The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers; Or, On the Trail of the Border Bandits

gish stream that slowly made its way toward the muddy Pe

lking. For hours they had been working south by west, urged on by the green of the foliage that they could see a short distance ahead. At least it had seemed a

k of them rode three other young men, the last in the line being a disconsolate fat figure of a boy who slouched from side to side in his saddle, each lurch threatening to precipitate him to the ground. The boy's pony was dragging along wit

ke camp and take a rest?" asked the first bo

n the line of jaded horses and riders, a fai

t, eh, Tad?"

s the next one, but there's no use in wearing out the stock," answered Ta

over there on the other side of the stream. The wate

upting the professor. "Wake

nded Ned Rector, strai

ourselves, and we'll a

he stream and make ca

pe range?" asked Wal

right, but not the Gua

ky's in the

up, Ned,"

et him wake

ne to sleep, too

a couple of sle

ose clear to the ground. Chunky had settled in his saddle until it seemed that the boy was less than half his natural height. His body had fairly t

e others following, where the horses drank greedily. Stacy and his mount

houted the

sleep," begg

is infantile slumbers

will f

e first time," lau

nd quickly stripping the equipment from their mounts. They then led the animals farth

till slu

already curling up lazily into the still, hot air. But not much of a meal was cooked. It was too hot to eat or to cook. The boys sat down t

sor. "Surely the smell of food ought

sleeper as he is an ea

ct

he is a champion, as a sleeper he is just above the ave

'll take that matter up when we get to the mountains.

as this morning. How

standing, we were a little more than forty miles from them th

there to-night?"

I ho

to do about Chunk

show some signs of life. It had lifted one foot, then another, until it had taken two steps toward the cre

Wake him up!" comma

r him. We want to see w

lt

ght," chuckled Tad. "You will

e he

the stream. Now its eyes were partly open. It saw t

All at once the pony stepped into a deep hole in the creek. The animal went down on its nose with a mighty splash. Stacy shot over t

urface and making for shore with mighty

e fat boy a helping hand. The pony in the meantime had clam

d that?" demanded S

t?" repl

hrew m

hrew yourself i

did

r you. Don't be a g

ve been asleep for the last t

wet," wai

moments in this hot sun,

want to

gested Butler. "Anyhow, y

've--

your d

to the dishes and provisions that already

dinner,"

You should be on hand when meals are being served. There is no sec

me up?" demanded the fat boy, a sudden suspicion entering his mind. He began to

sleepy," answered

ldn't play that on a horse,

up Tad. "The horse went to sleep with

Anything would go to sleep with

re what you think. I'm going to have s

cke

ess I've got as much right to the g

ks. Once undone no one would help him lash them together again, so grumbling and growling, the fat boy tugged with the ropes until he had taken a secur

ntains before night fell. But the fat boy was surly as well as sleepy. He felt aggrieved. That his companions should sit down to a meal, leaving him asleep on his

ad carelessly as he passed the f

y w

" answered Ta

hat I was thinking

I read yo

to read your own before

u what I'm g

voice of Professor Zepplin

egan to kick as the saddle slipped under its belly. Stacy moved more quickly than he had at any other time during the day. Over and over he

he had reached a place where he considered

yourself,"

feet of the pony. Then the little animal plowed the dirt with its nose

Tad. "Come, Chunky! Do you think we a

d, but still stubborn and ready for further trouble. The lad got on this time without falling off, and with much laugh

he organization of this little band of rough-and-ready travelers. Our readers remember the adventures of our young friends in the fastnesses of the Rocky Mountains. These lads speedily fitted themselves into the stirring life of the big game la

in the long cattle drive, with its stampedes, the fording of swollen rivers, the games of the cowboys and the tricks of the cattle thieves, is related in that

ere the sheep men must still defend themselves from the prejudices, and sometimes from the extreme violence, of the cattle men. It was in this connection that Tad Butler and his friends discovered leading clues in the great conspiracy of certain cattle men against the pro

ound to bring throbs of recollection to every reader of that volume. The imprisonment of the youngsters in a mine, following a big explosion, formed another interesting scene in the narrative brought forth in that fourth volume of the series. It was here that Chunky, as our readers know, dis

oys on the Alkali." Here they left grass behind for the glaring discomforts of the baked desert lands, where severe thirst was one of the least yet most constant perils. Roving from water hole to water hole, findi

ce that our lads formed with the little that is left of the savage Indian to-day. It was here, too, that they beheld the fire dance of the Saboba Indians in all its a

rail by the falling of great masses of rock during a fierce storm. Apparently the boys were doomed to remain helpless on a narrow shelf of rock; our readers recall how Tad Butler, at the risk of his life, spent hou

iences that had yet befallen them. The blue mountain ridge in the near distance was teeming with the story that was to unfold before them. So far the ride had been lonely. Of late rarely had they come in sight of a building of any sort, for this part of the state was but sparsely settled. To meet a horseman was an event. In fact they had not met one since the early morning. The Po

dge of the Guadalupes towards which the Pony Rider Boys were slowly

oing to make ca

answered Professor Zeppl

, of course,"

es there?" de

e," retorted Ned. "Th

returned Stacy solemnly. "There's

de on and have a c

oothills of the range he shaded his eyes, gazing up into th

do very well, boy

a

ow

his pony, sending up a little cloud

at---" gasped

a

was snipped from his head. St

from somewhere in the mountains, the bullets screaming over their h

nd. The others rode madly after them, while the shots were still being fired at them. It was an exciting moment. No one knew what the shooting meant, nor did they know