Two Boys in Wyoming | Page 7

country in many
places was rough, and there was no stage line to help them. All this,
however, had been discounted before the boys left the city of Chicago,
and what they encountered was only what was expected, and only that
for which they were prepared.
Word having been sent in advance of their expected arrival, the first act
of the youths was to look around for the man or men who were to meet
and conduct them to the ranch. A few people were moving about the
long, low platform, several in the uniform of United States infantry and
cavalry, while a couple of Indians in blankets, untidy and sullen,
surveyed them with scowls. Few passengers were in the habit of
leaving the train at this point, so that some curiosity on the part of the
loungers was natural. Perhaps the agent at the station suspected them of
being runaways whose heads had been turned by stories of wild

adventure, and who had set out to annihilate the aborigines of the West;
but if such a fancy came to the man, it must have vanished when he
noticed their intelligent appearance and the completeness of their outfit.
Boys who start on such whimsical careers are never rightly prepared,
and have no conception of the absurdity of their schemes until it is
forced upon them by sad and woeful experience.
"Are you looking for any one?" asked the agent; respectfully.
"Yes, sir," replied Jack Dudley; "we are on our way to a ranch which
lies to the eastward of Camp Brown, not far from Wind River."
"May I ask your errand thither?"
"My father is part owner of the ranch, and we wish to visit it for a few
weeks."
"Ah, you are the young men that Hank Hazletine was asking about
yesterday. He has charge of Bowman's ranch."
"That's the place. What has become of Mr. Hazletine?"
"I think he is over at the fort, and will soon be here. He brought a
couple of horses for you to ride. Ah, here he comes now."
The boys saw the man at the same moment. He was walking rapidly
from the direction of the fort, and looking curiously at the youths, who
surveyed him with interest as he approached. He was full-bearded, tall,
and as straight as an arrow, dressed in cowboy costume, and the picture
of rugged strength and activity. His manner was that of a man who,
having made a mistake as to the hour of the arrival of the train, was
doing his best to make up for lost time.
Stepping upon the long, low platform, he walked toward the lads, his
Winchester in his left hand, while he extended his right in salutation.
"Howdy?" he said, heartily, as he took the hand of Fred Greenwood,
who advanced several paces to meet him. "I reckon you're the younkers

I'm waiting for."
"If you are Hank Hazletine, you are the man."
"That's the name I gin'rally go by; which one of you is Jack Dudley?"
"I am," replied that young gentleman.
"Then t'other one is Fred Greenwood, eh?" he asked, turning toward the
younger.
"You have our names right."
"Glad to know it; I got your letter and looked for you yesterday; have
been loafing 'round here since then."
"We were not sure of the exact time of our arrival and missed it by
twenty-four hours," said Jack; "I hope it caused you no inconvenience."
"Not at all--not at all. Wal, I s'pose you're ready to start for the ranch,
younkers?"
"We are at your disposal; we have quite a long ride before us."
"We have; it'll take us two or three days to git there, if all goes well."
"Suppose all doesn't go well?" remarked Fred.
"We shall be longer on the road; and if it goes too bad we'll never git
there; but I ain't looking for anything like that. Where's your baggage?"
Jack pointed to the two plump valises lying on the platform, near the
little building.
"That and what we have on us and in our hands make up our worldly
possessions."
"That's good," said Hazletine. "I was afeard you might bring a load of
trunks, which we'd had a purty time getting to the ranch; but there

won't be any trouble in managing them; I'll be right back."
He turned away, and soon reappeared, mounted on a fine, wiry pony,
and leading on either side a tough little animal, saddled and bridled and
ready for the boys.
"There ain't any better animals in Wyoming or Colorado," he explained;
"they can travel fast and fur a long time. We'll strap on that stuff and be
off."
There was no trouble in securing the baggage to the rear of the saddles,
when Jack and Fred swung themselves upon