Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 15, 2025
They knew they grew to an enormous size, and are the most formidable animals found in the great West, but had they been told that there were such monsters as the one before them they could not have believed it had it been related by Hazletine himself. To Jack and Fred he seemed fully four times the size of the largest black bear they had ever seen in any zoological garden.
He could stay no longer in the place from which Hank Hazletine had departed a half-hour before. It was a waste of time to speculate over the intentions of the veteran, and the youth made no attempt to do so. He had set out to see whether he could act even an insignificant part in the recovery of his loved comrade.
Jack's dread was that Hazletine, despite his undoubted skill, would frighten Tozer and Motoza by his efforts to defeat their purpose, and drive them into slaying Fred and making off before they could be punished. But the cowman had his own views, and it was too late to dissuade him.
Hazletine would have explained his action to them but for a certain feeling of shame which was not unnatural. There had been rumors for years among the cattlemen of Southwestern Wyoming of a cavern in the canyon which was studded with gold. Many searches had been made for it, but without success.
This put a new face on the matter, and Hazletine discussed the question more freely. "There must be a half-dozen varmints or so in the mountains; they've sneaked off the reservation and are hunting here without permission from the folks that have 'em in charge.
There was the possibility, of course, that the man had learned of the escape of the young prisoner, but all doubt was removed when, at the appointed time, he appeared on the edge of the plateau and strode confidently to the point where Hazletine, just outside the cavern, awaited his coming. The two shook hands and immediately got down to business.
"Of course not; they'll raise it at once, and be glad to do so." "But it'll take two weeks at least." "Not necessarily; you can telegraph from Fort Steele, and two or three days ought to wind up the whole business." "But you can't telegraph the money." "Yes, you can; nothing is easier." Hazletine was silent a minute or two.
"These are the younkers we expected," explained Hazletine, "and, if I ain't mistook, they've brought a purty healthy appetite with 'em." "I've heard of such things afore. Howdy?" The man, who was known as "Kansas Jim," his full name being James Denham, extended his hand to each boy in turn, and they dismounted. "I'll look after the animals," he explained.
"It's too bad, but I don't see that we can help it," observed Hazletine, rousing himself; "there's plenty of other game left, and it'll last longer than any of us, but it don't make the killing of the buffaloes any better. We're likely to find a good many animals that I haven't told you 'bout and that I don't think of." "How is it, Hank, that you don't keep any dogs?" "'Cause they're no use.
He was on the point of giving over his quest, when the unexpected happened. Within a few hundred yards of the break in the canyon he caught sight of Motoza and Tozer holding another consultation. They had evidently just met, and the configuration of the ground enabled Hazletine to steal near enough to catch some of the words spoken by the couple.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking