CHAPTER XIV.

CONCLUSION.

They had been sitting on the porch after the meal for some two hours talking over the last adventure, which had resulted so happily, when Sue cried:

"Here they come."

The boys, headed by Slats and Slim, were just turning in at the gate and a few minutes later they had herded the gang of outlaws in front of the porch. They were a sullen and dejected looking lot, all except Red Hains, whose face still bore a defiant air.

"What'll we do with these birds, Jeb?" Slats called out.

"Give 'em a necktie party," one of the boys called out.

"That's what," another agreed.

"No, we won't do that," Jeb declared as he stepped off the porch. "They deserve it no doubt, that is to say, some of them do, but it's for the law to decide, not us. I've phoned to town and the sheriff'll be out here with some of his men as soon's he can make it. Ought to be in an hour or so. So you'd better take them down to the corral and let two or three of the boys stand guard over them. But play it safe."

"Yer'er a shoutin' we'll play it safe," Slats assured him. "Right about face. Now hep up thar an' no turnin' of eyes," he ordered the prisoners.

As they turned away Bob glanced at his brother with a questioning look in his eyes. He was not quite sure but he fancied that he had detected a look of satisfaction flash over the face of Red Hains when Jeb announced that the sheriff would soon be there, and he wondered if Jack had noticed it.

Jack looked puzzled as though he was uncertain what Bob was trying to ask and the latter shook his head slightly as if to say that it did not matter. But it so happened that, a few minutes later, they were alone on the porch and he was quick to ask:

"What did you mean, Bob?"

"Did you see Red's face when Jeb said that Skeets would be out soon?"

"No, why?"

"Maybe it was my imagination, but I fancied he seemed mighty pleased at the idea, and I wondered if you noticed it."

"Sorry, but I must have been looking somewhere else."

"Probably if doesn't matter but----"

"You mean----?"

"Well, you know Jeb's opinion regarding the sheriff."

"Sure, and you think that Red thinks that he'll give them a chance to get away."

"Something like that."

"Then we'd better speak to Jeb about it, don't you think?"

"I suppose so, but I don't know as it'll do any good. There's nothing definite against him, you know."

"And I reckon it's too late now anyhow, for there he comes if I'm not mistaken," Jack said pointing toward the gate.

Six horsemen were riding in through the gate and, as they swept up in front of the porch, Jeb came out through the door.

"Skeets isn't with them," Jack had whispered to Bob just before the men drew their horses to a halt.

"Hello, boys. Where's Skeets?" Jeb greeted them.

A tall lanky man with a fierce looking black mustache acted as spokesman.

"That prutty hard ter say right now. Yer see Skeets he resigned his job's soon's he got yer telephone message an' the last seen o' him he was makin' tracks for the railroad station."

"You mean he's gone?" Jeb asked.

"I reckon."

"Then I guess there's not much doubt but that he was in cahoots with Red."

"That's how we figger it."

"Then who's sheriff?"

"I reckon I'm it fer the time bein' seein' how I was first deputy."

"And I don't know of a man I'd rather see have the job," Jeb declared as he held out his hand.

"You said something," one of the man declared.

"They don't make 'em better'n Jake Grubb," another added.

The new sheriff seemed much embarrassed at those eulogies and muttered about the job being pushed on to him, then, turning to Jeb, he said:

"I reckon you know thar's a reward o' $2,000 fer the capture o' Red Hains."

"Sure, I know it," Jeb replied.

"Well, who gits it?"

"Bob and Jack Lakewood," a voice sang out from behind them.

It was Slats Magee who made the statement. He had come up from the corral and had heard the sheriff ask the question.

"Not much," Bob spoke up quickly. "We didn't catch him."

"Who did then?" Slats demanded.

"I guess you had as much to do with if as anyone," Bob laughed.

"Wal, it goes ter some o' yer crowd," the sheriff said to Jeb. "I reckon yer can fight that out among yerselves. I've got ter get a hustle on if I'm goin' ter git that gang in the jail afore dark. Come on, boys, let's go."

Bob knew, a few moments later, when the outlaws were led out of the corral, that he had been right. If ever a man's face expressed despair it was Red Hains' when he found that Skeets was not with the men who had come to take them to the jail.

"He was counting on Skeets to let him get away all right," he told Jack after they had gone.

"Now about that reward," Slats said as they stood by the corral gate.

"It goes to you fellows," Bob told him in a decided tone.

"Not so you'd notice if," Slim declared and his statement was applauded by all the hands including Jeb and Sue. "Yer see, if it hadn't been fer you two boys we'd never have got 'em," Slim explained.

"But we didn't catch them: they caught us," Bob insisted. Then, seeing that they were determined, he said: "I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll take the money and get the best radio outfit we can buy for the ranch and what's left over will be used as a fund for us all, to get anything that we all can enjoy. All in favor say aye."

After a little hesitation and talking among themselves it was decided to do as Bob had suggested and he was appointed a committee of one to purchase the outfit.

"They're a great bunch of fellows," Bob whispered to Jack as they walked back to the house.

"The best ever," Jack agreed.

They learned the next day that the outlaws were lodged safely in jail and the entire district for miles around breathed easier.

THE END.