The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico | Page 5

cooking their evening
meal.
CHAPTER II
IN THE ZUNI FOOTHILLS
A sudden wail from the guide attracted the attention of the party to him
at once. "Now what's the matter?" demanded Tad, hurrying to him.
The guide had thrown himself prone upon the ground and was groaning
as if in great agony, offering no reply to the question.
"Are you sick?"
"Si, si, señor," moaned Juan.
"Where?"
"Estomago-- mucho malo."
"Your stomach?"
"He's got a pain under his apron," diagnosed Stacy solemnly.
"Been working too hard," suggested Ned.
In the meantime the guide was rolling and twisting on the ground,
glancing appealingly from one to the other of them.
"Professor, hadn't you better fetch your medicine case and dose him

up?" asked Tad.
"Yes, I'll attend to him."
"Give him a good dose while you are about it," urged Ned. "Something
that will cure his laziness at the same time."
The Professor brought his case; then, remembering something else in
his kit that he wanted, he laid the case down and hurried back to his
tent. However, Stacy opened the case, selecting a bottle, apparently at
random, drew the cork and held the bottle under Juan's nose.
"Smell of this, my son. It'll cure your estomago on the run."
"Be careful, Chunky, what are you doing there?" warned Tad. "You
shouldn't fool with the medicines. You--"
His further remarks were cut short by a sudden yell of terror and pain
from Juan.
The guide leaped to his feet choking, gasping, while the tears ran down
his cheeks as he danced about as if suddenly bereft of his senses.
"Now you've gone and done it," growled Ned. "He never moved so fast
in his life, I'll wager."
Juan was running in a circle now, shrieking and moaning. Professor
Zepplin approached them in a series of leaps. He could not imagine
what new disaster had overtaken the lazy Mexican.
"Here, here, here, what's the trouble now?" He demanded sternly. "Stop
that howling!"
"Chunky's been prescribing for your patient in your absence," Ned
informed him.
The Professor grabbed the wild guide by the collar, giving him a
vigorous shake. When he released his grip, Juan sank to the ground in a
heap, moaning weakly.

"What's that you say? Stacy prescribed--"
"I-- I let him smell of the bottle," explained Stacy guiltily.
"What bottle?"
Stacy slowly picked up the offending bottle and handed it to the
Professor.
"Ammonia! Boy, you might have put his eyes out! Never let this occur
again. Remember, you are not to touch the medicines under any
circumstances whatever!"
"Yes, sir," agreed Chunky meekly, while Ned Rector strolled away,
shaking with laughter.
"Drink," begged the patient.
"Fetch him some water," directed Professor Zepplin.
"No, no, no, señor," protested Juan, gesticulating protestingly.
"What do you want?"
"Guess he wants something stronger than water," suggested Ned.
"Si, si, si," agreed the guide, showing his white teeth in an approving
grin.
"You won't get anything stronger than that in this outfit, unless you
cook yourself some coffee," muttered Tad.
"That's what's the matter with him," decided Chunky, who had been
observing the sick man keenly.
"Guess we drew a prize when we got Juan," announced Walter.
"Give him some medicine, anyway," urged Ned. "He is sick-- let him
take the dose."

"Let him have the worst you've got in your case, Professor," added Tad,
with a laugh.
A grim smile played about the corners of Professor Zepplin's mouth as
he ran his fingers over the bottles in his medicine case. Finally,
selecting one that seemed to fit the particular ailment of his patient, he
directed Chunky to fetch a spoon.
By this time Juan was protesting volubly that he was "all better" and
did not need the medicine. The Professor gave no heed to the fellow's
protestations.
"Open your mouth," he commanded.
Juan shut his teeth tightly together.
"Open your mouth!" commanded the Professor sternly. "We want no
sick men about this camp. It will fix you in a minute."
But the guide steadfastly refused to separate the white teeth.
"Boys, open his mouth while I pour the medicine down him," gritted
the Professor.
They required no urging to do the Professor's bidding. Tad and Ned
ranged themselves on either side of the patient, while Chunky sat on
the guide's feet. Almost before he was aware of their purpose the boys
had pried his jaws open and into the opening thus made professor
Zepplin dropped the concoction he had mixed.
The effect was electrical. Juan leaped to his feet as if elevated by
springs, uttering a yell that might have been heard a mile or more on
the open plain. But Juan did not run in a circle this time. Acting upon
the mathematical theory that a straight line is the shortest distance
between two points,