The surprised rancher looked around at the quiet group a little puzzled.

Finally Fly gave Jerry a nudge, at which the latter collected himself as well as he could, and with something of a tremble in his voice, which seemed suddenly weak and faint, he began what he had planned to make a very grand speech.

"Mr. Phipps," he said, his cheeks growing rapidly redder and hotter, while his knees shook, "we--we--we all want to thank you very much for--"

"Oh, forget it," entreated the man, giving the relieved Jerry an affectionate pat on the back. "Why, you boys have nothing to thank me for. You're just like my own sons--you're Herb's playmates. Yuh see Herb hasn't any mother to--to--but I tell you, I like to have him a.s.sociated with a fine lot of lads like you. Get into the house here, and we'll see if we can pick up some grub." The rough rancher spoke cordially, but there was a slight shake in his voice.

"We're always grabbin' fodder over here," apologized Fly, as they made for the dining room.

"And I guess we're here with our appet.i.tes to-day," put in Dunk. "That was a fine tramp for a hungry fellow."

"Well, go to it."

"Lose any sheep lately?" asked Dunk, as the usual hearty meal progressed, or rather disappeared.

"They haven't bothered us since Sunday night," responded Phipps. "About time for something to be doing."

"I've got to get back early this afternoon and go to work," said Fly, when they arose from the table--"filled to the eyes," to use Gray's words.

"Guess we'd better go back," said Jerry.

"I've got to go to Silver City to-day myself," said Mr. Phipps. "Suppose you all pile in my hack and we'll drive over."

This was a welcome suggestion and the boys quickly accepted it.

CHAPTER XII

THE THUNDER BIRD ATTACKS

Thinking that experience was the best teacher, Hawke decided to discontinue lessons on aviation until the materials for the biplane arrived and they could begin actual work.

During the rest of the week, therefore, the boys, with the a.s.sistance of Captain Crawford, Dr. Rivers and the aviator, put in their time mastering some of the Boy Scout requirements.

They organized a bucket brigade, and, by several mock fire fights fitted themselves to take care of a blaze should one occur at any time.

"That's what we've been needing at this fort for a long time," remarked Captain Crawford, when he saw the young fire fighters practicing. "In case of a fire here we'd have to depend on the volunteer bunch at Silver City, and everything would be up in smoke before they could get here."

Dr. Rivers gave the young scouts a thorough drilling in first aid to the injured. In his laboratory, which was a large and heretofore mysterious room at the top of the house, he taught them many things which they did not know about the human body and its needs in case of accident--how to construct an emergency stretcher, prepare splints, roll and apply bandages, and stop the flow of blood from an artery by means of the tourniquet.

"I guess I'm beginning to know something," said Jerry, a little proudly, when they left the doctor's office just at dark Friday evening after an interesting lesson.

"I got real well acquainted with that handsome skeleton," remarked Gray, who had been a little sensitive at first about approaching the uncanny bony structure which Dr. Rivers called one of the "ornaments" of his experimenting room.

Although Herb and Tender were urged to remain at the Crawford's for supper, the former thought it best to go on home.

"I can't be very long away from dad," he explained, "or he has a search party out after me."

"I didn't realize how much this Boy Scout affair was going to do for you," observed the captain that night at the supper table, when Jerry and Fred had been relating their new accomplishments. "I was a little skeptical at first--thought it was a waste of time--but I'm getting pretty much interested in it now myself."

"I think it is a splendid idea," agreed Mrs. Windham, who, mother-like, was in favor of anything that safeguarded the interest and welfare of her boy.

"And his aeroplane stunt strikes me as pretty fine," went on Jerry's father. "As a whole, this vacation is doing more for you boys than a year of schooling, and--" he was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone bell.

"h.e.l.lo--Phipps, yes, this is Crawford," they heard him say. "What's that? Well, that's strange. Oh, I don't think it can be anything serious. The doctor is not at the house? Gone to Silver City? Well, we'll start right out."

"What is it?" cried Mrs. Crawford, as the group at the table arose and surrounded the captain.

"Phipps says Herb's horse came home alone, wounded in the back. He's afraid something has happened to him and Graystock. Thinks it may be that thing that's killing the sheep--or thieving Greasers," explained captain, speaking hurriedly, at the same time putting on his hat and ringing for the maid.

"Tell Ike to get the horses and saddle them at once--three of them," he ordered when the servant appeared. "Tell him to stop and get Carlito, and have them all here as soon as possible."

"Come on, boys--Phipps says he's just starting. He says he telephoned for Dr. Rivers but he isn't home. What'll we do in case either of them is badly hurt?"

"We fellows ought to put our learning into practice," spoke up Fred at once.

"Yes, we'll take our emergency kits," said Jerry.

"I doubt if you can do anything," replied the captain, as they left the house. "You haven't had any practical experience yet."

"We'll do anything we can for Herb," responded Jerry warmly.

"Why not get Dunk?" suggested Fred. "He was the best of the bunch, his father being a doctor."

"All right," agreed the captain, swinging into his saddle, just as Carlito dashed up.

"What's the matter?" he asked, breathlessly.

They told him the situation in a few words.

"I'll go right on," he exclaimed, digging his heels into the pony's flanks.

On the way over to the Rivers' residence, the captain and the boys met Dunk and Fly mounted on their horses. Mr. Phipps' telephone message for the doctor had told them the news.

"Well, if anything's the matter," said the doctor's son, "both of them have their Red Cross materials with them, if they're able to use them.

You go on ahead," he added. "Fly and I are going to bring that stretcher we made to-day, and some bandages and stuff. We'll be right along."

The two boys wheeled their ponies, and the rest of the party galloped into the darkness after Carl.

It was an unusually dark night, and very few stars relieved the dense blackness overhead. Fortunately, the riders were familiar with their road, or it would have been impossible for them to keep up the pace they did.

"Carl'll be sure to find them if they're anywheres along here," said Fred, breathlessly, when they were obliged to slow up at a particularly rough place.

They urged on their horses again, and for a time nothing was heard through the moonless silence of the night but the sound of hurrying hoofs and the croaking of the frogs as they vied with the monotonous singsong of the crickets. Occasionally, from somewhere far out on the prairies, a lonesome coyote would wail dismally.

After about a half hour of riding, the party on horseback descried through the darkness a glimmering light almost in the center of the road. As they came nearer, Jerry blew his whistle.