CHAPTER V.

A SIDEWINDER.

"Feel like a long gallop this morning?" Sue asked the boys at breakfast a few days later.

"Never felt more like it," Bob replied and Jack nodded assent.

"Where you going?" Jeb asked.

"I thought I take them over and show them the Owl's Head."

"That's quite a piece."

"Only a little over twenty miles. We'll take a lunch along and be back in time for supper."

"I'm afraid it's hardly safe," Jeb said slowly.

"Oh, bother. You don't suppose Hains and his gang have been hanging around all this time without doing anything. That's not his style and you know it. If he had been near here we'd have heard from him long before this."

"Probably you're right, but, for goodness sake, be careful."

"Surest thing you know."

"What's the Owl's Head?" Jack asked.

"Why, it's a big rock up in the hills and it's shaped almost exactly like the head of an owl. It's really worth seeing. You aren't afraid, are you?" she asked.

Of course, both boys quickly assured her that they were not in the least frightened and she hurried to the kitchen to see about the lunch. They started an hour later shortly before nine o'clock. It was a beautiful cool morning, although a haze in the air prevented them from being able to see more than an indistinct outline of the hill some ten miles away.

"We'd better take it easy," Sue cautioned them as they rode out of the yard. "It's pretty hard climbing once we get to the hills and we want the horses fresh when we start on it."

She struck off at an easy lope, which any one of the horses could maintain all day, and they followed close behind. They had ridden for a little over an hour when she suddenly drew rein and stopped.

"Can you see anything that looks like a man over there?" she asked pointing in the direction they had had been going.

"There seems to be something moving there," Bob replied, shading his eyes. "How about it, Jack?"

"I see it, but it's too far away to tell what it is."

"Maybe it's one of the boys," Sue suggested as they started on again.

"How come we haven't seen any cattle?" Bob asked.

"They're all over on the south range now," Sue told him.

"Don't see anything of that fellow or whatever it was," Jack declared a half-hour later.

"No, he seems to have disappeared," Bob agreed.

Sue had been very quiet since they had seen the object and it just then occurred to Bob that she seemed a bit worried.

"What's wrong?" he asked pulling up close behind her.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You seem so quiet-like."

"Oh, I get that way, sometimes. I was just thinking."

"About that thing we saw?"

"Maybe."

"Think we'd better turn back?"

"How come?"

"Well, it's better to be careful, than sorry, you know."

"Oh, I dare say it was only a deer or something. Come on."

A short time later they reached the foot-hills and, after a short rest they started on the climb. It was not steep at first and a winding trail, only wide enough for them to ride in single file, made it easy enough. But as they got higher it became steeper and the path rougher until the horses were obliged to pick a place for each step with the greatest care.

"How much of this is there?" Jack laughed, during one of their frequent stops to give the horses a breathing spell.

"It's about five miles to the top and it's another five down on the other side. But, cheer up, we've come nearly a mile and it doesn't get much worse than this."

"Let's be thankful for small favors," Bob laughed.

"Oh, I think it's fun," Jack assured them.

The hills were heavily wooded and in many places there was hardly more than room for them to pass between the trees, so closely did they grow on either side of the trail.

"Hark!"

Sue, who was riding a few feet ahead of Bob, pulled up her horse. "Listen," she said.

A sound as if someone was shaking dried peas in a pasteboard box was plainly heard.

"What is it?" Bob asked.

"It's a sidewinder."

"A what?"

"Why, a sidewinder."

"Guess you'll have to explain."

"Oh, I forgot. It's a rattlesnake. We call them sidewinders out here."

"Can you see him?"

"No, but he's right behind that rock just ahead."

As she spoke she drew a small but efficient appearing automatic from her pocket and touched Lady's sides with her heels. As the mare took a step forward the rattling sound became louder and, leaning over to one side, Bob saw an ugly head rear itself from behind the rock. At the same instant a sharp crack split the air and the head fell back.

"Got him," she cried, and they could hear a violent thrashing behind the rock.

"There may be another," Sue cautioned them, as she slipped from her horse.

She stood for a moment holding the reins in one hand and the gun in the other. "I guess he was a bachelor," she said as the sound of the writhing ceased and no more rattling was heard.

By this time the boys, too, had dismounted and, leading their horses, they followed her as she stepped toward the rock.

"All right, he's dead," she said a moment later and, stepping up a bit closer, they saw the snake stretched out at full length, which was not less than five feet and with a bullet hole through its head.

"Some snake!" Jack gasped.

"Some snake is right," Bob agreed.

"I'll bet he's a twin brother of that one Slim saw going into his hole," Jack declared.

"Not quite," Sue laughed. "But he is a pretty good sized one."

"Do they come any larger?" Bob asked.

"Well, I don't know's I ever saw but one larger. One of the boys killed one last year that only lacked an inch of being six feet and I've heard tell of seven and eight-footers, but I take them with a grain of salt."

"It would sure take some grain to digest that one of Slim's," Jack laughed.

With the aid of a stick Bob drew the snake out of the path and they remounted and started on again. Up and still up the trail led until Jack declared that they would be in the clouds if they did not get to the top before long.

"It's only about two miles farther," Sue laughed.

"It must be the top of the world, then," Bob declared.

It was just noon when finally they arrived at the summit. For the last hundred yards there had been no trees, nothing but rock, and the view was one never to be forgotten. Not far away, perhaps ten miles from where they stood, ran the Rio Grande, separating the United States from Mexico, and beyond stretched wooded hills as far as the eye could see.

"The first time I ever saw out of the United States," Bob said.

"Same here," Jack agreed.

"I've been here a number of times and have, of course, seen it, but I've never been over the line, or rather the river," Sue told them.

After enjoying the view for a few minutes they began the descent. After the first few hundred feet the trail was much smoother than on the way up and, as the slope was much more gentle, they made good progress and, in less than an hour had reached their destination.

"Here we are," Sue cried as she pulled her horse up and slipped from the saddle.

Following her outstretched hand with their eyes they saw the rock, perched at the top of a low cliff about a hundred yards from where they stood. As she had told them, it was an almost perfect image of an owl's head and for some moments they stared at it in wonder.

"Isn't it worth the trip?" she asked

"It sure is," Bob told her and Jack declared that he would go twice as far to see it.

They remained there for an hour during which time they ate their lunch and allowed the horses to graze a short distance away where there was plenty of grass. They started back about two o'clock and had nearly reached the top when Sue, who was a short distance ahead of the boys, held up her hand at the same time stopping her horse.

"There's some horsemen coming up the trail," she said as they rode up. "Hear them?"

"They listened and the sound of iron shod hoofs striking the stones reached their ears.

"There's quite a number of them and I think we'd better get out of sight till they go by," she suggested.

"You think----" Bob began but she interrupted.

"You never can tell in this country. Of course, they may be all right, but then again, they may be all wrong."

While she was speaking she was leading the way to the right of the trail where dense bushes soon hid them from the view of anyone on the pathway.

"There, I reckon this is far enough," she said slipping from her saddle. "I don't believe they can see us here."

The boys dismounted and they stood there holding their horses by the bridles. They could soon hear the men talking and laughing as they came up the trail and, as Sue had said, it was evident that there were not less than seven or eight in the party.

"I'm going to try and get a look at them," Bob whispered, handing his reins to Jack.

"It'll be pretty risky," Sue told him. "But I would like to know who they are. But be mighty careful they don't see you."

"You bet I will," he promised as he left them and crept through the thick brush back the way they had come.

He was obliged to hurry for fear they would pass before he could get to where he could see them, but he was used to passing noiselessly through the forest, having been taught the art by an old Indian up in Northern Maine, and not a bush moved nor did a sound betray his movements. The voices of the approaching party were rapidly becoming more plainly audible and by the time he had gotten as near the trail as he dared and had thrown himself at full length behind a convenient bush from where he had a fair view of the trail, they were close at hand. He tried to catch some of the words but was unable to get the drift of the conversation, as they were speaking Spanish and, although he had some knowledge of the language, they spoke too fast for him to follow it.

In a moment the leader came in sight, a big man, riding a dark brown horse. He wore an old black sweater and heavy corduroy trousers, while his head was covered with a broad-brimmed felt hat. Somewhat to his disappointment he noticed that the man's hair was coal black.

"That's not Red Hains," he thought. "Unless he's dyed his hair."

The leader was closely followed by a second man fully as large and dressed much the same except that he wore a faded brown coat in place of the sweater. The rest of the party, six in number, were of much the same type but not one of them had red hair.

"That's about as tough-looking a bunch as I'd care to see," Bob thought. "But I guess it's not Hains' gang. At any rate, he's not with them."

The last man had come in sight when the leader stopped.

"There's been a party along here," Bob heard him say to the man behind him and he spoke English.

"What mak' you tink so?" his companion asked, and from his accent Bob knew that he was a Canuck.

"Don't yer think I've got eyes?" the black-haired man snapped.

"I tink you got ver' smart eye, you see dat."

By this time they were all bunched close together and Bob could see that the leader was pointing out to the others the signs by which he knew that someone had been over the trail.

"Not an hour ago," he heard him say.

"Then why didn't we meet 'em?" a man asked.

"Because they must have turned off the trail," the leader replied.

"Maybe they hide," another of the party suggested.

"Just what I was thinking," the leader said quickly. "And it's up to us to find out who they are and where they went. You stay here and I'll scout a bit."

Bob waited to hear no more but crept softly back the way he had come.

"There are eight of them and they're a pretty rough-looking crowd, but none of them has red hair," he told Sue and Jack as soon as he reached them.

"Have they gone on?" Sue asked.

"No, the leader saw our tracks and is coming to look for us."

"You say it isn't Red Hains?"

"Not if Red Hains has red hair. This fellow's hair is as black as night."

"What we going to do?" Jack asked.

"There's only one thing we can do," Sue replied.

"And that's----?"

"Wait right here. You see, they'd be sure to catch us if we ran for it and that would only make it worse. Perhaps they won't find us but they probably will, and if they do, you let me do the talking."

As Sue had known it was not a difficult thing to follow their trail through the thick bushes, and in a very short time the black-haired man stood before them. He was on foot, having left his horse with the others.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am Sue Stebbins and this is Bob Lakewood and this Jack Lakewood. Who are you?" Sue showed no fear as she answered.

"Who I am don't matter," the man snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it any of your business?" Sue asked quietly.

"If I choose to make it. I'm not alone," the man scowled.

"Well, then, we were riding," she told him.

"Riding where?"

"Home."

"Where's home?"

"About fifteen miles from here."

"The Lazy S?"

"Yes."

"Where you been?"

"To see the Owl's Head."

"Where's that?"

"Guess you must be a stranger around here if you don't know where the Owl's Head is."

"Maybe. But you haven't told me where it is."

"It's at the foot of the hills."

"What is it?"

"Why, it's a big rock shaped like an owl's head."

"And you came from the Lazy S just to see it?"

"Yes, but why all the questions? It's a free country, isn't it?"

"For some people," the man scowled.

"Well, it is for us, so we'll be going. Come on, boys." She gathered up her reins as if about to mount.

"Not quite so fast," the man snapped. "I've got another question to ask you."

"Well, make it snappy. It's getting late."

"Why did you hide when you heard us coming?"

"I thought you'd ask that. Suppose I don't choose to tell you."

"You'd better."

"Why?"

"Never mind why. You answer my question."

"Is that a threat?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, I don't like threats." Sue's black eyes snapped as she spoke and both the boys wondered what was coming next. "So I don't think I will tell you. Now what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll soon show you," and the man took a step forward, but Bob, unable to keep his hands off any longer, sprang in front of him.

"You keep your hands off her," he demanded.

"And if I don't?"

"I'll make you."

"You'll do what?" the man sneered.

"Try it and see."

The man hesitated a moment, and Bob wondered what was passing in his mind. It was hardly conceivable, he thought, that he was afraid of him, especially when he had his friends so near at hand. Perhaps it was something in the girl's eyes that made him draw back. At any rate, he made no further movement toward her, and after giving Bob an angry look, turned and strode off without another word.

"Well, what do you know about that?" Jack asked as soon as he had disappeared.

"I thought I could bluff him," Sue said, "but if you hadn't stepped up to him as you did, I don't know as it would have worked," she added turning to Bob.

"Well, I'm mighty glad he let it go at that," Bob assured her. "I would have been a baby in his hands."

"I'm not so sure of that," Sue said with an admiring glance at him. "I'll bet you would have kept him busy."

"I'll say he would," Jack assured her. "Bob's some scrapper and knows how to take care of himself when it comes to a rough and tumble."

They waited as the sound of the men's voices grew more and more faint and when they could no longer be heard, Sue proposed that they start.

"I was afraid that they'd come back, but I guess they've really gone," she said.

They made their way slowly back to the trail stopping to listen now and then, but there was no sign of the men and, as soon as they reached the path, they started for home as fast as they dared urge the horses. They had covered about half the distance down the other side of the mountain when Bob, who was in the lead, rounded a huge rock which hid the trail from view, and almost ran into a man, mounted on a roan horse. He was a man well over the average in size and had an abundant crop of long red hair: Red Hains beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Bob looked at the man for a moment too dazed to speak, and the big man returned the scrutiny, a cynical smile parting his lips.

"Wall, do yer see it?" he finally growled.

"I beg your pardon," Bob smiled. "You see, the surprise was so great that I fear I was a bit rude."

"Rude, eh, wall, I should say yer was rude, staring at a man like he was a wild animal. Whar yer goin'?"

"Down the hill."

"Don't yer 'spose I kin tell that much? I mean, what's yer destination? Is that plain?"

"Oh, you want to know where I live?"

"That's it."

"I live in Maine."

"Yer trying ter kid me?"

"No. You asked me where I live and I told you."

"Whar yer stoppin' now?" the man demanded in an angry tone.

"At the Lazy S."

"Now yer gettin' down ter brass tacks. Why didn't yer say so in the first place and save all the wind?"

Bob made no reply to this question and, after a moment, the man asked:

"Did yer meet some men a while back?"

"Yes."

"Whar 'bouts?"

"Just over the top of the hill."

"Wall, if yer know when yer well off yer'll keep a still tongue in yer head 'bout havin' seen them an' me, too," the man threatened as he started his horse and pushed past them.

"That was Red Hains," Sue said as soon as he was out of hearing.

"I reckon there's no doubt of it," Bob agreed.

"And those others must be his gang," Jack added.

"Surest thing you know," Bob assured him.

"Well, he sure does look the part," Sue declared with a shrug of her shoulders. "I wish they could catch him."

"A consummation devoutly to be desired," Bob smiled. "But I imagine he's a pretty slippery customer."

"You said it," Sue affirmed.

"Do you suppose his hiding place is anywhere in these hills? I mean the place where he hides the cattle he steals," Jack asked.

"It's more than likely," Sue replied. "You see, it's only a few miles to the border and he'd naturally choose a place not too far from the line so that he wouldn't have to drive them very far."

"It seems likely," Bob agreed. Then, after a moment's pause, he said: "I've an idea. Jack, you ride home with Sue and I'll follow that fellow a bit and who knows but I may find out where they hang up."

"Not on your life," Sue objected. "Boy, you don't know what you'd be up against. It's not like your Maine woods where you know your way around. Besides, they're bad men, who would think no more of killing you than they would of shooting a steer."

"But I wouldn't let them catch me," Bob argued.

"Maybe not, but then again they might. They know this country and you don't and that gives them a big advantage."

"But think of the opportunity. They are probably on the way to their hiding place and there may never be so good a chance again. It's worth the risk."

"No, it isn't. Remember, I'm responsible for you till we get back to the ranch."

"But I'll be mighty careful and won't go far."

"Suppose you get lost?"

"Not a chance. You see, I couldn't get lost on these hills, as all I'd have to do would be to keep on down hill till I got to the bottom and then I'd be out of the woods."

They argued the matter for some moments and finally Sue gave a reluctant consent, although Jack shook his head and urged him to go on with them. But Bob declared that it would be almost criminal to let such a chance slip, and after a while he, too, gave in.

"But you be home before dark," was Sue's final command as they started off again.

"Sure thing," Bob agreed as he turned his horse up the trail.