Part 24 (1/2)
”He's safe in the corral,” dick answered ”We found hi around without his bridle on ent to look for you late yesterday afternoon”
”He must have pulled away from the tree where I had him tied and yanked the bridle off that way,” Bud said
”Horses an' bridles ain'tis about these darn varmints that treated Bud so Who do you think they were--I mean what sort of scaun, which several other cowboys were doing
”I think they were cattle rustlers,” answered Bud, who see better eachfor a chance to drive off so along”
”That's probably it,” agreed Nort ”But what about that soda water cylinder you say they shot at you?”
”I wouldn't call it soda water,” stated Bud with a grias and they must have shot it at me for it knocked me out”
”Hoas it they could turn a streaas, on you, Bud, and not suffer fro straight frolen,” was the reply ”The breeze carried the stuff to ht froas in the war,” stated Snake, who had fought in France, as had several of the other husky cowboys ”That's probably what it was, too, soas they used in the war It comes in tanks, and the Germans used to lay a shallow trench full of these cylinders, with the openings in 'eas out and the ould blow it right in our faces If we didn't put on gas masks it was bye-bye for us”
”But,” exclaireed Snake with a grilad he wasn't
Like as not they didn't use strong gas on hias, you know I took sohed to beat the band Even in war all the gas wasn't sure death
There was a kind that irl”
”That's the explanation then,” decided Nort ”These fellows--call 'eot hold of soas and they used it on Bud”
”I sure was knocked out,” aentle tones ”If they're rustlers why did they just hold Bud a prisoner a while and then light out and not take any stock?”
”They probably figgered the gaet-away Anyhow they didn't get no stock”
”Are you sure of that?” asked Bud
By this ti parties had been gathered near Snaled to by shots previously agreed upon And from the leaders of these squads it was learned that no raid had been e had been pretty well covered
”Well, that's good,” said Bud when the welcome news had been conveyed to him
”Do you think these rustlers were responsible for the deaths here in this valley?” asked Nort ”Have they been setting off this gas--or so cattle, men and horses?”
Billee Dobb shook his head
”Death Valley got its na before these fellers could have been operating This is soe, take my word for it”
”It's a queer way to rustle cattle--kill 'eas,” said Yellin'