Part 10 (2/2)

Chet eyed his surroundings with suspicious alarm. He half expected a band of Indians with poisoned arrows to rush out and start shooting.

Instead, everything seemed to be peaceful. Half a dozen friendly cowhands ambled toward the plane. Upon learning Frank and Joe were nephews of Mrs. Ruth Hardy, they took out the luggage and two of the men preceded the boys to the house with it.

Frank paid Winger, and they said good-bye, as he wanted to get back to El Paso before dark.

102 Two other cowhands escorted the three boys to the ranch house. Cousin Ruth met them at the door.

”It's a shame about your dad,” she exclaimed, ”but I'm glad to see you boys, anyway.”

The boys introduced diet to their relative, who had changed considerably since they had last seen her. Cousin Ruth's hair, once blond, now was streaked with gray, and her face was careworn from the ordeal of her husband's death and the responsibilities of the ranch. She said nothing about her worries, however.

After the visitors had been shown to two well-furnished bedrooms, they were invited to a sumptuous lunch. Chet was in his glory.

”Golly,” he beamed, seeing the platter of steaks, ”Bayport was never like this!”

When the meal was over, the boys walked around to get acquainted with the place. It was not until dusk had fallen and work had ceased for the night that Ruth Hardy met them again and brought up the subject which the boys were so eager to hear.

They had gathered in her attractive living room. The widow closed the door, glanced furtively out the window, then launched into the story of the difficulties at Crowhead. The boys leaned forward attentively.

”One by one my best cowboys have been dis103 appearing,” Cousin Ruth said. ”They leave very mysteriously, taking their saddles and all their clothing with them.”

”And don't tell you they're going?” Frank asked.

”They tell no one. As a result, Hank, my foreman, hasn't been able to get all the ranch work done.”

”Can't you hire new hands?” Joe spoke up.

”They won't work here,” their cousin replied. ”We've advertised. The story has got around that Crowhead is-well-jinxed. n.o.body has heard from the men who disappear.”

”What do the police say?” Joe asked.

”The sheriff,” said the widow, ”has done all he can to solve the mystery, but the men keep vanis.h.i.+ng into thin air.”

As Cousin Ruth talked, night dropped into the valley. She switched on the living-room light, at the same time saying: ”You boys must be tired. Perhaps you had better go to bed.

We get up very early here.”

”And I'd like to do some watching early in the morning,” Frank said. ”Come on, fellows.”

As he rose from his chair, he glanced out the window. A pair of unfriendly eyes was peering into the room! Then a forehead ducked down and disappeared.

CHAPTER XII.

A Suspicious Foreman.

”somebody is spying on us already!” Frank thought.

He sidled over to the window, but whoever had been peering through it had disappeared. Excusing himself from his hostess, Frank ran to the kitchen, then out the back door. He hoped, by doubling back, to catch the intruder unawares.

The boy made his way quietly around the building. n.o.body was near the window.

As Frank listened for a sound to indicate the eavesdropper's whereabouts, he heard hoofbeats. They seemed to come from the direction of the corral, then rumble off in the distance like the m.u.f.fled beat of a drum.

”He got away in a hurry,” Frank thought in disgust.

When he returned inside, Cousin Ruth asked him what had happened. Not wis.h.i.+ng to worry her, 104.

105 the boy merely said he had heard a noise and ;von-dered about it.

Frank kept his discovery secret until he and Joe were alone in their room. Chet already had tun> bled into bed, and his gentle snoring indicated he was sound asleep.

”I think we'd better not alarm Cousin Ruth,” Frank said when he had completed his story, and Joe agreed. ”But there's something I'd like to ask her before we turn in,” he added, as an idea came to him.

Seeing a light still on in the living room, he went to find his cousin. She was reading.

”Oh,” she said in surprise, ”would you boys like a snack before retiring? I forgot to ask you.”

”No, thank you,” Frank replied. ”Joe and I were talking about the mystery. We wondered how many horses are in the corral. Seems like an awful lot of them.”

”We have twenty-five now,” Mrs. Hardy said, a note of sadness in her voice. ”We used to have many more, but conditions here forced me to sell them.”

Frank said good night again and went to his room, and suggested a plan to Joe.

Instead of undressing, the Hardys turned out their light and waited. In a few minutes their cousin went to her bedroom. Half an hour later 106 Cro'.vhead Ranch was cloaked in dense stillness, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the occasional mournful howl of a coyote.

”Let's go now,” Frank whispered.

The boys tiptoed to the kitchen and opened the back door. Making their way to the corral, they could hear the slight noise of the horses, who sensed the presence of strangers.

”Hope they don't rouse anybody,” Frank whispered.

Just then the moon, whose ghostly light had been concealed behind a ma.s.s of somber clouds, broke into the open sky. In the dim glow cast over the corral, Frank and Joe could see the horses.

”We'll both count 'em,” Frank said.

After a moment of silence, Joe whispered, ”Twenty-four!”

”That's what I get!” Frank replied.

”There's one missing,” Joe said excitedly.

”That might mean,” Frank reasoned, ”that the person who looked in the window and rode off works for Crowhead.”

”Listen!” Joe warned suddenly.

<script>