Carel Lyn Miske Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamCOWBOY DAVEORTHE ROUNDUP AT ROLLING RIVERBY FRANK V WEBSTERAUTHOR OF ONLY A FARM BOY BOB THE CASTAWAY COMRADES OF THE SADDLEAIRSHIP ANDY TOM TAYLOR AT WEST POINT ETCILLUSTRATEDBOOKS FOR BOYSBy FRANK V WEBSTERONLY A FARM BOYTOM THE TELEPHONE BOYTHE BOY FROM THE RANCHTHE YOUNG TREASURER HUNTERBOB THE CASTAWAYTHE YOUNG FIREMEN OF LAKEVILLETHE NEWSBOY PARTNERSTHE BOY PILOT OF THE LAKESTHE TWO BOY GOLD MINERSJACK THE RUNAWAYCOMRADES OF THE SADDLETHE BOYS OF BELLWOOD SCHOOLTHE HIGH SCHOOL RIVALSBOB CHESTERS GRITAIRSHIP ANDYDARRY THE LIFE SAVERDICK THE BANK BOYBEN HARDYS FLYING MACHINETHE BOYS OF THE WIRELESSHARRY WATSONS HIGH SCHOOL DAYSTHE BOY SCOUTS OF LENOXTOM TAYLOR AT WEST POINTCOWBOY DAVETHE BOYS OF THE BATTLESHIPJACK OF THE PONY EXPRESSCOWBOY DAVECONTENTS     I     AFTER STRAY CATTLE     II    THE TAUNT     III   A CONFESSION     IV    A SMALL STAMPEDE     V     TREACHERY     VI    A CRY FOR HELP     VII   THE RESCUE     VIII   MR BELLMORE     IX    DAVE MEETS LEN     X     DAVE WONDERS     XI    HAZARDOUS WORK     XII   THE FIGHT     XIII  SOME NEWS     XIV   A WARNING     XV    RETALIATION     XVI   UNAVAILING EFFORTS     XVII  THE ROUNDUP     XVIII A MIDNIGHT BLAZE     XIX   FIGHTING FIRE     XX    THE CHASE     XXI   THE ESCAPE     XXII  TANGLES     XXIII THE CLUE     XXIV  BROTHERS     XXV   THE NEW RANCHIllustration HE WHEELED AND RODE STRAIGHT AT THE ONCOMING STEERSCHAPTER IAFTER STRAY CATTLEHi Yi YipWooooo Wah ZutHere we comeWhat was coming seemed to be a thunderous cloud of dust from the midst ofwhich came strange shrill sounds punctuated with sharp cries that didnot appear to be altogether humanThe dustcloud grew thicker the thunder sounded louder and the yellswere shrillerFrom one of a group of dull red buildings a sunbronzed man steppedforthHe shaded his eyes with a brown powerful hand gazed for an instanttoward the approaching cloud of animated and vociferous dust and turningto a smiling Chinese who stood near with a pot in his hand remarked in aslow musical drawlWell Hop Loy here they are riproarin an snortin from th roundupAlle samee hungly too observed the Celestial with unctious blandnessYou can sure make a point of that Hop Loy went on the other Hungry istheir middle name just now and youd better begin t rustle th grub orI wouldnt give an empty fortyfive for your pigtailOi la fairly screamed the Chinese as with a quick gesture toward hislong queue he scuttled toward the cook house which stood in the midst ofthe other low ranch buildings Glub leady alle samee light now Hop Loycried over his shoulderIt better be ominously observed Pocus Pete foreman of the Bar U ranchone of the bestoutfitted in the Rolling River section It better beThose boys mean business or I miss my guess the foreman went on Hardwork aplenty I reckon Wonder how they made out he went on musingly ashe started back toward the bunk house whence he had come with a saddlestrap to which he was attaching a new buckle If things dont take a turnfor th better soon there wont any of us make out and with a gloomyshake of his head Pocus Pete to give him the name he commonly went bytossed the strap inside the bunk house and went on toward the mainbuilding where by virtue of his position as head of the cowboys he hadhis own cotMeanwhile the crowd of yelling hardriding sand duststirring puncherscame on faster than everHi Yi YipHere we comeKeep th pot abilin Weve got our appetites With usThats whatSome one fired his big revolver in the air and in another moment therewas an echo of many shots the sharp crack of the fortyfives minglingwith the thunder of hoofs the yells and the clatter of stirrup leathersThe boys coming back Pete asked an elderly man who came to the doorof the main living room of the principal ranch houseYes Mr Carson theyre comin back an it dont need a movin pictureoperator an telegraphic despatch t tell it eitherNo Pete They seem to be in good spirits tooYes they generally are when they get back from roundup I want to hearhow they made out though an what th prospects areSo do I Pete and there was an anxious note in the voice of MrRandolph Carson owner of the Bar U ranch Matters had not been going wellwith him of lateWith final yells and an increase in the quantity of dust tossed up as thecowboys pulled their horses back on their haunches the rangeridingoutfit of the ranch came to rest not far away from the stable Thehorses with heaving sides and distended nostrils that showed a deep redhung their heads from weariness They had been ridden hard but notunmercifully and they would soon recover The cowboys themselves tippedback their big hats from their foreheads which showed curiously white incontrast to their bronzed faces and beat the dust from their trousers Afew of them wore sheepskin chapsOne after another the punchers slung their legs across the saddle hornstossed the reins over the heads of their steeds as an intimation that thehorses were not to stray and then slid to the ground walking with thatpeculiarly awkward gait that always marks one who has spent much of