CHAPTER XXIV

THE TWINS IN TROUBLE

What should Oriole do? The question fretted her not a little.

Across the basin between the three rounded hilltops were the party from the Three-bar Ranch--Mr. Langdon of their number she was sure. They waited for the two outlaws to return and hoped to catch them. At least, that was what Hank Ridley and his partner believed.

Instead of remaining anywhere near the Three Sisters, however, the two bad men were pushing their wearied horses down the side canyon toward the lower plains--indeed they were heading back toward the Langdon Ranch and by a much shorter route than that by which they had reached this point in the foothills.

Of course it was not really their intention to return to the ranch. Oriole was sure of that. Why, they had been recognized and fired at and the Three-bar boys would apprehend them on sight as horse thieves! The girl had heard enough since coming West to know that the stealing of horses was a crime all but unforgiveable by the ranch people.

But she was very curious to know what the two would do--where they intended to go. It was plain that they had given up looking for Shaffer at this time. And she, herself, had almost forgotten him because of this greater excitement.

She climbed into Molly's saddle after a few moments and started after the two men. She had come up this path beside the boisterous water-course and on the stones and hard ground she knew Molly had left scarcely a mark. So she did not believe Ridley and Mudd would suspect her presence.

As for the noise Molly made--the clatter of her little hoofs--as Oriole could not hear the hoofs of the outlaws' horses, she knew the men could not know that she was following them.

Fascinated by the adventure, the girl pushed on. She really followed the two men by sight, every now and then catching a glimpse of them below her. As they had no suspicion of her presence they did not look back; so she got down into the bottom of Squaw Canyon behind them without revealing her presence.

[Illustration: ORIOLE FOLLOWED THE TWO OUTLAWS.]

Once away from the noisy stream, however, the girl was wise enough to follow much farther behind the two outlaws than before. Although their mounts appeared to be pretty well winded from their hard gallop through the upland basin, she did not wish to run a race with them on Molly. Molly was spirited, but she was no racehorse.

As the canyon bed sloped to the south, Oriole was riding above the outlaws all the way, and glimpsed them often, when even half a mile ahead. Thus they came to the mouth of Squaw Canyon--at least, Hank Ridley and Mudd came to the place where it debouched upon the plain. Oriole saw them pull up their mounts sharply, and she stopped Molly.

She was hidden behind a clump of brush, if the men looked back. If they were so frightened by what they saw out on the plain that they rode back, _that_ was a different matter. She looked about quickly for some more secure hiding place if need arose.

She discovered this easily. The chaparral could hide Molly and her rider very nicely indeed. All the girl had to do was to back the pony into the brush until the outer fringe of the herbage closed before them both.

Oriole continued to sit in the saddle and peer through at the two men. They did not make a move that the girl did not mark. She was on the _qui vive_ every moment.

Hank Ridley and his companion, however, did not turn back. They had halted it seemed for discussion only. Oriole saw them peering ahead and gesticulating excitedly. Then they set spurs to their horses and, jaded as they were, the animals sprang ahead and the two swept quickly out of sight.

Oriole did not hesitate. There was something down there that she wanted to see. Some strange happening was afoot in which she felt a keen interest.

"Go on, Molly! Go on!" she urged her pony. "I want to know what those bad men are doing. I feel sure they cannot be up to anything good."

Just what the two "bad man" had seen beyond the confines of the canyon walls certainly would have astonished Oriole quite as much as it had at first surprised Hank Ridley and his mate.

Urged by the fretting Teddy Ford, the lazy old pony, Blooey, was drawing the phaeton toward the canyon at a more than ordinary brisk pace, while Sadie Brown on a fiery little mustang was riding round and around the phaeton to keep from getting too far ahead of the twins and their driver. Teddy's repugnance at being commandeered for this job was plainly visible in the expression of his freckled face.

George Belden and his party had disappeared in some direction--Teddy and Nurse Brown did not know where. The twins were enjoying the ride immensely, for Teddy got more speed out of old Blooey than ever Oriole had. But sitting in the jouncing phaeton did not suit the fancy of the older boy in the least.

At the sudden appearance of Hank Ridley and Mudd at the head of the canyon trail, Teddy awoke. The very men they thought were the horse thieves, and whom they had set out to head off! They certainly had headed them off, all right. But what to do about it, now they were face to face with the two rascals?

Perhaps Sadie Brown was equally disturbed by this question. But she did not confer with Teddy. She spurred forward to meet the two men. She had a pistol in her saddle holster, and although she did not draw it, its presence perhaps gave her confidence.

"Hey! where are you two men going?" demanded the woman, drawing her restive mustang suddenly across the path of Ridley and his mate.

"Howdy, Sis' Brown," grinned Ridley. "You anxious about our healths, I don't doubt. Well, we're on our way----"

"To jail. I know that," snapped the vigorous young woman. "But I want to know what you are headin' for directly?"

Hank had not stopped his horse. He rode close to the woman, still grinning. Suddenly his free hand shot out and he snatched from her saddle holster the pistol in which she had placed so much confidence.

"Give me that!"

She fought him for a moment, trying to tear the weapon out of his hand. Ridley laughed, wrenched himself free, and spurred his horse aside. Sadie Brown almost tumbled from her saddle. Both men roared with laughter.

"You always was a reg'lar wildcat, Sis' Brown," declared Ridley. "But I reckon I done pared your claws this time."

"I--I'll----"

"Save your breath to cool your soup," said Ridley rudely. "That'll be about all from you."

"When Harvey Langdon and the boys hear about this----"

"He'll have something else to think of, Sis' Brown, when he does hear," snarled Ridley.

"What do you mean?" cried the woman.

Ridley said over his shoulder to Mudd: "Go get 'em! Knock that kid on the head if he tries to interfere. Git!"

Mudd spurred his horse toward the pony phaeton. Sadie Brown suddenly shrieked:

"Look out, Teddy Ford! They mean to hurt the twins! Run!"

Run with Blooey! Not a chance--and Teddy knew it. Mudd reached the phaeton in half a minute. Sadie Brown tried to wheel her horse and follow.

"No, you don't! You'll take a word to Harvey Langdon from me. If he knows what's best for him he'll call all hands off Mudd and me. We won't hurt the kids if he takes his men out of the hills back yonder and gives us four days free. Then he'll find the twins all right. I'll leave word at that old shack where you was fishing. The twins will be safe, but he'll never find 'em if he don't do as he's told. Get me?"

"He'll put you both in jail, Hank Ridley!" cried Miss Brown wildly.

"You do like I say!" commanded the man in a most ugly fashion.

He had caught the bridle of her horse in one hand. Now he gave the fiery animal a cut with his quirt. The creature began to buck and sunfish in a fashion to unseat the most nimble rider.

"Now look out for yourself!" cried Ridley, and let the bridle free. Sadie Brown was pitched over the mustang's head and came down on all fours. The pony ran snorting from the scene.

Laughing cruelly, the outlaw rode after his mate. Mudd had reached the phaeton. Teddy had no warning of his intention. Mudd rode close to the carriage and, suddenly seizing the boy, toppled him off the seat.

Myron and Marian screamed. Teddy was too angry to say anything. He had no means of defense but his fists, and he picked himself up hastily, determined to use them.

He was given no chance. Having seen to Sadie Brown's disaster, Hank Ridley rode after his partner in crime.

"Grab one of the kids, Mudd!" he shouted. "I'll take the other."

Almost as he spoke each outlaw swept a child from the phaeton and spurred their mounts off to the east, each holding a twin before him on the saddle. Myron and Marian shrieked their alarm. But they were out of earshot before either Sadie Brown or Teddy Ford were fairly upon their feet again.

The nurse and the boy ran together in panic and clung to each other, watching the outlaws ride away with the twins.

"Oh! what will become of them?" gasped the woman, quite losing her usual confidence.

"That Ridley won't dare really to hurt 'em," declared Teddy, but his voice was very shaky.

"I don't know. See what he did to me. He is a dangerous man."

"He will get into awful trouble if he hurts Myron or Marian. He knows that. Harvey Langdon is a bad one to have get after you."

"I guess _you_ know that, poor fellow," said the nurse, with some sympathy. "And I wish Harvey was right here."

"Ain't nobody here--nor back at the house," said Teddy, shakingly.

"Not even that George Belden," added Sadie Brown vigorously. "That fellow never _is_ around when he's wanted."

"Well, it isn't the foreman's fault this time," said the boy. "I wonder where those scoundrels intend to carry the twins?"

"I don't know," returned Miss Brown, limping. "And I can't catch my pony. I've twisted my ankle somehow falling off. Just think of that fellow making me pull leather that way!"

She seemed as angry about her unseating as about anything else. She stared after the disappearing outlaws, and shook her gloved fist at them.

It was just at this point that Oriole rode out of the mouth of the Squaw Canyon and spurred Molly down upon the stationary phaeton and the bereft nurse and Teddy. At first she did not miss the twins at all.

"What is the matter with you?" cried the girl, excitedly. "Did you see that horrid Ridley and Mudd? Did they ride this way?"