But suddenly Ted's rope left his hand before Woofer could divine his
meaning, and pinioned the cow-puncher.
At the same moment Ted gave Sultan a prick with the spur, and the little
stallion leaped into the air.
Woofer left his saddle and struck the ground with a bump that knocked
the wind out of him.
This was not to the liking of the soldiers, who ran howling toward Ted.
"Drag him from his horse," they shouted.
"No, yer don't. Fair play fer all!" a clear voice rang out above the
din, and the soldiers turned toward the hill behind the cabin.
On the summit stood Bud Morgan, his long, fair hair floating in the
breeze, and on either side of him ten cow-punchers with their
Winchesters trained upon the unarmed soldiers, whose carbines were
stacked in the house.
"Three cheers for the broncho boys!" yelled Stella shrilly. "You can't
beat 'em anyway you try."
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE MOTHER LODE.
As the boys swarmed down the hill to where Ted and the girls were
standing apart from the soldiers, who stood staring at them in
amazement, they let out the Moon Valley yell, and acted as though they
were a victorious army taking possession of a conquered city.
Lieutenant Barrows stood in the doorway in open-mouthed amazement at the
change of scene, in which he and his men were not the captors, but the
captured.
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