Produced by Kent Fielden
"Forsythe!" announced the trainman in a loud voice.
"That is where we get off, is it not!" asked Tad Butler.
"Yes, this is the place," answered Professor Zepplin.
"I don't see any place," objected Stacy Brown, peering from the carwindow. "Where is it?"
"You'll see it in a minute," said Walter Perkins.
"Chunky, we are too busy to bother answering all your sillyquestions. Why don't you get a railroad guide? Town's on the otherside. It's one of those one-sided towns. Use your eyes more and yourtongue less," added Ned Rector impatiently.
With this injunction, Ned rose and began pulling his belongings fromthe rack over his head, which action was followed by the three otherboys in the party. Professor Zepplin had already risen and waswalking toward the car door.
The Northern Pacific train on which they were riding, came to aslow, noisy stop. From it, alighted the four boys, sun-burned,clear-eyed and springy of step. They were clad in the regulationsuits of the cowboy, the faded garments giving evidence of longservice on the open plains.
Accompanying the lads was a tall, athletic looking man, his facedeeply bronzed from exposure to wind, sun and storm, his iron graybeard standing out in strong contrast, giving to his sun burnedfeatures a ferocious appearance that was not at all in keeping withthe man's real nature.
A man dressed in a neat business suit, but wearing a broad brimmedsombrero stepped up to the boys without the least hesitation, themoment they reached the platform.
"Are you the Pony Rider Boys?" he asked smilingly.
"We are, sir," replied Tad, lifting his hat courteously.
"Glad to know you, young man. I am Mr. Simms the banker here. I wasrequested by banker Perkins of Chillicothe, Missouri, to meet youyoung gentlemen. Funds for your use while here are deposited in mybank ready for your order. Where is Professor—Professor——"
"Zepplin?"
"Yes, that's the name." "This is he," Tad informed him, introducingthe Professor.
"If you and the young men will come up to the bank we will talkmatters over. I would ask you to my house, but my family is spendingthe summer at my ranch out near Gracy Butte."
"It is just as well," said the Professor. "We are not exactly uphere on a social mission. The boys are crowding all the timepossible into their life during their vacation. I presume they areanxious to get started again."
Leaving their baggage at the railroad station, the party set off upthe street with the banker, to make final arrangements for thejourney to which they looked forward with keen anticipation.
Readers of this series will remember how, in "THE PONY RIDER BOYS INTHE ROCKIES," the four lads set off on horseback to spend part oftheir summer vacation in the mountains. The readers will remembertoo, the many thrilling experiences that the boys passed through onthat eventful trip, between hunting big game in hand to handconflict, fighting a real battle with the bad men of the mountains,and how in the end they discovered and took possession of the LostClaim.
Readers will also remember how the lads next joined in a cattledrive, and their adventures and exciting trip across the plains in"THE P