The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley; Or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery
he fence for he had just returned from a long journey and wa
Valley as sure as shootin', and while I wish you good luck I don't see how
y new Dot and Dash ra
Mountains of Californ
at place-four hund
nd all that sort of
Death Valley," interrup
only a local name for
it's as bad
re about it, Billee," s
ould be a good ya
ke to read abo
lared the veteran punc
uth. I'll tell
le and then, selecting a place on the ground, where a shadow was
s two cousins. They are the youths who are to be the heroes of this story, and they first came into promine
y found Bud, who had been among horses and cattle all his life. Nort and Dick soon assimilated the traditions of the west, became accomplished riders and able to punch
ranch in Happy Valley, not far from the main one managed by Mr. Merkel and his foreman Slim Degnan. But
re trailed, and how the sheep herders were overcome. "The Boy Ranchers on Roaring River; or Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers" is the title of the book immediately preceding the present
had gone off on a business trip, the import of which was little known to the boys. He had returned, as has been
nnouncement about the ominous character o
you if this Death Valley of yours is anything more than one of the picturesque names we have out here in the Golden West. You know we just n
t a name, Boss," said the old punch
hom, Billee
ugh to try to live there and r
cattle?" Dick
a low voice. "They just naturally die off 'fore they can be shipped t
e," asked Mr. Merkel, "
here. I don't buy a pi
the place up before I c
Death Valley didn'
ted the old
stay there l
ther. "But it won't take me long to tell you boys," and h
ake any money in the cattle business nowadays you got to do business on a large scale. So I've been looking around, and making inquiries, and in that way h
ust what I was looking for. The ranch wasn't too near the town, and yet it wasn't too far from the railroad, and I took the t
l of good beans right
rd
ots of water, and there's a range of hills that will keep off the cold winds in winter. Barter's cattle-what I saw of 'em-looked to be in good shape. So, havi
, and leave no one in charg
reman who worked for Barter, to remain in charge unt
anxious to stay?" a
t away," admitted Mr. Merkel. "Though I didn't pay any atte
alley does get another job," comment
and Dash and hurried home here to get Bud, and some of the boys to go down
, Dad, if you got a rea
u
all right, and then som
gged Bud. "What you t
st it,
w, if your father is through
e," said Mr. Merkel. "Le
I'd known you was dickerin' for any ranch near Los Pompan, Boss, I'd 'a' told you to
nd paid for it. Barte
keep it
ranch and the
muttered Billee. "As for the cattle, you'll find few
Billee, and spill th
iamond X, "when, in the course of my wanderings, I struck Los Pompan. There was a ranch there then, called Dot and Dash, just as there is now
n the job?" chuckled B
nt, and as fat a
le better'n what you can any day and I'm a heap sight older 'n' wiser. No,
happened?"
d!" said Billee, solem
bserved Mr. Merkel quietly. "We ha
red Billee. "And they didn't keep happenin
were there?" Bu
remember, but t
ysterious," commented
poor devil of a puncher would be found dead off in some lonely swale. Then w
," sugges
"Rustlers drive off cattle-they do
did up the cowboys,"
dead, got shot, why wasn't there bulle
here?" as
a h
fe thrust?" Nort
the old man. "And yet their faces showed they'd die
ted Mr. Merkel. "But didn't you fin
neither did nobody else I ever heard of,
admitted Mr. Merkel. "But that doesn't say, because fifteen or twen
ob. He come here but I knew we was full up so I told him to go over to Circle T, and he do
mysterious dea
what I says is, lay
y jolly. I don't want anybody to take any unne
lose it, Dad
you mea
ere! We aren't going to be scared off by any
his fellow
!" declared Di
" cried No
three lads ranged the
aiting fo