CHAPTER XVII
FOUR BOYS AND A BULL
When the Rover boys returned to Hans Mueller’s house they found the twins’ father hard at work over a mass of papers.
“I saw that other stockholder,” said Tom Rover, in explanation. “He is as much mystified as to what is taking place at the Rolling Thunder mine as I am. He’ll follow us out there just as soon as he can arrange certain business affairs here. He’s with me in everything, and is going to help me bring those other fellows up with a round turn.”
“It’s too bad that this whole business had to get into such a mix, Uncle Tom,” declared Fred.
“For all I know, I may have to call on you boys to help me,” answered the twins’ father. “From what Brother Dick told me, you did very well in the oil fields, and you may have a chance to show your mettle out in the gold fields.”
“Well, I’m ready to help you all I can, Uncle Tom,” cried Jack quickly. “I’ll do anything you say.”
“The fun of the outing can wait,” declared Fred.
“Sure, it can wait, Dad!” cried Randy. “You just give the orders, and we’ll fill ’em.”
“I wouldn’t mind running a gold mine for a day or two,” grinned Andy. “It might give me a chance to fill my pockets with nuggets.”
“I want to warn you boys to be careful of what you say and what you do when we get to the mining region,” answered Tom Rover. “Some of the men out there are desperate characters and some are very touchy. You say the wrong thing to a touchy man and he may pull a gun on you.”
“Oh, we know enough to watch out,” answered Jack. “Just the same, Uncle Tom, if we fellows can help you in any way, don’t you hesitate to call on us.”
Early the following morning the Rovers bade farewell to Hans Mueller, who had them taken to the railroad station.
“If I could only get avay already, I’d go mit you in a minute,” declared the genial delicatessen dealer. “I haf not forgot what a good time I haf ven I go to Big Horn Ranch dat time.”
“Yes, and what a dandy outing we did have, every one of us,” declared Randy.
Soon the Rovers were aboard the train bound westward. As before, they had a double section and proceeded to make themselves as much at home as possible.
As the hours went by Tom Rover gave the boys some of the particulars regarding his interview with the mine’s stockholders.
“There is a fellow at the mine named Garrish—Peter Garrish—who is now in charge. He’s a promoter from Canada and an unusually slick individual. From what I can make out, Garrish is going to do his best to squeeze us out and put himself and his friends in complete possession of the Rolling Thunder mine.”
“But you say you have your representative there—this old miner named Lew Billings,” said Jack.
“So I have, Jack. But the trouble is, while Billings is a first-class mining operator, he is rather deficient in education and knows little about the legal aspects of affairs. On the other hand, Garrish was at one time a lawyer and evidently knows the mining game from a legal standpoint in all its details. For all I know, when it came to legal matters he might be able to twist Billings around his finger.”
“Perhaps it would have been a good thing, Dad, if you had brought a lawyer along,” suggested Randy.
“Before I left Chicago I had an interview with a lawyer who is affiliated with our attorneys in New York. I arranged matters with him so that if he is needed he’ll come on immediately to represent me.”
As the boys had traveled westward before, the trip was no great novelty. Yet there were many interesting sights along the way, and they did not tire of looking out of the windows or of spending hour after hour on the observation platform of the last car.
“These open spaces are what get me,” declared Randy, stretching out his arm in a semicircle. “Just look at the thousands and thousands of acres of land that seem to be going to waste!”
“Yes, and then think of the thousands and thousands of people who are huddling in the tenements of all of the big cities,” returned Jack. “It seems all wrong, doesn’t it?”
“Well, I suppose a lot of those people want companionship,” came from Fred. “And they wouldn’t get much of it if they were spread all around this scenery.”
“I don’t believe I’ll ever want to settle down in the heart of a big city,” said Andy thoughtfully. “Where we live isn’t so bad. We’ve got plenty of air and a nice view of the Hudson River. But, just the same, I’d rather rove around the open places. When I get down in one of those narrow streets in lower New York, with the monstrous buildings on both sides, I always feel shut in, just as if the whole thing was going to tumble down on top of me.”
“You’d rather have a bungalow on the top of Pike’s Peak, wouldn’t you, Andy?” laughed Jack.
“Perhaps. Although I think I’d prefer a bird’s nest on the top of the north pole,” answered the fun-loving boy, with a grin.
The first day on the train passed without special incident. The boys slept well, and the twins were glad to note that their father did likewise.
“I guess dad is glad that Mr. Renton is going to act with him. You know he represents a sixty-thousand-dollar interest, and that is a good deal,” said Randy. Mr. Renton was the second stockholder Tom Rover had called upon in Chicago.
At noon on the second day, which was the Fourth of July, came something of an interruption. The whole party were at lunch in the dining car when there came such a sudden halt that their coffee was splashed all over the table.
“Wow!” exclaimed Andy. “Good-by, green corn!” he added, for an ear of corn had rolled from his plate to the aisle of the car.
“We certainly stopped in a hurry,” declared Fred. “I wonder what is the matter?”
“Maybe it’s a celebration,” suggested Randy.
The boys and Tom Rover finished their meal and then walked back to the car where their sections were located. They found that a number of the passengers had left the train, and from one of these learned that there was trouble on a bridge just ahead.
“A freight that was crossing left the tracks, and they say it will take an hour or more to clear up the muss,” explained one of the passengers.
“Let’s go up ahead and take a look at things,” said Jack. “I’ll be glad to stretch my legs.”
“I don’t think I’ll go,” returned Tom Rover. “While the train is standing still I think I’ll try to catch a nap. You boys can go if you want to. But keep out of trouble and don’t get left when the train starts again.”
The spot was one where the road crossed a small stream. Along this watercourse there was a fringe of trees and brushwood. The land was comparatively level and covered with sage and prairie grass.
Quite a crowd of people were collected at the front of the train, and the boys soon saw what the trouble was. Two freight cars were off the track and resting in just such a position that the other train could not get by.
“They’ve sent for a wrecking crew and think they’ll be here inside of half an hour,” said one of the men, in answer to the boys’ questions. “It won’t take them very long to straighten matters out when once they get at work.”
Having viewed the wreck for several minutes, the boys saw a footpath leading along the stream, and Andy suggested that they take a short walk in that direction.
“I don’t know what state we’ll be walking in,” said the fun-loving Rover. “But it will certainly be a state that suits me.”
“I’ll tell you what we might do, Andy,” suggested his brother, with a twinkle in his eye. “You were saying something this morning about missing your bath. What’s the matter with going in swimming here?”
“Gee, that would be an idea!” was the ready response. “Let’s do it!”
“No, you don’t!” ordered Jack. “You don’t know a thing about that stream in the first place. And in the second, how would you feel if you were in the water and suddenly heard the train whistle to go ahead?”
“I’d grab up my clothing and run,” answered Andy.
“Maybe you would and maybe you wouldn’t,” declared Fred. “I’d like a swim myself. But I really don’t think we ought to risk it,” he added.
It was very pleasant walking along the footpath bordering the river, and the boys found several spots which in the past had evidently been used for camping. They had vaulted a low fence, satisfied that no one would interfere with their walk.
“Not a house in sight,” declared Jack, looking around. “And yet we passed a fair-sized town just when we started to go to lunch.”
“This is some sort of a ranch, I take it,” returned Fred. “Aren’t those cows further up the river?”
“Sure they’re cows!” declared Randy. “And a pretty big herd of ’em, too.”
“I understand cattle on the hoof is worth a good deal of money these days,” went on Jack. “I’d like to own a few thousand cattle.”
“It must be a lot of fun rounding them up,” declared Andy.
“It isn’t so much fun though if the cattle try to round you up,” answered Fred.
The boys walked on a little farther and then concluded that it would be best to return to the train. They had just started to retrace their steps when they heard a crashing in the brushwood behind them. “Hello! who’s coming?” cried Fred.
“He must be in a tremendous hurry by the noise he’s making,” came from Randy.
“Sounds to me like one of those cows,” announced Jack.
The sounds kept coming closer and presently through an opening in the brushwood behind them the four boys saw a large beast come into view.
“It isn’t a cow—it’s a bull!” exclaimed Fred.
“Yes, and he doesn’t look to be any too friendly,” answered Jack.
“Say, I don’t like this,” said Andy. “Looks to me as if that beast might come for us.”
The boys continued on their way in the direction of the train and the bull came after them. At first the beast eyed them with more curiosity than anger. But presently he gave a bellow and started to charge toward them.
“Look out! He’s coming for us!” yelled Jack. “Run for it, everybody!”
No one needed any urging, and the four boys hurried down the footpath as fast as they could go. The sudden flight of the lads seemed to take the bull by surprise. His first charge came to a sudden halt. Then, however, he let out another bellow and came after them swifter than ever.