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

k, how the

the mount of his cousin and gave youn

's fine, Bud,"

out you

was the response from

stle a lively air. "Thought maybe y

the trail three days!" exclaimed Nort

st trips we've ever taken without something happening,

ng much has really happened, but we've been having

ty of time for things t

hat Death Valley looks

e flank, and Yellin' Kid on the other, was trailing the three boys along t

Billee had told such sinister tales. The first day was uneventful if you eliminate the fact that the pack of one of the led horses came loose, spilling

a matter of precaution the boys insisted on standing guard, it was not necessary

declared they had even beaten Ma Merkel at the cooking game. Though Billee Dobb was heard

. They had heard much about the great and glorious west before coming to live at Diamond X and the things that happened shortly after they arrived were quite "up to sample," as Dick used to rema

startling to happen after they had started on this expedition. Espe

e load was spilled," complained Dick as he an

ng for trouble

to keep from getting lo

ake it

slipping into the burrow of a prairie dog. And in shifting and struggling to keep from going d

wboy!" shoute

s no rodeo!"

ling to his feet. The pony, after running on a little way, came to a stop for th

something a cowboy must count on any time of the night or day. And there are ways of falling off gracefully, and wit

uckled Bud as he rode on to capture Dick's po

e saddle and the travelers kept on their way. Because of the fact that they had with them several

en, late that afternoon, they reached a place in a grove of trees amid

lf way," admitted

Dick. "I'm anxious to

h Va

icketed and preparations begun for cooking supper. "I mean about the mysterious

ht!" declared Billee wit

d Bud. "Though you don't know wh

orused Nor

get into the mineral district, where dad's new ranch is located. Maybe there were poison springs on Dot and Dash, B

phasis which showed his doubt. "But I never

can find some,

ferin' horned toads, what you want

and fence 'em off so there won't be any more deaths. If dad is

hat," admitted the cowboy. "The ki

he Boss wants to develop this new ranch. He said, if we could get it going, he'd buy a big herd

ry is just what we are going to do!" declared Bud.

" echoed Nort an

which cast flickering shadows over their faces. The men were smoking and the boys talked among themselves,

e rose and started for his blankets. As the air was warm an

tand guard?

ked Snake. "What good did it do you

d. "Guess there isn

say, Billee

ky coyotes has my permission!" chuckled the old man. "As for me,

to this, for it was no fun for one member of the trio to lose even a f

fully slumbering, while the restless horses moved about the leng

He seemed to be dreaming that he was buying a new pair of shoes and, after having tried on several tentative pairs in a shop, the salesman,

he youth and he sat up, his eyes barely open,

im-a dark figure barely seen in the shadows of the night-shadows cast by the flickering embers of the fire. And then, in a ru

in his blankets and had kicked his foot,

ed Dick sharply, r