Boy Ranchers Among the Indians; Or, Trailing the Yaquis Read online

  CHAPTER II

  THE TELEGRAM

  While the wind fluttered in his hand the letter from Rosemary, tellingof her plans to visit Diamond X with her brother, and while Mr. Merkellooked anxiously at Billee Dobb on his panting steed, a far-off lookwas in the eyes of the ranchman. Bud thought he knew what his father'sair portended, and he was eager to speak, but he, as well as theothers, felt the tenseness of the situation, and waited for what mightcome next.

  Nell was about to speak, to voice her gladness that a girl companionwas to come to the ranch, when Mr. Merkel remarked:

  "How come you heard all this, Bill--I mean about the Yaquis? None ofit filtered here until you come up sweating lather!"

  "I met one of the deputy sheriffs in town," explained the veteran cowpuncher. "He'd just got a telegraph message tellin' him to be on thelookout, as the redskins might be headed this way."

  "Whoop-ee!" yelled Bud, flapping his hat down on his pony's flank,thereby causing the animal to leap sideways. "Think of it! Indians!Whoop-ee!"

  "It's dreadful!" murmured Ma Merkel. "I don't like to think about it!"

  "But, Aunt, we have to think of it if the Yaquis are coming this way,"spoke Nort. "We want to think of it to protect you and Nell!"

  "That's right!" added Dick, while some of the cowboys grinned at theeagerness and impetuosity of the boys.

  "Shucks!" exclaimed Mrs. Merkel, getting back her nerve. "Those Yaquisare nothing more than a lot of Greasers, anyhow. They'll turn home atthe first sight of a few of the sheriff's posse. I don't believe I'llworry after all."

  "That's right!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "No need to worry when the bunchfrom Happy Valley joins with the Diamond X outfit! We're a match forall the Yaquis that never washed!"

  "Let's don't be too sure of that, boys," cautioned Mr. Merkel. "Whatmore did you hear, Billee Dobb? Is it at all serious? How many of theimps broke loose?"

  "That I don't know, there's enough of 'em to make the government takeaction. Some of the regular troops have received orders to move, andthey're on their way now. If there were only a scattered few of theYaquis, Uncle Sam wouldn't be so anxious. They've raided one Arizonatown, I heard."

  "They have!" cried Nort, Dick and Bud in a breath.

  "Why this must have happened several days ago," exclaimed Mr. Merkel."The Yaquis are quartered some distance from here, and news doesn'ttravel as fast as all that. How do you account for it, Billee?"

  "Well, the fellow who told me got his information from one of thosescavengers," explained Billee.

  "_Scavengers_!" cried Bud.

  "Yes, you know--one of them fellers that go up in flyin' machines,"explained the old cow puncher.

  "Oh, you mean _aviators_!" exploded Bud, trying not to laugh.

  "Well, something like that, yes," admitted Billee. "Word of the risingof the Indians was sent out by wireless, and some of the flyingmachines were ordered to the border. One of 'em who was flying aroundhere had tire trouble, or something like that, and had to come down.It was from him the boys back in town got some of the news, and thedeputy sheriff gave out the rest.

  "Oh, the Yaquis are risin' up all right, and they may come out here. Irode over like a prairie fire to let you folks know. We've had troubleenough here at Diamond X and I didn't want any more."

  "Much obliged to you, Billee," said Mr. Merkel. "Did you happen tohear what town it was in Arizona that the Yaquis raided?"

  "It was La--La--wait a minute now. It was one of those crazy Spanishnames. I'll tell you--La--La--La Nogalique--that's it!"

  "La Nogalique!" cried Mr. Merkel, and he looked at the letter fromRosemary.

  "That's her!" affirmed the cowboy.

  "Why--why!" exclaimed the ranchman, "that's the way they werecoming--in their auto! La Nogalique! They might have been there--"

  "Who were coming?" asked his wife quickly.

  "Rosemary and Floyd; They'd be there just about--when was that raid,Billee Dobb?" cried Mr. Merkel.

  "Last Friday!"

  The ranchman whistled.

  "That's bad!" he murmured. "Bad!"

  "Would Rosemary and her brother have reached there by then?" asked Mrs.Merkel.

  "Just about," her husband replied slowly. "Just about! This looksbad! Boys, we've got to do something! Those Yaquis may just be off ona little harmless jamboree, or they may be excited by a lot of theirMedicine Men, or whatever they call 'em! Once let 'em get on therampage, half Mexicans as they are, and we won't know what to expect!It looks bad! I'm glad the round-up is over. It gives us time. Boys,I think--"

  But what he thought Mr. Merkel did not disclose--at least for the timebeing. The attention of all was again attracted by the sound of rapidhoofbeats, and, looking toward the trail that led to town, a horsemanwas seen riding toward Diamond X. By the manner of his approach it waseasily assumed that he came on no ordinary errand.

  "More news of the Indians, or I miss my guess!" murmured Bud.

  And while the solitary horseman is rapidly approaching, I will endeavorto imitate his speed in acquainting my new readers with a little of thepast history concerning the boy ranchers as they have played theirparts in the previous books of this series.

  The initial volume is entitled "The Boy Ranchers," and tells how Nortand Dick Shannon went to visit their cousin, Bud Merkel, on the ranchof the latter's father. This ranch, Diamond X, was in a western state,not far from the Mexican border. And, as you know, the Yaqui Indianswere, in the main, a tribe of Mexican Redmen, who made their homepartly in the Land of Montezuma and partly in Arizona, as best pleasedthem. Efforts were made by the Mexican Government to keep the Yaquison a reservation, but the efforts were not always successful.

  Mr. Merkel was a ranchman of experience, and planned to have his sonfollow in his footsteps. This Bud was eager to do, and when hiscousins came he saw a chance for them to get into the cattle raisingbusiness on their own account.

  This they did, but not before they had solved a strange mysterycentering about Diamond X. As you may recall, the ranch was namedafter the brand used to mark its cattle--an X within a diamond outline.

  The mystery solved, the boy ranchers turned their attention to othermatters, and these are related in the second volume, "The Boy RanchersIn Camp." Mr. Merkel, by using an ancient underground water coursebeneath Snake Mountain, had brought much-needed moisture to a distantvalley he owned, thus making it possible to use it as a place forraising cattle. This new ranch, variously called Happy Valley, DiamondX Second, and Buffalo Wallow, was given in charge of the boys toexperiment with. They were allowed to raise cattle on their ownresponsibility. Without water Diamond X Second was out of thequestion. And the story in the second book has to do with the effortsof Del Pinzo, a dangerous character, and others, to drive away theboys. There was a fight over water rights, and another desperatefight, involving some strange ancient secrets.

  The third book, "The Boy Ranchers on the Trail," deals with the boyranchers after they have become full-fledged "cow punchers." Sosuccessful were they in Happy Valley that they incurred the enmity ofDel Pinzo and his followers. Cattle rustlers stole many valuablesteers from Bud and his cousins, and it was not until after a desperateencounter that the unscrupulous men were defeated.

  Then, for a time, peace settled down over Diamond X and the boys'ranch. The spring round-up was over, and a successful year begun, whenthe ordinary course of events was interrupted in the manner I have setdown in the beginning of this book--by news that the Yaquis had risen.

  All eyes were turned on the solitary horseman, who rode fast on theheels of Billee Dobb. As this rider came nearer, it could be seen thata paper fluttered in his hand.

  "Special delivery letter, maybe," ventured Dick.

  "Maybe," admitted Bud.

  "I--I have a feeling that it's bad news," murmured Mrs. Merkel to Nell.

  "Maybe not," Bud's sister whispered. "It may be only a rush order forcattle to be shipped.

  "All that were fit have
been shipped," her mother said. "I'mafraid--I'm afraid--"

  With a shower of gravel, scattered by the sliding feet of hishastily-reined pony, the man drew up in front of the group.

  "Mr. Henry Merkel here?" he asked, crisply.

  "Here," said Bud's father, quietly.

  "Got a telegraph message for you. It's from La Nogalique!"

  "La Nogalique!" murmured Mr. Merkel. "Oh, I hope Rosemary--"

  With a rapid motion Mr. Merkel tore open the yellow envelope.