The Saddle Boys in the Grand Canyon | Page 8

been taken from his heart.
The sudden coming of Ted Conway, with that queer message that
meant a hurried return, had mystified the boy not a little. But he knew
that all would soon be made plain now, since they were nearly home.
Dashing up in front of the house, the two lads jumped to the ground
almost before their mounts had come to a halt. The door was open, and
Frank led the way in a headlong rush.
As they entered he saw his father seated in his comfortable easy-chair,
with that unfortunate leg, that had given him more or less trouble for

two years now, propped on another seat, and bound up.
There was a stranger with him, but no sign of the Arrowhead Ranch
cowboy doctor; which would indicate that, having done his duty, the
roving physician and bone-setter had returned to his regular business,
which was roping and branding cattle.
Colonel Haywood was a man in the prime of life. Up to the time that
clumsy steer had broken his leg he had been most active; but since then
he had not been able to get around on his feet so well, though able to
ride fairly comfortably.
"Hello! Frank, my boy!" he exclaimed, as the two came rushing in. "So
Ted managed to round you up in great style; did he? Well, I always
said Ted was the sharpest fellow on the range when it came to finding
things. Where have you been to-day?"
"Doing a little missionary work for the country," replied Frank, smiling.
"We came across that lame pet yearling, the dun-colored one you
thought so much of; and there was mighty little left of the poor beast
but a torn hide, not worth lifting."
"Huh! wolves again!" exclaimed the stock-raiser, with a frown.
"Sure thing, sir," Frank went on. "We saw a heap of signs that told us
our old friend, Sallie, with the broken tooth, had been on the job again.
But that was the last of our beef the old lady'll ever taste, or anybody
else's, for that matter."
"What's that? Did you sight her, and get a shot?" demanded the pleased
rancher, forgetting his broken leg in his excitement, and making a
movement that immediately caused him to give a grunt, and settle back
again.
"Old Hank happened to run across our trail just then," Frank continued;
"and we made up our minds to track the beast to her lair. Where do you
suppose we found it, dad, but in the big bunch of rocks that lies about
ten miles to the west?"

"You surprise me; but go on, tell me the rest, and then I'm going to let
you in on something that will open your eyes a little," remarked the
stockman.
"Oh! there isn't much more to tell, dad," the boy hastened to say, for he
was eager to learn what all this mystery meant. "We found the opening,
easy enough, and made up our minds to crawl in after Sallie, the whole
three of us. So Hank picked up some wood for a flare, and in we went."
"And you found her home? You met with a warm reception, I warrant!"
the other exclaimed, his eyes kindling with pride as he saw the quiet,
confident air with which Frank rattled off his story.
"Sallie was in, ditto five of her half-grown brood, and all full of fight,"
the boy continued. "But of course they didn't have a ghost of a show
against our two repeating rifles. Hank held the torch, and Bob fired first.
Then the brute jumped, and nearly got Hank, who lost the flare for a
few seconds. We keeled over the ugly whelps as they started for us; and
later on found old Sallie, just as she had dropped. That big jump was
her last."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, son," declared the rancher, who had
suffered long and seriously from the depredations of that sly animal
and her various broods, despite all efforts to locate her, and put an end
to her attacks.
"I'm glad you're pleased with what we did," Frank remarked.
"It will mean a lot to all honest ranchmen in this section," continued the
cattleman. "With Sallie gone, we can hope to raise a record herd the
coming season, without keeping men constantly on the watch, day and
night, for a slinking thief that defied our best efforts. Shake hands, Bob,
and let me congratulate you on making the shot that ended the loping of
the worst pest this country has known in five years."
"But when Ted came whirling along, shouting, and waving his hat, to
tell us you wanted me back home on the jump, it gave me a bad feeling,
dad; especially when I heard that you'd