By
HENRY BENNETT
A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers—New York
Published by arrangement with Richard G. Badger
All Rights Reserved
Made in the United States of America
MY BROTHER
IN MEMORY OF A VACATION SPENT IN THE ADIRONDACKS
CONTENTS
II. The Girl
III. Mason Meets the Sheriff
IV. A New Arrival
V. The Abduction of Josephine
VI. Josephine’s Peril
VII. The Rescue
VIII. The Mexican Escapes
IX. Mysterious MacNutt
X. Welcome Visitors
XI. Ricker’s Warning
XII. The Raid
XIII. The Counterfeiters
XIV. The Fight in the Secret Passage
XV. The Dance at the Gaylor Ranch
XVI. The Shot in the Night
XVII. Trent Burton Wires Alarming News
XVIII. The Lost Airplane
XIX. The Round-Up
XX. Silver Skies
MASON OF BAR X RANCH
CHAPTER I—A HARD PROPOSITION
Jack Mason, a young man of twenty-one years, was intently watching abilliard game in progress at a fashionable club in New York City. Itwas a hot sultry day in June and he was wondering how people couldenjoy knocking a bunch of balls around a table and getting all heatedup. He had about decided to take a run in his motor when a messengerboy handed him a message. It was from his father bidding him to comeat once to his office. His father was president of a bank in New Yorkand independently rich. Mason thrust the message in his pocket, musingas he did so.
“I’m in for a call from Dad, he’s probably read about the scrape thebunch and I got into last week.”
Calling one of the club members aside he demanded: “Say, Smithy, howdid the story of my automobile accident leak out in the papers?”
“Don’t know, Jack,” his friend replied; “you know as much about thatas I do.”
“Thought I had that automobile affair hushed up,” grumbled Mason.“What gets me,” he continued, “is how my part in the club boxing matchgot in the papers. I just received a message from the old man andexpect he has heard all about it.”
“This won’t be the first time you have been bawled out by the oldman,” replied Smithy with a broad grin.
“No, but I expect something serious this time,” declared Masongravely. “Damn those meddlesome reporters!” he burst out savagely.“You know, Smithy, I have been in worse scrapes before, but alwaysmanaged to patch them up some way. Now, this story gets in the papers,and that prize fight—w