The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley; Or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery

en air to the ranch house of Diamond X. Now and then, above the yells, co

a?" asked Nell Merkel as she paused in the

alf a sigh and half a chuckle. "They're always

rupted by louder shouts from the

t agai

him clean,

ke that mouth

' ride 'im

ions, Nell heard the voice of her brothe

t yet! Jus

ud's trying to d

uggested Mrs. Merkel, with a kind regard f

f grass that separated the main house from the other buildings of Diamond X and was soon approaching the corral whe

s, others astraddle of the rails. Among them she sighted Dick and Nort Shannon, her two "city" cousins, who ha

" asked Nell, as she made he

her brother arose from the dust of the corral and started

way to have fu

was going on. She saw Bud mount the fence near where the two Shannon boys wer

it again, Bu

know!" snapped bac

get you a bit of fly

What for?" d

can st

, from past experience, that Yellin' Kid did not keep up his strident tones long. But this time he went on,

and perched himself there in standing position while he looked over the dusty c

rld Bud is trying to do?

lf on the top rail, looked across the corral to where Old

m loose,

slapped his hat on the flank of the pony and sent it galloping aroun

be now!" shoute

the spirited scene, Nell saw Bud poise himself for a l

lops past him!" murmured Nell. "Regular circus trick that is! I wonder if he can do it? But from the l

be the consequences of her brother attempting the aforesaid "circus trick." Nell was as eager to see what would

st. And its speed was further increased by what Dick, Nort and their companions, perched up ther

boneyard bait!" sh

in-eyed son of a Chinam

while Dick, drawing his big revolv

when it neared the place where Bud was perched on the top rail, ready to m

e. Nevertheless she did not call out to stop him, and her cheeks showe

cowboy!" came in stento

i

ell, clenching her hands so tightl

aped for its back, for the animal was now opposite him. The pony carried only a blanket strapped around its mid

hispered Nell in her excitement. "I guess tha

unmistakable signs and evidences of having falle

lled Dick

cried his b

in!" roared

strap around the pony and then his fingers had slipped off. Likewise the one

effort he pulled himself up, managed to get one leg over the ridge-like backbone of the pony and, a moment later, he was sitting upright on the

done it!" cr

n' Kid, reaching for his cigarette

ee, referring to a coming rodeo in a nearby town close to the Me

ed Old Billee coming around from the far

ugh before he managed to

pped her hands. And Dick, turning to asc

who's

t he had said he could-leap from the corral fence to the back of a passing pony-was n

ll with a smile. "I'm writing

make a press box f

ing their congratulations to the daring boy rancher when a new voice, f

the excite

ell set-up, bronzed specimen of a western ranchman who

neck, if that's what

ith a ha

him when he missed!"

blanket and approached his father who was now leaning over the top rail of the

and I made up this one, of fence jumping, so Dick and Nort and I could horn i

s last time, which is the only time I

riding, looking after fences, cattle all shipped off just as you left word when you went away and all tha

th your bare-back riding. But what I wanted to say was that I've got a new job for you b

" cried Nor

ith Chinese smugg

on the owner of Diamond X. "This is ri

his father had been away about a week on a mission known onl

f everything here at Diamond X and in Happy Valley is in as good s

re?" Bud wan

attle brand-to get it in shape before w

sly cried Bud

d news!" co

ere getting slow around here, and if we di

"Not but what you won't have more excitement, maybe, than if you did try bulldogging and bare-back riding," he added to hi

n't any danger

to fall on," and his point was illustrated as Bud bega

tell you, the news about buying D

l give Dick and me a chance to show how much we h

d news all righ

emarks which, most distinctly, were in the cate

kel to ask: "Did I understand you to say yo

right,

far from Los Pompan, n

he place,

ught for a moment. Then he went on wi

d eyes on. It's an ideal place for a cattle ranch. I'm lucky to get hold

anxious and much in earnest now, "but did you hear any

I didn't. Wha

the local name of the pla

, no. What's the nam

hat has always been called Death Valley, and nobody has ever been able to make a success of it as long as I can remember. I wish, Bos

erkel. "What do you mean? Wh

l fence and they looked from Billee Dobb to the owner of Diamond