CHAPTER XIV

TROUBLE WITH A BAD MAN

"This is a nice pickle!" exclaimed Bob, who was the first to rise.

"What's the matter, lost your collar button?" sleepily inquired Jerry.

"No, but the mule knocked the ladder down, and we'll have to jump or stay here."

"It isn't far to the ground in this shanty," remarked Jerry. "Go ahead and drop down."

"It may not be very far," said Bob, "but I don't want to take the chance."

"Afraid you'll sprain your ankle?"

"No, but I don't want to fall into the cistern."

"Cistern? What are you talking about?"

"Well," went on Bob, "there's a cistern right under this ladder opening. The mule pulled the cover off last night, and whoever drops down is going to land goodness knows where."

The others soon confirmed what Bob had said. When the cabin was built a cistern had been sunk in the middle of the ground floor. This had been covered, and the ladder rested on it when the travelers went to bed, but the mule, probably in search for a drink, uncovered it.

"Can't get down without a ladder," observed Ned.

"What's the matter with jumping from one of the outside windows?" asked Jerry.

They thought the idea a good one until they saw that the only one there was opened onto a pile of sharp rocks, into which even a jump of fifteen feet might be dangerous.

"What's to be done?" asked Bob.

"Guess we'll have to wait until Jones comes to see if we are dead," replied Jerry. "Then he can cover the cistern and raise the ladder."

"I guess we'll have a long wait for Jones," commented Ned. "He's so afraid of this place that he'll never come within hearing distance of it."

"Let's yell out of the window," suggested Bob.

They did so, uniting their voices in a volume of sound. It seemed to have no effect though, for there was no movement about the colored man's cabin.

"Once more," urged the professor.

This time they produced a result, for, down the road they could see Jones come to the door of his shack and peer out. Thereupon they waved their hands to him, and in a few minutes the colored man was standing as close as he seemed to dare to come to their shelter.

"Is yo' all daid?" he asked in awed accents.

"Not quite all of us," answered the professor, "but we will be unless you come in and hoist the ladder for us."

"Did th'--th' ghost knock it down?" asked Jones.

"It did," replied Bob, solemnly.

"I knowed it! I knowed it! Maybe you'll believe me next time. Golly! I ain't goin' t' stay here," and Jones was about to run off down the road.

"Here! Come back!" commanded the captives, and the colored man reluctantly did so.

"I doan laik t' stay round yeah!" pleaded the negro. "'Tain't no ways healthy. What yo' done want, anyhow?"

"We want you to hoist the ladder for us," said the professor. "Come now, don't be silly. The only ghost there was, and we saw it, was an old white mule with a chain on its neck."

"Co'se it were! Dat's de form it took when I seed it!" cried Jones. "But it can take on any shape, dat ghost can. Next time it'll be a lion er a tiger er a elephant. Monstrous terrible things, ha'nts is. So de ghost done knocked de ladder down! I knowed it would do suthin'."

Amid a show of genuine fear the colored man entered the cabin, and after replacing the cistern cover cautiously raised the ladder. Then he ran out as if the ghost were after him.

"I guess we'll never be able to convince Jones that there isn't a ghost here," said Jerry as they came down and started down the road toward the colored man's cabin, where they were to have breakfast.

"Here's something that may prove to him that the mule was the ghost," spoke Ned, picking up a horse shoe, which was on the cabin floor.

They showed it to the negro, but he only shook his head.

"It looks like a hoss shoe, dat I admit," said Jones, "but it's enchanted. It'll turn inter a snake er a tiger er suthin' terruble 'fore long. I don't want nothin' t' do with it," and he cast it into the bushes by the side of the road.

The excitement of the night had taken none of the travelers' appetites away, and they made a good meal. Then, once more they took the road, disappearing in a cloud of dust, while Jones, his wife, and the seven children stood and stared in wonder.

They traveled all that day with only an occasional glimpse of civilization in the shape of some house or cabin. No villages were reached, it being a centre of vast grazing lands, where only a lonely herder, or, perhaps two, remained to guard the cattle. That night they camped in the open, and found it rather uncomfortable, for it began to rain about midnight.

"I wish we were back in the cabin, with the ghost-mule and everything else," muttered Jerry, as he tried to find a dry spot to lie down on.

But troubles can not last forever, and morning came finally, bringing a clear day and a bright sun which was very welcome.

Breakfast over they took the road once more. About noon they came to a small town that boasted of what was called the "Imperial Hotel."

"I suppose we'd better try the Imperial," suggested Ned. "It don't look very scrumptious, but you can't always tell by the appearance of a toad how far he can jump."

The auto drew up in front of the inn with a noise that brought a score of men from the barroom.

"Jumpin' Gila Monsters and rattlesnakes!" cried one of the men, evidently a miner from his dress. "I've read about them Satan go-carts, but I never believed in 'em. Sakes alive, but they do look funny without a hoss in front."

He and the others gathered about the car, asking so many questions that it took all the boys and the professor as well to answer them. When curiosity had been partially satisfied the boys went into the hotel. While there was nothing to make a weary traveler glad he had found it, the place was not as bad as many where the Motor Boys had stopped. They had a good meal, and decided to rest a few hours before proceeding.

It was along about three o'clock. The crowd of men in the barroom had become larger as new comers arrived. It was also noisier and loud voices, and occasional threats to shoot, made the travelers think it was about time to move on.

They were about to go to their machine when they were approached on the porch where they were sitting, by the miner who had first remarked about the auto. He had evidently been drinking more than was good for him, and was in a quarrelsome mood.

"If you don't want to play with me you needn't," he called, evidently to some one inside. "I can find some one to shuffle the cards with me. Here, you kid"--to Jerry, "you come an' we'll have a little game."

"Thank you, I don't play," said Jerry quietly.

"What's that?" came the sharp return.

"I said I didn't play."

"Why hang my buttons! You got to play when I tell you to," cried the miner. "Pete Simmons ain't used to bein' told no. Here, sit down to this table an' deal the cards," and he grabbed Jerry by the arm, and attempted to force him into a chair.

"Let go my arm!" exclaimed Jerry.

"You do as I tell you or I'll make you!" exclaimed the brute. "I'm used to havin' my way!"

"Take your hand off!" commanded Jerry, drawing back his fist, for he was strong and hot tempered.

"Now be nice, be nice!" sneered the man.

"Let go of him!" exclaimed Ned coming forward and standing beside his chum, while Bob also ranged up alongside. "We'll all take a hand in this if you force us to."

"I can tackle the three of you with both hands tied behind my back," cried the miner, flushing with anger at being defied by the boys.

"Count me in too," spoke Professor Snodgrass, joining the lads. "I don't want to fight, but I will if I have to."

Now the professor, though a mild man, was, by reason of his out-of-door life, in fine physical condition, and no mean antagonist, which fact the miner saw.

"Oh well, I was only foolin'," the ugly chap remarked with a poor attempt at a smile. But his face showed his rage. He moved away in a few seconds, and shuffled to the end of the porch, where he soon fell asleep on a bench.

Bob looked over and saw him, as the boys were discussing the program for the remainder of the day.

"Let's play a trick on that brute," said Bob.

"What kind?" asked Jerry.

"You watch," replied Chunky. "You'll see some fun."

Now it happened that the professor had among his collection of specimens several large stuffed snakes, for he was an expert taxidermist. There were also several horned toads and big lizards. Bob got several of the ugliest ones and, with the aid of the scientist, who entered into the plan to pay a well deserved lesson to the miner, arranged the things about the sleeper, on the bench and on the floor of the porch.

By this time most of the crowd at the hotel was aware what was going on, and, as few of them had any too much love for Simmons they waited the outcome with interest. When the reptiles were placed in a circle about the sleeping miner, one of the men fired his revolver in the air. At the sound Simmons awoke.

At first he did not notice the reptiles, as he was on his back, staring up at the sky. Then he suddenly sat up, and caught a glimpse of the ugly looking things. For a moment he seemed to be in doubt as to what he beheld. Then he let out a yell that could have been heard almost a half mile.

"Wow!" he cried. "Take 'em away. I'll never drink another drop! Honest I won't! Oh! Oh! the horrible snakes! I'll shut my eyes so I can't see 'em!"

But when he opened them again the reptiles were still there.

"Oh! Oh! I see 'em still!" he yelled. "Take 'em away, somebody, please do. Oh I forgot! They ain't real! I only imagine I see 'em!"

He got up on the bench and was dancing about in terror. Then he drew his revolver, and was about to fire into the midst of the snakes.

"He'll ruin my specimens!" cried the professor.

One of the men ran forward, and began collecting the reptiles. Simmons saw them being gathered up, and noticed that they were not wiggling. Then the truth of it dawned on him, and he knew he had been fooled. His companions laughed loud and long. But Simmons, unable to stand the jokes and jibes he knew would be poked at him, leaped over the porch railing and ran down the road as fast as he could go.

"Serves him right!" was the general verdict.