Part 12 (1/2)
Pye's admiration of the boys' horsemans.h.i.+p was unbounded. Finding that they showed no signs of fatigue, he urged them toward the northern fence line of the ranch.
”Nice up there,” he said. ”Long time ago Indian live there.”
As they neared the boundary, Frank thought he heard the distant hum of a motor. He called his brother's attention to it.
117 ”Sounds like a plane,” Joe remarked, scanning the sky.
They knew that occasionally a transport pa.s.sed over the area, flying at a very high alt.i.tude. But this one was low.
”There's plane,” Pye declared, pointing over a wooded section a few miles ahead of them.
A small craft suddenly appeared and skimmed over the treetops.
”Joe!” Frank cried. ”Isn't that the same one ... ?”
”Golly,” Joe cut in, ”it sure looks like it!”
The boys could not make out the details of the airplane, but from a distance it could well be the same one which had followed them from El Paso the day before. Was the pilot searching for the Hardys? This thought was dispelled by a remark from the Indian.
”Me see plane many time,” Pye said slowly. ”All time he fly low by trees.”
Frank and Joe exchanged glances. Was it in some way connected with the mysterious disappearance of the Crowhead cowboys? Perhaps it was landing near by, taking the ranch hands off to some other part of the country. Help was scarce in other range areas of the great West.
Suddenly Joe reined in sharply. ”Look, Frank,”
1 18 he cried excitedly. ”The plane's coming down.”
The three watched as the craft banked and disappeared behind the trees.
”Do you suppose it's in trouble?” Joe asked his brother.
”Could be,” Frank replied. ”But it looked to me as if the pilot meant to land.”
”In any case, I think we ought to find out,” Joe declared.
But hardly were the words out of his mouth, when the plane zoomed sharply into the air.
”It didn't land after all,” Joe commented. ”What'd you make out of that?”
”Maybe him just have fun,” the Indian said with a grin.
”Why would a pilot fool around out here?” Frank queried. ”He'd be in serious trouble if he crashed. This country is too wooded to try any hopping.”
As the stranger flew away, Frank noticed something that confirmed his belief the plane was not out on a playful junket. The sun's rays were reflected in the lenses of what was probably binoculars !
Joe saw it at the same time. ”He's looking for something, Frank.”
”And that something may be us,” his brother replied with a frown.
119 ”No worry,” the Indian said. ”He come back.”
By this time he and the boys were nearing the woods. Pye hesitated, asking if the brothers wanted to ride into it. Wis.h.i.+ng to learn where the airman had come down, they nodded.
As they entered the dark stillness, Frank felt a peculiar sensation. The trees, although not the tallest he had seen, appeared to stretch their limbs grotesquely toward the riders.
Their gnarled branches, disfigured by wind and storm, seemed to beckon the boys into a trap which nature itself had devised.
”This sure is a spooky place,” Joe remarked, feeling the same awesomeness.
”Very bad,” Pye said. ”Cowboys sometimes get lost in here.” Then he grinned. ”Pye no get lost.”
Buoyed by the Indian's confidence, the boys entered the woods, ducking low-hanging branches along a faintly marked trail. Suddenly the pinto whinnied and stopped. Pye jumped off and put his ear to the ground.
”Someone come!” he warned.
The boys dismounted, leading their animals off the trail. As they did, a cowboy, panting as if he had run for miles, came stumbling along the path like a tumbleweed in a high wind.
A sudden look of recognition came over the Indian's face.
120 ”Pete!” he shouted.
The runner was one of the men from Crowhead, The cowboy stopped, a wild look in his eyes.
”Where are you going?” Frank asked.
”Ch-chasin5 my pony,” Pete replied. ”He-uh-run away.”
”We no see him,” Pye said. ”No come this way.”
”Here,” Frank offered, ”climb up and ride back of me. We'll take you home. It's a long way.”
”No,” the man replied. His s.h.i.+fting eyes looked right and left into the woods. ”I'll keep on lookin' for him.”
With that he started off again along the trail and disappeared in the woods.
”I'm going to follow him,” Frank said after a few minutes. ”This looks mighty suspicious.”
”Pye and I'll stay here awhile and see if anyone else comes along,” Joe said. ”Pete may have been running away to meet somebody.”
Frank wheeled his horse, heading after the disappearing Pete. When he was out of sight of Joe and Pye, Frank glanced at the ground, hoping to pick up some information as to Pete's strange behavior. What he saw suddenly sent a quiver of excitement racing down his spine.
At the base of a pine tree lay a large, smooth rock. On its face was carved a crooked arrow!
Frank bent low in his saddle to get a better look 121 at it. As he did so, an object whizzed above him. It sounded like the buzz of a giant bee.
An instant later something sang closer to the boy's head. It was followed by a zinging thud. An arrow embedded itself in a tree trunk directly in front of him!