? ”

“ It’s plain and straight,” he replied, “ you know that you and your gang won’t stand any chance in Kansas. If there isn’t a tree handy, they will string you to a telegraph pole.”

“ You’ve got a fool notion that I belong to the Jesse James gang. Maybe we belong around here,” growled the prisoner.

“ No, you don’t,” rejoined Tom decisively, “ trust me to know a Missourian when I see one. I don’t care whether you belong to Jesse James’ gang or to the Younger Brothers or a crowd of your own, what I want you to tell us is where can we find those horses or I will have a posse of citizens here before noon who will attend to your case.”

The Missourian glowered at the ground for a full minute, turning the matter over in his mind. What decided him was probably a desire to get even with the gang who had deserted him for their own reasons.

“ Waal,” he said, if I tell you-uns, will you promise to turn me free ? ”

“ Yes we will promise that,” replied Tom, “ and we will keep our word.”

“ I believe yer,” he said, “ Now I will tell ye boys where you can find them horses. They are at a ranch fifteen miles southeast of here.”

“ How in the dickens are we ever going to find it,” I inquired.

“ Just hold on young fellar and Til tell yer. You follow down the creek for five miles, to where there is an island, then turn straight south down the valley, until you come to the second ranch, with an adobe barn. You’ll find your horses thar in the corral. Then it’s up to you to get them. I don’t think Cal will miss a second time, sonny,” he said, looking at me.

“ Cal had better look out or we will corral him, the same as we did you,” I said with the confidence of youth.

“I’d a whole lot rather corral a laughing hyena than Cal Jenkins. He ain’t good natured like I am,” he replied.

Well, boys, who is to go,” queried Tom, someone will have to stay with our friend here.”

“ Never mind about me, I won’t get lonesome, boys, if you all go. Sometimes I reckon even two is a crowd.”

'' We will draw lots,” said Tom, cutting a bit of paper into three different lengths, with his trusty bowie knife.

I’ll hold ’em,” said the Missourian.

*'The short one stays,” quoth Tom. I solemnly drew the first paper, then Tom, and Jim took what was left. As I held mine up, it was the longest and Jim’s next, so Tom was elected to do guard duty.

It was now getting light and we had to make our arrangements. The storm had cleared, leaving a few rolled up clouds on the western horizon. We held a short council of war in front of our tent, keeping an eye on our prisoner, who lay lazily back on the grub box.

“ I don’t think that we had better start until about noon,” I said, “ Tom will have to have some sleep because we can’t tell when we will get back and there is no use for us to get to the ranch until after dark.”

“ That’s so,” acquiesced Jim, you have more sense than I thought for, Jo, and we can make that fifteen miles easy this afternoon/’ That was true for we were seasoned walkers and in fine condition for any adventure. So Tom put in five hours sleeping in the wagon and from the way he snored, we judged that he was enjoying it. We kept our friend company in the tent and busied ourselves cleaning up our rifles and preparing for the trip.

It’s a fact, boys,” said the Missourian, “ that I don’t belong to the James gang, but I have seen Jesse, though I didn’t know it at the time.”

“ What did he look like,” questioned Jim.

Waal, how do you suppose he would look? ” he drawled.

“ All the pictures I ever saw of him, he was about six feet tall, with square shoulders, raven black hair and long moustaches, red cheeks, a bowie knife stuck in his boot; two six shooters, one at either hip.”

“ Missouri ” laughed.

It was this way,” he said, “ I was eating supper in the dining room of the depot at Independence, Mo. The fellow who waited on the table where I sat was a sawed-off little runt, with very light hair and a short, silky, yellow beard. He had a very soft voice like a woman’s. I thought to myself, ‘ Here is a Miss Nancy,’ and I gave him some guff about the eggs.

2(5

“ ‘ I ’low, stranger, you v/ill eat them eggs,’ and he gave me a look out of a gray eye that went through a fellow’s bone. I never saw such an eye in a man. It meant business sure.

“ I ate the eggs and never twittered. Afterwards I found out that that same fellow was Jesse James. The police were looking everywhere for him and he was right under their nose, where they never thought of looking. But he didn’t look any more dangerous than sonny sitting there, just as innocent.”

“ I ain’t innocent,” I said, angry at this attack upon my character.

“'Waal you look it,” continued the Missourian, “though appearances are sartainly deceivin’ sometimes.”

When twelve o’clock arrived we woke Tom and set off on our dangerous mission.

“If you see Cal or any of the boys, close enough to get acquainted,” said our prisoner, “ you be sure and ask them for a chaw of tobacco, because I’m likely to fade away if I don’t have some soon. Tell ’em not to forget their old pal in his terrible captivity.”

We promised to do our best for him. When we left camp we were as well prepared for any emergency as we could be. We wore gray pants, slouch hats and shirts of the same color, so that we would not be easily observable. We also had plenty of ammunition for our rifles in the belts around our waists. Jim carried a large canteen for after we left the river, it was hard telling where we would find water in that dry country. We were also well supplied with food, which we carried in sacks slung over our shoulders. It was pleasant walking the first part of the way, with plenty of shade to rest under when we felt like it, but we did not stop often for our muscles were hard as nails and nothing seemed to tire us.

One would naturally have thought that we two boys would have been nervous to say the least, going to meet those desperadoes on their own ground, but we had no fear and rather looked forward to the adventure. In the first place we had to have those horses and now we knew why these frontiersmen hung horse thieves without a trial. We could sympathize with their feelings. We determined to give those desperadoes something to remember us by.

“ I believe this is the island ‘ Missouri * told us about,” said Jim.

“ What time is it,” I asked ; Jim pulled out his heavy silver watch.

“ Quarter of two.”

“ Then this is the place,” I said, we would do five miles in about that time and we have taken things easy.”

“ There’s no hurry. Let’s wade over to the island and see what’s on it. Perhaps we might find something,” said Jim.

“ No,” I said, we have to reach this ranch before dark, and we ought not to take a chance, because we might lose the way.” So it was decided and we faced about directly south down a broad shallow valley.

This is certainly nice walking,” said Jim, as we swung along over the curly buffalo grass, that gave us a springy footing.

“Look out!” cried Jim, jumping forward and about three feet in the air. I stopped just in time. There directly in front of me was a rattler coiled and ready to strike. Then he launched himself at me his full length, with his fanged mouth open. Jim whaled a big stone at him, striking him squarely back of his ugly head and then we jumped on him with both feet.

“ Cut off his rattles, Jim,” I said, because I was finicky about touching the snake myself, but Jim didn’t mind.

“ He was six years and a half old,” said Jim, counting his rattles, one for each year and a button at the end.

There is the first ranch/’ said Jim, after we had been walking an hour.

We had better keep out of sight of it,” I said.

Maybe they are friends of Cal Jenkins and his gang.” So we made a detour to the west and then took up our trail again. Suddenly Jim pulled me down into the tall grass.

Be careful,” said Jim, I believe that there is a lookout over on that ridge.”

Slowly I raised my head and looked through a screen of young sunflowers.

It’s a man on horseback,” I said, and he is riding this way. I wonder if he saw us ? ” Then we laid close to the warm earth, our rifles within our grasp, ready for action and the sheltering grass was around us.

Chapter IV

In a short time we heard the sound of horses' hoofs and the creak of leather as the rider changed his position in the saddle. Evidently he was on the lookout for something. After a minute, I slowly raised my head and saw a short, heavy set man on a buckskin broncho and a rifle swung in his powerful left hand, as light as a straw and an ugly mongrel dog with gray wiry hair followed close behind the horse’s heels.

Suddenly the man turned in his saddle and looked directly at the spot where we were hiding, and I dropped as if I had been shot and hugged close to the earth. You fool,” whispered Jim, “can’t you keep still ? ”

Go on Bucks,” cried the man in a hoarse voice, “ sic ’em, sic ’em, root ’em out,” and the dog began to run around in widening circles, with his nose close to the ground. Luckily for us, he did not strike our trail. In a short time the man called his dog to heel and rode slowly down the valley. With the keen instinct of the frontiersman, he knew that 30 there was some enemy in the vicinity. We gave him plenty of time and at last he and his dog disappeared over a low ridge in the distance.

“ By Jove, that was a close call,’' said Jim, as we took up the trail again, it’s a wonder you did not give us away peeking your pesky head.”

“ A miss is as good as a mile,” I replied. “ 1 guess we will have to leg it now. It must be after four.” I cast a calculating eye at the sun which was edging down toward the low western horizon. Jim consulted his large silver chronometer.

“ It’s twenty minutes after four,” he said, we will have plenty of time to sight that ranch before it gets dark.”

“ Say Jim, what would you have done if a rattlesnake had crawled towards you in the grass when that man was coming ? ”

I’d let him crawl,” replied Jim, “ if you keep still as a frozen Injun they won’t bite you. I read once about a man who was sleeping out on the plains and he felt something on his chest and he didn’t move, just opened one eye and then he saw a big rattler coiled up there peeking at him and his head going back and forth. The man just kept quiet, didn’t even breathe until the snake stretched out for a siesta and then he gave a yell and threw that snake up so high that when it came down it broke its neck.”

“ Gee ! ’’ I said, '' but that was a fright. Now Jim, what are we going to do when we get to the ranch ? ”

“ Knock at the door of course, and say, ‘ Good evening, Mr. Jenkins, if you are through with our horses, we should like to borrow them.' ”

‘‘ Quit your kidding," I said, “ and tell me what your scheme is."

‘‘You wait until we get there and then I will show you," said Jim, with more confidence than he doubtless felt.

“ I bet when we get to that ridge, we will see the ranch," I said, “ it won’t take us more than a quarter of an hour to reach it."

“ Shucks," replied Jim, disgusted, “ that ridge is three miles off," and so it proved. Jim was a much better plainsman than I was. It was after five o’clock when we arrived at the crest of the ridge and looked over.

“There’s the place, cried Jim, who was slightly ahead of me. He was on his hands and knees, looking cautiously over and I crawled up carefully behind him.