Chapter XXIV: Big Gus and His Gang

Thus having got poor Jeems securely tied, Tom and Jo vamoosed down the hill shaking with laughter. Then they ran around the edge to the brook side of the hill and ran to Jeems' rescue, he yelling lustily for help.

"Where did they go?" cried Jo.

"Back to the woods," replied Jeems.

"How many were they?" asked Tom.

"I couldn't count 'em," answered Jeems.

"What were you doing?" inquired Jo, "while these rascals were tying you?"

"Nuthin'," replied Jeems.

"I suppose you were asleep," put in Tom.

"I was meditating," replied Jeems with dignity.

"With your eyes shut," added Jo.

"The best way," explained Jeems, "for in that way it shuts out every outside object, even outlaws."

"I wonder what luck Jim and Juarez are having?" said Jo, changing the subject.

"They ought to be showing up pretty soon now," remarked Tom.

"Maybe they have got tied up too," said Jeems.

Let us solve this for ourselves by following Jim and Juarez on their hunting expedition. Concluding their race, they settled down to the search for game. After going several miles they branched off to the northwest where a part of the valley formed a park with trees wide-spaced and grass. It was a beautiful place.

"This is the kind of country to find deer in," said Juarez.

"It does look good," said Jim. "We had better leave our horses here and try it on foot."

"There is a thick clump of trees over there," remarked Juarez, "where it will be a safe place to tie them."

Without more ado, the two boys made their way to the grove, which formed an excellent screen, for the trees were not pine, but a kind of alder with large round leaves, and around the grove was quite a thick growth of brush. With some difficulty they got into the center of the trees, and made their horses fast. Then they started to make their way out with their rifles ready.

"Hello! What is that?" cried Juarez. "Didn't you hear it?" The boys stood perfectly still; then in a few seconds came two reports.

"Somebody has got ahead of us," remarked Jim. "Those were rifle shots."

"Lucky we got in here when we did," said Juarez.

"There go five deer," cried Jim, "up the mountain opposite."

"Sure enough," said Juarez. They were going like the wind and were soon lost to sight on the wooded slope of the mountain.

"I wish they had come our way," declared Jim, in a disappointed tone. "Those rascals have spoiled our luck."

"It wouldn't have been safe," replied Juarez cautiously. "It's some of this gang, that the Mexican came from, and they might outnumber us."

"We will wait here a few minutes," said Jim. "Perhaps we will sight them." So the boys crouched at the edge of the grove with the brush for a screen, looking narrowly in the direction of the shots. A half hour passed, still they saw nothing, but they never stirred, and watched steadily. The Frontier Boys had acquired something of the patience of Indians when it came to lying in wait for an enemy.

"There they come," at length said Juarez the keen-eyed. He had discovered several dark spots moving among the trees.

"That's them," cried Jim eagerly. "Four of 'em."

"If they cut our trail, we will have to fight," said Juarez, "unless we cut for camp."

Jim shook his head. "I want to get a closer view of these beggars," he said.

They were now coming within range, jogging along on their cayuses down the gentle incline between the trees. They had shot a couple of deer.

"Three of them look like Mexicans," said Juarez. "I believe they are coming right by us."

"If they do, we will jump the procession," said Jim.

However, they did not get the chance, for when the hunters had come within about three hundred yards of the grove they turned at right angles and were lost to view behind a spur that ran from the southern ridge. Without a moment's hesitation, Jim and Juarez left their covert and took up the trail. It was dangerous work, but in their moccasined feet they did not make a sound.

They crouched along at a good rate, always keeping near enough not to lose the rear horseman, who was a Mexican and rode stolidly forward. When they had the chance they closed up within a few yards of the men, so that they could overhear the scraps of conversation. Once they got a real scare when one of the Mexicans swung off his pony and came back looking for a cigarette that he had dropped.

Jim and Juarez pressed back into a tall bush and stood there not daring to breathe, while the Mexican, with his eyes on the ground, came within a few feet of them, stooped and picked up his cigarette, and then the two boys heard the clatter of his horse's hoofs as he made haste to rejoin the rest of the procession. For two hours they followed the four horsemen through the big canyon, and the smaller side one, until they came within range of the camp of the enemy, in the pocket at the end of the side canyon.

Here the boys had to use great caution. They worked around to the slope above the cabin of the Gus Gols gang. There they got their first view of the giant they had to deal with as he came into the open in front of his cabin, with his slouching walk. Six feet four in height, lanky in build but of wonderful muscular strength and endurance. He was bareheaded, with a tuft of light hair sticking straight up. His sun-burned neck was like a column.

"You Eph!" he yelled. "Tell the Greasers and Ed I want to see 'em in the corral." Meaning the cabin.

"All right, boss," came the answer in Eph's gruff voice.

It was certainly an ugly-looking crowd that came from different directions in answer to Eph's summons. There were seven of the Greasers, so there was a total of ten ruffians gathered in the cabin.

"I'm going to hear this pow-wow," said Juarez, handing Jim his rifle. Jim nodded and from his position behind a big pine stood ready to protect Juarez's retreat in case he was discovered by the outlaws. With nothing but his pistol and knife ready to his hand Juarez started on his dangerous mission.