Ralphson George Harvey - Boy Scouts on the Open Plains; The Round-Up Not Ordered стр 11.

He had played the part of moonshiner, smuggler, and bogus moneymaker for years, and snapped his fingers at the best men on the pay roll of the Government. Now, if as seemed possible, he had turned cattle rustler, perhaps there might come a complete

change in the programme; for if the irate ranchmen and their faithful punchers only got on a hot trail with Clem at the other end, the authorities at Washington might be saved much further anxiety; for a man who has been strung up to a telegraph pole and riddled with bullets is not apt to give any one trouble again.

Ned had learned some important facts that were apt to prove more or less valuable to him presently. Already he felt that they had been paid many times over for the little effort it had taken to rescue Amos from the sand of the shallow river.

Scouts are taught to do a good deed without any thought of a return; but all the same, it is pleasant to know that the reward does often come, and if any of the four chums had failed to find a chance to turn his badge right-side up that day, on account of having given a helping hand to some one, certainly they must feel entitled to that privilege after lifting Amos out of his sad predicament. Saving a precious human life must surely be counted as answering the requirements of the scout law.

When Amos, a little later, left them to saunter down to the brink of the river, in order to give his mottled pony a last drink before leaving him at the end of his rope to crop grass the remainder of the night, Jack turned to the scout master and gave expression to his convictions as follows:

Well, it looks like your old luck holds good, Ned, and that you stand a chance of running across your game the very first thing after getting here. If this Clem Parsons Amos tells us about turns out to be the same man the Government wants you to tackle, hell be walking into the net any old time from now on. Why, we may run across him tomorrow or the day afterwards, who knows?

Hes the right party, said Ned, quietly. I asked Amos if he had a scar on his cheek, and he said it gave Clem a look as though he was grinning all the time, a sort of sneering expression, I imagine. And as you say, Jack, Im in great luck to strike a hot trail so early in the hunt. Given the chance, and Ill have Mr. Clem Parsons on the way to Los Angeles, by rail, with a hop, skip and a jump.

Hes a nifty character, all right, remarked Jimmy; and trains with a hard crowd out here, so well all have to pitch in and help lift him. Four of us, armed with rifles as we are, ought to be enough to flag him.

One thing in our favor, ventured Jack, is that hell never for a minute dream of being afraid of a pack of Boy Scouts. While he might keep a suspicious eye on every strange man he meets, and his hand ready to draw a gun, hell hardly give us a second look. Thats where we can get the bulge on Clem, and his ignorance is going to be his undoing yet.

Perhaps wed better be a little careful how we mention these things while Amos is around, Ned went on to say.

But sure, you dont think that little runt would peach on us, do you? demanded Jimmy, who had apparently taken a great liking for the diminutive puncher.

Certainly not, answered Ned, but you understand one of the things that goes to make a successful Secret Service operator is in knowing how to keep his own counsel. Hes got to learn all he can about others, and tell as little about himself as will carry him through. So please keep quiet about my wanting to invite this Clem Parsons to an interview with the Collector in Los Angeles.

Jimmy promptly raised his hand.

Im on, he said. Mums the word till you lift the embargo, Ned. But it begins to look like we might have some interestin happenings ahead of us, from what we know about this Clem Parsons, and what we guess is agoin on between the ranchers and the cattle rustlers. I thought all the froth had blown off the top, after we quit that Death Valley, but now Im beginnin to believe were agoin to scratch gravel again right smart. Which suits Jimmy McGraw all right, because hes built that way, and never did like to see the green mould set on top of the pond. Keep things astirrin, thats my way. When folks go to sleep, give the same a punch, and start something doin.

Well, said Harry, looking up from his work close by, if you have a few more narrow squeaks like that one to-day up on the mountain trail, it wont be long before they plant you under the daisies, but Jimmy only laughed at the warning.

CHAPTER V. AROUND THE CAMP FIRE

Besides, it was not nearly as hot there on the plains as they had found it back where the sands of the Mojave Desert shifted with the terrible winds that seemed to come from the regions of everlasting fire, they scorched so.

The

scouts appeared to be enjoying themselves so much that even Jimmy, usually the sleepy member of the party, gave no sign of wanting to crawl under his brilliant and beloved Navajo blanket.

Near by the three pack animals were tethered, along with the calico pony owned by Amos. They cropped the grass as though they could never get enough of the same. Everything seemed so very peaceful that one would find it difficult to imagine that there could come any change to the scene.