Latest / Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up / 20 - Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up by Clarence Edward Mulford

Transcript

20 - Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up by Clarence Edward Mulford · Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-Up

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Recording by Lee Smalley. Hop Along Cassidys Round Up by
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Clarence Edward Moulford, Chapter twenty A problem solved, hop Along
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: worried his way out of the desert on a straight line,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: thus cutting in half the distance he had traveled when
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: going into it. He camped that night on the sand,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: and early the next morning took up his journey. It
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: was noon when he began to notice familiar sights, and
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: an hour later he passed within a mile of line
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: House number three, Double Arrow. Half an hour later he
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: espied a cowpuncher riding like mad. Thinking that an investigation
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: would not be out of place, he rode after the
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: rider and overtook him when that person paused and retraced
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: his course. Hello, Hoplong, shouted the puncher, and he came
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: near enough to recognize his pursuer. Thought you was farming
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: up on the stake plan. Hello Pie, replied Hopolong, recognizing
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: pie willis what was you chasin so hard? Coyote? Damn em?
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: But can't they go some? They're gettin so thick. We'll
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: sure have to try strychnine and thin them out. I
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: thought anybody that had been raised in the Panhandle would
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: know better to chase Grease Lightnin' rebuke hop Long, you
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: got about as much show catching one of them as
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: a tenderfoot has of bustin' and outlawed Cayus. Sure I
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: know it, responded Pye, grinning, but it's fun seeing em
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: hunt the horizon. What are you doing down here? And
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: where are your pardners? Thereupon hop Along enlightened his inquisitive
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: companion as to what had occurred and as to his
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: reasons for riding south. Pie immediately became enthusiastic and announced
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: his intention of accompanying hop Along on his quest, which
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: intention struck that gentleman as highly proper and wise. Then
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Pie hastily turned and played at chasing coyotes in the
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: direction of the line House, where he announced that his
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: absence would be accounted for by the fact that he
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: and Hopolong were going on a journey of investigation into
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: the Panhandle. Billy Jordan, who shared with Pie the accommodations
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: of the house, objected and showed very clearly why he
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: was eminently better qualified to take up the proposed labors
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: than his companions. The suggestions were fast getting tangled up
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: with remarks when Pie grabbing a chunk of jerked beef,
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: leaped into his saddle and absolutely refused to heed the
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: calls of his former companion and return. He rode to
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: where Hopolong was waiting for him, as if he was
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: afraid he wasn't going to live long enough to get there,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: confiding to his companion that Billy was a low coed
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: sage hen he led the way along the base of
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: the White Sand Hills and asked many questions. Then they
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: turned toward the east and galloped hard. It had been
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Hopolong's intention to carry out what he had told Red
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: and to go to Big Spring first and thence north
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: along Sulfur Spring Creek. But to this his guide strongly
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: descended there was a short cut, or several of them,
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: for that matter was Pie's contention, and any one of
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: them would save a day's hard riding. Hopolong made no
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: objection to allowing his companion to lead the way over
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: any trail he saw fit, for he knew that Pie
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: had been born and brought up in the Panhandle, the
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Cunningham Lake district having been his back yard as it were,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: So they followed the short cut, having the most water
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: and grass and pounded out a lively tattoo as they
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: raced over the stretches of sand, which seemed to slide
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: beneath them. What do you know about this here business,
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: inquired Pie as they raced past a chaparral and into
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: the edge of a grassy place. Nothing more than you do,
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: only Buck said, he thought, slippery treendly is at the
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: bottom of it. What ejaculated Pie in surprise him. You're
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: on and between you and me and the devil. I
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: wouldn't be a heap surprised if Deacon Rankin is with him? Neither,
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: Pie whistled, Are him and the deacon pals? Sure, replied Hopolong,
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: buttoning up his vest and rolling a cigarette. Didn't they
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: all us hang out together? One watched that the other
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: didn't get plugged from behind. It was a sort of
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: you scratch my back and I'll scratch yourn arrangement. Well,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: if they still hangs out together, I know where to
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: hunt for our cows, responded Pye. The deacon used to
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: range along the headwaters of the Colorado. It ain't far
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: from Cunningham Lake thunder ration, he shouted. I knows the
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: very ground thereon. I can take you there to the
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: very shack than to him, he muttered, and that doodlebug
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: Billy Jordan, thinking he knowed more about the Panhandle than me.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: Hopolong showed his elation in an appropriate manner, and his
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: companion drank deeply from the proffered flask. Thereupon they treated
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: their mounts to liberal doses of strap oil and covered
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: the ground with great speed. They camped early, for Hopolong
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: was almost worn out from the exertions of the past
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: few days and the loss of sleep he had sustained.
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: Pie too excited to sleep, and having had unbroken rest
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: for a long period, volunteered to keep guard, and his
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: companion eagerly consented. Early the next morning they broke camp,
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: and the evening of the same day found them fording
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Sulfur Spring Creek, and their quarry lay only an hour beyond,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: according to Pye. Then they forded one of the streams
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: which formed the headwaters of the Colorado, and two hours
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: later they dismounted in a cottonwood grove. Picketing their horses,
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: they carefully made their way through the timber, which was
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: heavily grown with brush, and after half an hour's maneuvering,
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: came within sight of the further edge. Dropping down on
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: all fours, they crawled to the last line of brush
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: and looked out over an extensive bottoms. At their feet
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: lay a small river, and in a clearing. On the
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: farther side was a rough camp consisting of about a
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: dozen lean two shacks and log cabins in the main collection,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: and a few scattered cabins along the edge. A huge
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: fire was blazing before the main collection of huts, and
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: to the rear of these was an indistinct black mass,
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: which they knew to be the corral. At a rude
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: table before the fire, more than a score of men
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: were eating supper, and others could be heard moving about
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: and talking at different points in the background. While the
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: two scouts were learning the lay of the land, they
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: saw mister Trendley and Deacon Rankin walk out of the
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: cabin most distant from the fire, and the latter limped.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: Then they saw two men lying on rude cots, and
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: they wore bandages, evidently Johnny Redmond had scored in his fight.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: The odor of burning cowhide came from the corral, accompanied
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: by the squeals of cattle, and informed them that brands
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: were being blotted out. Hop Along longed to charge down
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: and do some blotting out of another kind, but a
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: heavy hand was placed on his shoulder, and he silently
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: wormed his way after Pie as that person led the
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: way back to the horses. Mounting, they picked their way
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: out of the grove and rode over the plain at
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: a walk. When far enough away to ensure that the
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: noise made by their horses would not reach the ears
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: of those in the camp, they cantered toward the ford
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: they had taken on the way up. After emerging from
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: the waters of the last forded stream, Pie raised his
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: hand and pointed off toward the northwest, telling his companion
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: to take that course to reach Cunningham Lake. He himself
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: would ride south, taking, for the saving of time, a
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: yet shorter trail to the Double Arrow, from where he
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: would ride to Buck. He and the others would meet
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: hop Along in red at the split rock they had
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: noticed on their way up. Hop Long shook hands with
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: his guide and watched him disappear into the night. He
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: imagined he could still catch whiffs of burning cowhide, and
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: again the picture of the camp came to his mind,
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: glancing again at the point where Pie had disappeared. He
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: stuffed his sombrero under a strap on his saddle and
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: slowly rode toward the lake. A coyote slunk past him
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: on a time destroying lope, and an owl hooted at
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: the foolishness of men. He camped at the base of
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: a cottonwood, and a daylight took up his journey. After
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: a scanty breakfast from his saddle bags, shortly before noon,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: he came in sight of the lake and looked for
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: his friend. He had just ridden around a clump of
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: cottonwoods when he was hit on the back with something
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: large and soft. Turning in his saddle with his colts ready,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: he saw Red sitting on a stump, a huge grin
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: extending over his features. He replaced the weapons, said something
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: about fools, and dismounted, kicking aside the bundle of grass
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: his friend had thrown. You're sure easy, remarked Red, tossing
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: aside his cold cigarette. Suppose I was trendly, Where would
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: you be now? Dig in a hole to put you in, pleasantly,
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: replied hop along. If I didn't know he was surround
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: this part of the country, I wouldn't a road as
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: I did The man on the stump laughed and rolled
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: a fresh cigarette, lighting it, he inquired where mister Trendley was,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: intimating by his words that the rustler had not been
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: found about thirty miles to the southeast, responded the other,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: he's figurin up how much dust he'll have when he
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: gets our cows on the market. Deacon Rankin is with
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: him too, the deuce, exclaimed Red, in profound astonishment. You're right,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: replied his companion. Then he explained all the arrangements and
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: told of the camp. Red was for riding to the
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: rendezvous at once, but his friend thought otherwise and proposed
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: a swim, which met with approval. After enjoying themselves in
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: the lake, they dressed and rode along the trail Hopolong
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: had made in coming for his companion, it being the
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: intention of the former to learn more thoroughly the lay
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: of the land immediately surrounding the camp. Red was pleased
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: with this, and while they rode, he narrated all that
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: had taken place since the separation on the plain, adding
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: that he had found the trail left by the rustlers
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: after they had quitted the desert, and that he had
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: followed it for the last two hours of his journey.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: It was well beaten and an eighth of a mile wide.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: At dark, they came within sight of the grove and
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: picketed their horses that the place used by Pie and Opolong.
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: Then they moved forward, and the same sight greeted their
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: eyes that had been seen the night before. Keeping well
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: within the edge of the grove and looking carefully for centuries,
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: they went entirely around the camp and picked out several
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: places which would be of strategic value. Later on they
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: noticed that the camp used by Slippery Trendly was a
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: hundred paces from the main collection of huts, and that
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: the woods came to within a tenth part of that
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: distance of its door. It was heavily built, had no windows,
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: and faced the wrong direction. Moving on, they discovered the
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: storehouse of the enemy, another tempting place. It was just possible,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: if a siege became necessary, for several of the attacking
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: force to slip up to it and either destroy it
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: by fire or take it and hold it against all comers.
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: This suggested a look at the enemy's water supply, which
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: was the river. A hundred paces separated it from the
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: nearest cabin, and any rustler who could cross that zone
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: under the fire of the besiegers would be welcome to
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: his drink. It was very evident that the rustlers had
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: no thought of defense, thinking perhaps that they were immune
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: from attack with such a well covered trail between them
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: and their foes. Hop Along mentally accused them of harboring
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: suicidal inclinations and returned with his companion to the horses.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: They mounted and sat quietly for a while, and then
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: rode slowly away, and at dawn reached the split rock,
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: where they awaited the arrival of their friends, one sleeping
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: while the other kept guard. Then they drew a rough
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: map of the camp using the sand for paper, and
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: laid out the plan of attack. As the evening of
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: the next next day came on, they saw a pie
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: followed by many punchers, ride over a rise a mile
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: to the south, and they rode out to meet them.
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: When the force arrived at the camp of the two scouts,
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: they were shown the plan prepared for them. Buck made
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: a few changes in the disposition of the men, and
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: then each member was shown where he was to go
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: and was told why. Weapons were put in a high
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: state of efficiency. Canteens were refilled and haversacks were somewhat depleted.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: Then the newcomers turned in and slept, while hop along
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: in Red kept guard. End of chapter twenty