The Pony Rider Boys in Texas; Or, The Veiled Riddle of the Plains
Author: Frank Gee Patchin Genre: LiteratureThe 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