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HAP-P.Y7 DEA-YS.
' The fact. that‘ he proved to be an expert
with the lasso, and could rope any steer he
started for, and do it in double-quick time,
too, made the others regard m as a sort
of marvel. and it was not long before they
saw that he was a strong rival to the fore-
man ’
But the broncho busting contest that
afternoon had decided it in the minds of
the cowboys. They now considered Jim
Bader the best cowboy on the ranch, taking
him all around.
When Jim reached the corral he found
his uncle just about ready to leave and
return tothe house.
“I thought you went over to ther Fork,”
I said the ranchman gruifly, as the boy rode
up and brought the‘ broncho to a halt.
“I did, Uncle Tom; but I'm back," was
the reply. ‘What do you think of my new
saddle!"
The ranchman opened wide his eyes. ,
“How in thunder did you git that, Jim’! I
hope yer didn't steal it.” ‘
Th oy Broncho Buster's eyes flashed.
If it had been anyone else but his uncle
who had dared make such an insinuation,
there would have been trouble rightaway.
But he was dependent upon his uncle for
a job, and he had to overlook
‘No,’ Uncle Tom, Ldidn't steal it. I won
it, fair and square."
“Won it!
Jim started in
story.
The ranchman‘s jaw dropped and his eyes
glowed during the recital, and when his
nephew was done he reached out his hand
and exclaimed:
“Shake, Jim Bader! I'm proud of yer!
You're a whole lot more than I thought yer
was. I didn't believe it was in yer, though
I've heard some of the boys say mighty
good things about yer lately. I did think
that maybe it was because they was sorry
. or?" .
and told him the whole
Tack Hoover thought he was,so smart,
too "
There it was again! Tack Hoover! The
foreman seemed to'be a sort of evil genius
to the boy that day. I
im had not told of the trouble he had
with Tack, either; but he thought he had
better do so. -
The ranchman listened, more amazed
than ever. .
“So Tack is goin' ter git square with
yer, is he?” was his comment. “Well, that
is bad work. I reckon. Tack is a good hand.
He makes a mighty good foreman, an’ I
don't want ter discharge him. But, Jim,
I'm goin' ter treat yer different now. You
hev showed that you're made of ther real
stuif, and Tack Hoover has got ter let you
alone. I'll tell him so ther minute
comes back, too.
“Oh, I am not afraid of him, Uncle Tom,”
(D
1::
1
N
o
m
to
a.
E
m
"Don't think that I am afraid of any galogt
like him! He is a little older and bigger
than I am. but that don't make no differ-
cnce. ‘
cause I have seen him sky-larking with the
boys, and I know Just how quick he is.
isn't quick at all, and that would make it as
easy as pie for me to thrash him."
“But Tack has got a putty bad disposi-
tion, Jim. S'pose he took a notion ter
shoot?“ and the ranchman shook his head.
as though he believed the matter to be quite
serious.
I
m
“ shoot as fast as he can: you can
bet on that, Uncle Tom. -
“I don't doubt it, Jim. But I'm i;oin'
ter tell Tack ter leave you alone. jest ther
don't I'll discharge him, that's
all. You're my brother's son, an‘ if I did-
n't use you 5est right before, I'm goin’ to do
it now. You've heard what your Uncle
Tom has said, Jim! He's a man of his
word. every time." '
j'Thank you for your kindness, Uncle
Tom. 1 am going to do my best and work
for your interest. You let me have a fine
horse.to use, and I hope you will jet me
continue to keep him.” -
“Fine horse. eh? Well. Jim, I'm goin' to
tell yer somethin’ about that critter you've
Ile sartlnly is a good looker;
be depended on, Jim. An , oug
ashamed ter say it, that’: why I glv him
you! nce you've rake him.
made a good horse out of him, you can have
him for keeps. Do you hear what I say,
boy‘! You can have ther hroncho fur keeps.
lIe‘s yours, to-day. to-morrer,-an’ all the
lime. Yer kin sell him, give him away, or
keep him an’ ride him-he's yours, with a
clean bill of sale." ‘
..,The Boy Broncho Buster gave a gasp.
lie could scarcely believe the evidence of
his own ears. '
surely things were taking a. great change
on Badcr’s Ranch.
‘Only a few hours before he was the poor
relative, dependent on his uncle for support,
and now he was a sort of her
But Jim was level-headed
times. .
to
o. ,
and cool at all
He took things as they came, too, and
just now he seemed to be living on the
“sunny side of Easy street." '
After answering a lot of questions as to
who had been present at the broncho bust-
ing contest, and what they said and did,
etc.. Jim an his uncle rode over to the
stable and put away their horses. -
“Come on in. Jim," said the ranchman.
“You've been livin' with ther cowboys right
along, but .I reckon there's room in ther
house fur yer, an’ plenty of it. You're goin‘
ter he one of ther family, same as yer ought
ter been when yer nrst come up from Tex-
as. Don go ter lhankln’ me about it,
‘cause I don't want it. I'm ashamed of ther
way I acted. I am.
“Well, yer ought ter be, Tom Bader,” his
wife, who overheard the remark. spoke up.
“Tber idea of ther boy bein’ sich a smart
one. I told yer that there might be more
in him than you thought. But you would-
n't hava it that way. You said he was jest
a boy, an’ that he was ,like ther general
run of ’em, careless an’ lazy. an’ only look-
in’ fur his grub. But it's turned out that
he's ther best bronchobuster you've got;
an’ not only that, but ther best one in
glese parts. That means somethin’, Tom
ad r ’
“I know it, Jane; don't say no more
about it. I've had an understandin' with
Jim. an’ he's goin’ ter be one of ther fam-
ily. We ain‘t got no children of our own,
so he'll be ther some as a son to us.
The winning of the saddle had been the
means of changing the minds and, hearts
of‘the ranchman and his wife, and Jim
Bader was bound to profit thereby. ,But at
the same time he had made a bitter enemy
meant that there were exciting times ahead
for him. , -
CHAPTER VI. -
TACK HOOVER MEETS run 'IESDEl'i!‘00'l'.
it was late in the night when the cow-
boys left Crooked Fork to go back to the
ranches they belonged-to.
ack Hoover was one of the last to leave,
and when he mounted his horse‘ he did so
with no little effort, since he was so intoxi-
cated that he was hardly fit to ride
But a drunken man is lucky sometimes,
and he got to his sleeping quarters without
mishap. ' '
When he was aroused the next morning
by one of the cowboys, who thought he had
gone the limit in sleep, it was past nine,
and in anything but a pleasant humor he
got out of his bunk. ’
It so happened that the man who woke
hinrhad not been over at the Fork the day
before, and what he had heard about the
“goings-on" there was rather vague. '
"‘Yer must have had a mighty big load on
last night, Tack." he said, as he watched
the foreman washing himself, preparatory
to taking his coffee. ‘What was goin' on,
anyhow!" ' V
“Nothin‘ much,” was the reply. “Texas
Bob got up a scheme ter raise money fur
ther Widder Donnivan ter git back East,
an’ everyone seemed terwant ter git drunk
on ther strength of it. I had ter go my
limit, like a. tool,‘ an’ now I kin suffer fur
it to-day, with ther work I've got ter do
out on ther, range. Hy! but ther sun looks
hot. don ' .“
That was all the information the cowboy
could get from the foreman, and a few min-
utes later Tack was sipping his coffee. I
There was quite a lot of work to be done
that day, since a big herd of cattle had
been frightened the day before, and many
of them had run a long distance, scattering
in all directions.
Owing to the fact that he was the fore-
man, no one had seen tlt to arouse Tack
airly that morning, for they all knew that
he had been out late.
But Tom Bader had gone out himself to
superintend the rounding up of the stray
cattle, and with him went his nephew, the
Boy Broncho Buster.
By the time he had dnlshed his break-
fast Tack Hoover had learned this much.
A frown showed on his face, and a malig-
nant gleam shot from his eye when he
heard the name of Jim Bader mentioned.
instinctively he felt in his pockets, and
found that he had less than two dollars
of the money he had received for the new
saddle left.
“Why in thunder didn't someone wake
me if there was any extra work ter be
done?" he said to the cowboy who had been
imparting the information to him. “it
wasn't necessary for ther old man ter ride
out there an’, boss ther job. :1 mighty
soon git them cattle straightened out if
I'd once go: after 'em." “ .
“I don'( know why yer wasn't woke,
’i‘ack," waskhe reply. “I was out till a lit-
lie while ago, an’ I heard all about what
was goin’ on from one of ther boys what
was on his way around ter look up ther
boss has changed his mind somewhat about
Jim. it seems, ’cordin' ter reports.”
He has, eh? Well, I s‘pose t at‘s be-
cause he won a saddle yisterdny."
“Say, what about that saddle. anyhow?
I've heard it mentioned three or ’four
in the person of Tack Hoover. and this '
times, ‘but I can't seem ter git at ther
rlghfs of it, Tack."
‘Well, I'll tell yer, Jack. Jest because
ther boy from Texas was lucky enough ter
git an easy.broncho ter try out in a bust-
in‘ racket yisterday, he was able ter make
ther best showin' among thirty. He won
ther prize, which was ther new saddle I
sent away ter git fur my own use. I s’pose
that's sorter made ther boss feel that his
nephew amounted ter somethin’."
“fvas you in ther game, Tack?"
.. W '..
" n‘ he beat you?"
“Ye . u Why wouldn't he? If he'd had
ther beast ter tackle that I did I reckon
he'd have got his neck broke. But he was
in mighty good luck. an’ he won out. Say,
Jack, do you think there's anything smart
about tha kid?" .
“Well, I don't know,” and Jack shrugged
his shoulders. “He's sartinly putty soon
with a. rope-there's no use in tryin’.t.er
rub that out." But as ter tamin’ huckers. I
can't exactly say. I always thought you
was about ther king-pin in that line around
this here part of ther country, anyhow."
“Well, I reckon I am, if I've got ther
same show as anyone else has, Jack. Don't
make no mistake on that, either. I ain't
gain‘ ter allow no kid ter come up from
Texas ah’ ride over ther top of me, an’ yer
kin bet on it. If Bader has got it in his
head that Jim is ther real thing he kin
give him my Job. I don't wantpit. I kin
git work anywheres.” - ' '
Probably if the cowboy had sympathized
with him Tack would have said more; but
as he did not, he let it go at that. ,
Ten minutes later he‘ had mounted his
horse and w riding out to take part in
the hunt for the strayed cattle
B
h
direction to
take, so he could be of the most good, and
he headed that way. .
it so happened that he had not covered
more than four or ilva miles when he came
to the trail that led over to the 2-X Ranch.
The cattle range belonging to this ranch
joined that of Bader's, there being a shal-
ow creek to divide them the biggest part
of the distance.
Tack Hoover knew this well enough, but
it did not occur to him that he might meet
anyone from the 2-X Ranch, which might
be embarrassing to him, since he had got
in trouble with John Evans, the owner, the
day before. . ’ s
e rode on until the thin timber strip
that followed the creek at the dividing line
was right ahead of him, and then he caught
sight of some of the cattle that had been
frightened away from the main herd; ,
Using both quirt and spurs, he rode for-
ward at a gallon, and Jlrst as he reached the
woods who should he come upon but Hor-
ace Crary. the dude tenderfoot, whom he
had given such a rough handling the day
previous.
Young Crary did not recognize him at
hrst. and he called out:
“Hello, my friend! What's your bloom-
in‘ hurry? Are you looking for the cattle
scattered around over there?"
Tack reined in his broncho. He felt like
venting his feelings upon somebody, and
here was the “fool tenderfoot,”
chose to call him, vs een the cause
of his being called by Jim Bader the day
before, right before him. '
What‘s ther matter with you, you sim-'
pie-lookin' galoot’."',he exclaimed, looking
at the young man in an angry way. “What
are you interferin’ with me fur? Yer know
what I done to yer yisterday, don't yer’!
Well, I've a good notion ter fill yer full of
holes this mornin'!" .
Crary turned as pale as a sheet, for he
recognized the rufflanly fellow who had
nearly frightened him to death at the town
the afternoon before.
He turned to ride away. but Tack quick-
ly drew a revolver and covered h .
“Stay right where you are," he cried. “if
yer start that nag ahead an inch I'll illl
yer full of holes. I'm in a bad humor this
mornin'. an‘ I've got ter take spite out
on someone. You do jest as I say now!
Come with me.” -
Riding up. be seized the bridle rein of the
tenderfoot's horse and started straight for
the shallow creek that lay close at hand.
As they got close to the bank he stopped,
and ihen,.pointing at the creek, the cow-
boy foreman saidt. -
; "Kin your horse jump that?" ,
. Since the cree was about twenty-iive
feet in width at that point, it was a foolish
question to ask. - ‘
Crary shook his head.
“ No, sir,” he replied. trembling under the
muzzle of the revolver. “No horse could-
aw-iump that distance. You are only jok-
ing. of course.” . ”'
“You'll find out.that I ain't jokin', I rec-
Now, you jest head fur that water,
an’ put on full. spend, too.’ I want tcr see
yer make that critter jump over to ther
other side- If yer don't do it I'm goin’ ter
commence shootin' at yer. I'm a ad man,
am. I'd jest as leave put an air-hole in
ther top of your head an‘ let your poor lit-
tle brains glt a taste of fresh air as I would
ter take a chaw of tobacker! I'm goin' ter
take a chaw now, so yer kin imagine what
that means. Light out, you slmple-look-
in‘ galoot! Jump that creek!” ‘
Down came the quirt,upon the back of
but
the tenderfoot's horse, and away sped the
a ' al. '
“Help, help!” cried‘Crary, as he swung
around and avoided plunging into the creek,
With an oath on his lips, Tack Hoover
started in pursuit, swinging his lariat over
his head. ,
At that very instant 9. boy and a. girl
rode out of the timber. ‘
They were the Boy Broncho Buster and
May Evans, and with their horses at a
gallop they headed straight for the ,ras--
cally foreman. ' > ,
Tack saw them, but he did not stop. He
was near enough to rope the tenderfoot,
and with a whoop of defiance, he let go at
him. True to the mark, the noose caught
both horse and rider. and the next instant
they were rolling upon the rocky ground.
. -.
CHAPTER VII.
.1u.[ GIVES TACK Hoovna SOME ADVICE.
Jim Bnder knew there was trouble ahead
when h w the foreman of the cowboys
riding after the tenderfoot, swinging
rope. > .
What had caused the trouble he did not
know, but he was not going to allow Hor-
ace Crary to be hurt if he could possibly
2: ‘t. ' V
D l -
Jim had gathered up 'a. few of the cattle
and got them on the side of the creek that
belonged to his uncle.
He had jllst about done this when who
should come along but May Evans, the girl
who had made such an impression on him
the day before.
She was riding a spirited bronchu, while
following her at a distance of nearly a hun-
dred yards was the dude tenderfoot, bounc-
ing in the saddle .like a jack-in-the-box as
he tried to catch up to her. ,
There was no doubt that Crary was ar-
dently in love with the ranch girl, but
when he saw her stop and start up a con-
versation with the Boy Broncho Buster he
had sense, as well as manners enough, to
so right on. . ,. ‘
Andrthat was how he came to run across
Tack Hoover, who‘ivas ahead of him.
The boy and girl were so interested in
each other that they failed to see the fore-
man coming, and it was not until they
heard the tenderfoot’s cry fa’: help that‘
they realized that there was anything’
wrong. - .
Then they. both rode through the margin
of timber that lined the creek, and were in
time to see Tack rope the dude. .
Angered at the. proceeding, for he knew
the cowboy was running -the risk of break-
ing the young man's neck, Jim called out:
“What are you trying to do, you big ga-
lcot? Do‘you want to kill that fellow?"
Bader.” retort, NV
brought his horse to a halt.
go ter interferin’ with me. You've
enough of that now. I ain't gain’ ter stand
fur everything. in only havin’ a little
fun with ther tendcrfoot.’
alone, an’ a .
What he needs is bein’ roughed up some-
w Then ther gal will take more of a
likin’ ter him, I reckon.”
Jim hardly heard the last of his remarks,
for he had turned to help Crary.
Luckily the young man's foot did not get
caught in the stirrup, and when the horse
got upon its feet Jim, who had dismounted
in a jiffy, cleverly swung the rope clear of
him, leaving him lying on the ground.
“Are you hurt?" he asked, as he took
hold of his hand and assisted him to his
eet. ' .
“Not much hurt, but dreadfully-aw-
shaken up.” was the re l “The terrible
man must have been drinking again. I
am sure I never did anything to him.
“Shet up, you foolish galoot! " called out
Tack Hoover. “Yer can't take a joke, kin
1:’
5’.
yer?"
“A joke!" exclaimed Crary, looking
amazed. “Why, my dear fellow, was you ’
only joking when you threw that rope over
my head?"
“I sartinir was, I didn‘t want ter hurt
yer. ’ That's ther way we do in these parts
when we run across a greenhorn.
‘ r don't want ter take it fur a joke yer
kin do ther other thing. It don't make no
difference to me." ‘ "
Then Tack 'ilashed 8. glance of defiance
at Jim. ' ‘
“That's all right, Tack,” the boy said. “I
don't want any trouble with you, but if you
take my advice you'll let the young fellow
alone hereafter Yohr joking, as you, call
if. ain't just We Fight thing. and you know
it. You might have broken his neck.”
.“Don’t you give me no advice, Kid.
ain't here fur that. I'm workin’ fur Tom
Badcr,,an' he's about ther only one in these
parts I'll take any advice from."
“Well, perhaps you may get some advice
from him before long," said Jim, in a mean-
ing way. -
May Evans had remained perfectly silent
while the conversation hadjieen going on:
She felt relieved when she-sawvthat the
tenderfoot wasnot hurt. though the was
really disgusted with him because he in-
sisted on following her around and trying
to make love to er.
At first the girl thought there was going
to be trouble. and she had loosened the re-
-a
to
n
x
'1
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