The Saddle Boys in the Grand Canyon | Page 7

Bob.
"It's Ted Conway," replied Frank, with a sudden look of anxiety; "one
of the steadiest boys at the ranch; and he acts as if something had
happened at home!"
CHAPTER III
THE FLOATING BOTTLE
Waving his hat after the extravagant manner of his kind, the cowboy
swept constantly nearer the little party. Indeed, it was impossible for
them to guess whether Ted Conway bore a message, or was simply
delighted to see the son of his employer, and his chum.
Presently he reached the constantly advancing trio, and under the pull
of the reins his pony reared upon its hind legs.
"What's wrong, Ted?" asked Frank, immediately.
"Wanted at the ranch, Frank," came the answer. "The boss has sent me
out to look you up on the jump. Told me as how you started out on a
gallop this way, an' I took chances. Reckon I was some lucky to strike
you so easy."
"But what has happened, Ted?" insisted the boy, trying to read the
bronzed face of the other, and get a hint as to whether his mission
verged on the serious or not.
It was so very unusual for Colonel Haywood to send anyone out to find
him, that Frank's suspicions were naturally aroused.
"Well, the Colonel had a little tumble with that game leg of his--same
one that the steer fell on, and broke two years back, in the big
round-up--" began the cowboy, when Frank interrupted him.

"Then he must have been seriously hurt this time, or he wouldn't send
you out for me. Tell me the worst, Ted; you ought to realize that it's
better for me to know it all in the start, than by degrees. Is my father
dead?"
"No. Last I seen of the Colonel, he was a real live man; only he had his
leg done up agin in splints; an' the ole doc. from the Arrowhead Ranch
was thar, 'tending to him. No, it ain't on count of his leetle trouble with
that leg that made him send me out huntin' for you, Frank."
"What then?" demanded the boy, curtly; but with a sigh of relief, for his
father was very dear to him.
"Thar come a messenger to the ranch a while ago, an' somethin' he
fetched along with him, 'peared to excite the boss right from the word
go," Ted admitted.
"A messenger, Ted?" the boy echoed, wonderingly.
"Never seen him afore, an' think he kim from town," the new arrival
went on to say. "Leastwise, he looked like a stray maverick, an' had a
b'iled shirt, with a collar that I reckoned sure would choke him. Atween
you an' me I tried to get him to chuck the same; but he only grinned, an'
allowed he could stand it."
"Oh! a messenger from town, was it?" said Frank, with a relieved look.
"Then the chances are it must have been some business connected with
a shipment of cattle. Perhaps the railroad has had a bad wreck, and
wants to settle for that last bunch we sent away."
But Ted shook his head in the negative.
"'T'wan't no railroad man; that I know," he affirmed, positively. "'Sides,
the boss was holdin' of a bottle in his hand, an' seemed to set a heap of
store by it."
"A bottle, Ted?" cried Frank, deeply interested.

"That's what," replied the cowboy, energetically. "But jest why he
should reckon such a thing wuth shucks I can't tell ye. But he sent me
out to bring you back to the ranch house like two-forty. I seen that he
was plumb locoed, and some excited by the news, whatever it might
be."
Frank looked at his chum in a puzzled way, and shook his head.
"I don't seem able to make head or tail of this business, Bob," he
remarked; "but there's only one thing to be done, and that's to romp
home on the gallop. So away we go with a rush. Who's after me! Hi!
get long, Buckskin! It's a race for a treat of oats as a prize! Here you are,
Bob; hit up the pace!"
With the words Frank gave his horse free rein, and went tearing over
the level plain, headed as straight for the distant ranch as though he
were a bird far up in the clear air, and could see to make a direct line
"as the crow flies!"
And after a time, in the distance, they saw the whitewashed
outbuildings of Circle Ranch. Frank never viewed the familiar and
dearly loved scene with more anxiety than he did now; but so far as he
could see there did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary taking
place around the ranch house.
"Looks all right, Bob!" exclaimed Frank, as though a great load had