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The boys believed they could already call their mission a success; and after Alec had been heard from in connection with his photographic work, this would be set down as a certainty. "Listen!" called out Monkey Stallings about this time, for he happened to have remarkable hearing. "Seemed to me that was some one talking over yonder."
This was followed by loud laughs, especially from those who were blessed with children, and they filed up to get their wages. Jim Stallings, who had four in the mill, was counted out eleven dollars. As he pocketed it he looked at Jud and said: "Oh, no, Jud; it don't pay to raise chillun. I wish I had the chance old Sollerman had. I'd soon make old Vanderbilt look like shin plaster."
I heard as how he had collected his posse three days back. Keep that gun right handy, son; an' if so be yuh have tuh shoot, make her tell!" All of which might be interesting news; but it was hardly calculated to quiet the nerves of the two boys. However, they were not the kind to give up any cherished object simply because it involved peril. "Thank you, Mr. Stallings.
The trail crossed this river about twenty miles west of Culbertson, and if the Montana horse buyer were yet there, it would be no trouble to come up to the trail crossing and look at our horses. So after supper, and while we were catching up our night horses, Flood said to us, "Now, boys, I'm going to leave the outfit and herd under Joe Stallings as segundo.
"Why, you see, I'm that afraid of bein' robbed now that it worried me a heap. Suppose I jest hold out that odd thirty and let you take the three hundred over to Kim Stallings to keep for me till I want it? I'd be mighty much easier in my mind, boys, if you would oblige." Thad waited for his chum to say, for in a ease of this kind he always deferred to Maurice as being better able to decide.
And just then the shrill voice of Monkey Stallings rang out again, this time with a note of genuine alarm pervading its tones. "Look, oh, look!" was what he shrieked, excitedly; "that wall is sure going to collapse right down on those men! That's real, not make-believe! Oh, Hugh, can't something be done to warn the poor fel -there, it's coming now!"
Monkey Stallings was by this time also awake and fixing himself to defy the chilly morning atmosphere. They abandoned the castle, taking their belongings with them. At the time it was looked upon only as a little incident, and no one dreamed that afterwards they would find themselves very thankful for having done this very thing.
Now behave yourselves, and when I meet you on the Republican, I'll bring out a box of cigars and have it charged up as axle grease when we get supplies at Ogalalla. And don't sit up all night telling fool stories." "Now, that's what I call a good cow boss," said Joe Stallings, as our foreman rode away in the twilight; "besides, he used passable good judgment in selecting a segundo.
We'll find out quick enough, I reckon," remarked the other, with that decisive ring in his voice which Thad knew so well. "Now what are you goin' to do, pard? Don't be too rash. Remember what Mr. Stallings, said," and Thad laid a restraining hand on his chum's arm. But Maurice was not to be daunted. "Fall in behind me, then. I'm going up to the bushes and see for myself what it was.
And I can see him laughing from here, as if that last scrap pleased him a whole lot." "Well, if that don't beat everything!" said Monkey Stallings, in mingled awe and delight. "To think of a company finding out about that queer old imitation castle, and coming all the way up here so as to stage one of their Shakespeare plays around it!"
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