Page:The Boy Land Boomer.djvu/46

38 brought forth an extra horse of his own for Brown's use.

"Has anybody seen the dunce?" questioned the scout.

No one had since he had gone off with Dick to look for the so-called ghost.

"We will divide up into parties of two," said Pawnee Brown, and this was done, and soon he and Jack Rasco were bounding over the trail leading toward the Indian Territory, while others were setting off in the direction of Arkansas City and elsewhere.

"Something curious about them air Arbuckles," observed Rasco as they flew along side by side. "Mortimer Arbuckle said as how he was coming hyer fer his health, but kick me ef I kin see it."

"I think myself the man has an axe to grind," responded the leader of the boomers. "You know he came West to see about some land."

"Oh, I know thet. But thar's somethin else, sure ez shootin' ez shootin', Pawnee. It kinder runs in my noddle thet he is a'lookin fer somebuddy."

"Who?"

"Ah, thar's where ye hev got me. But I'll tell ye something. One night when the boy wuz over ter Arkansas City the old man war sleeping in the wagon, an' he got a nightmare. He clenched his fists an' begun ter moan an groan. 'Don't say I did it, Bolange,'