Comrades of the Saddle | Page 7

bullying cowboy who had announced himself as Gus Megget were
riding up, yelling to him to make the "tenderfoot dance."
His race very white, but every line of his body breathing defiance,
Larry faced his tormentor.
With a calmness that fairly took the breath away from the bully the
elder of the brothers exclaimed in a voice loud enough to be heard by
the other cowboys and the men about the train:
"I didn't pick this quarrel with you, but if you will get off your horse so
that you have no advantage over me; I'll give you all the fight you
want!"

An instant Megget glowered with rage at the mere stripling of a boy
who had announced his willingness to fight him, then with a savage
growl started to swing from his saddle.
"I'll fix you, you whelp!" he roared.
He aimed a savage blow at Larry, who ducked.
"Hi! leave my brother alone!" cried Tom, coming to the spot.
As Tom spoke Larry stooped and picked up a handful of dust. This he
hurled straight into the cowboy's face.
"Good!" shouted Tom and did likewise.
The dust caused the cowboy to sneeze, and some bystanders
commenced to laugh.
"He's got the best of you, Megget," observed another cowboy.
"I'll eat him!" yelled Megget and rushed at Larry with blood in his eyes.
But before he reached the boy a voice rang out:
"Keep on your horse, Gus Megget!"
Though Larry did not dare take his eyes from the bully, Tom and the
cowboys looked to see who was taking a hand in the affair. They
beheld a quiet-looking little man pointing a finger at the leader of the
ruffians.
"I can't arrest you for driving off Jim Larson's cattle because we're in
Oklahoma," continued the determined stranger. "But if I ever get my
hand on you in Texas it'll go hard with you! Now vamoose before you
try my patience too far! Come on back, boys. Gus Megget won't bother
you any more."
"Prickly cactus! but it's 'Shorty,' the sheriff from Pawnee County!"
gasped one of the band or cow-punchers. "Come on, Gus; we must dig

out of here! Shorty may pass the word he's seen us."
Fear of the law caused the bully and his companions to wheel their
ponies.
At this move the three boys turned and ran back toward the train, while
the excited passengers hooted and yelled at the discomfited cowboys.
The shouts of derision were more than Megget could stand. He shook
his fist at the crowd in general and then at Tom and Larry in particular,
Then he whirled around and disappeared from view in a cloud of dust.
Quickly the passengers all trooped to the cars and five minutes later the
train was again in motion.
All the passengers wanted to shake hands with Tom and Larry, and for
several minutes the boys were at the mercy of their well-meaning
admirers. Again the sheriff came to their rescue.
"Go back to your own cars," he commanded. "The boys want to be left
alone."
But the people gave no sign of heeding his words.
"Well, if you won't go at the asking, I'll make you go," he continued,
and seizing the person nearest him, the sheriff turned him round and
gave him a shove along the aisle of the car.
After three or four of the passengers had been pushed none too gently
away, the others began to leave of their own accord, and the two
brothers were able to make their escape.
"If it keeps on the way it has started, we're likely to have a lively
summer," remarked Larry when he was again back in his seat.
"I hope they don't come so quick for me," exclaimed Hans. And his
tone was so plaintive that the others could not help but laugh.
"You'll either have to get some nerve or else stick mighty close to your

friends here," declared the sheriff, who had remained to talk with the
boys who had shown such pluck.
"Maybe I'll go back to Germany," sighed Hans.
"Oh, you'll get used to this part of the world after a while. Where are
you going?"
"Tolopah."
"Well, that ain't the most refined place in the world," chuckled the man
of the law, "but I don't believe you'll get as bad as what you got."
Pondering over this none too reassuring remark, Hans lapsed into
silence, while Tom and Larry plied the sheriff with questions about life
on the ranches and the antics of the cowboys.
As evening came on the boys grew restive. Their train was due at
Tolopah at nine the next morning, and despite the fact that it was
rushing along at the rate of forty miles an hour, it seemed to them to be
scarcely