The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley; Or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery
minous warning Nort had picked up. Yellin' Kid was the first to speak
ggled!" voiced the Kid
harply from Nort to
your doin's
at do you mean?
-oh, I forgot-that's off," the veteran puncher hastened
uestioned Dick. "I should
u might naturally be suspicious of me as one who knew just where
n't my idea of the right
t young fellows will do
you three say you had
reliev
iven the first alarm and had been, in fact, the only one to view the midnight int
might say I'd be proud if I could sling a pen the way this feller did
y chided Billee. Then he took the paper from Snake Purdee, who
sked Yellin' Kid endeavoring to
offhand, recall anybody whose initials are S.T. But Tim Mellick, who keeps
t paper bags are alike, and store keepers get their supply of
he trail of this fellow from that scrap," admitted Bil
let's eat!" ex
" asked Dick as he saw Billee folding the ragged p
I'm not. I'm going to keep it un
ud. "Somebody doesn't want us to go on
should go on there and see
!" echoed his br
away, they'll find we don't s
llee's story is likely to be borne out. I mean that
o doesn't want to see any of us get put out of business with the poisoned water, or whether it's a
mind made up, now. I'm going to see this thing through to the finish!" and he smote
w who dropped that warning," he went on. "He would be sitting down here now talki
soon as I could wake my
were all sleepin
ystery. It was evident that the man, whoever he was, had ridden to the camp, had picketed his horse out some distance and then had sneaked in among the prostrate, sleeping figures. Evidently his object was
mong their friends or enemies, whose initials were S.T. and Dick's suggestion,
g about for possible clews to the intruder, the cavalcade was under way. But on
checking up on some of the things we've h
all will,"
thing tangible, and not a lo
rings or bad water," suggested Yellin' Kid
illee Dobb woul
the range of low hills outside of the valley. And when night came, and they were once
ked Bud of his cousins when camp was est
arm to have sentr
t anything happening to disturb us," said No
ll the same, I think we'll all sleep
We three old gazaboes will take turns.
men act as sentries. So Billee, Snake and Yellin' Kid arranged it among
leep if nothing w
es. But in spite of that fact when Bud went to the grub box to get out some bacon he found, stuck in a pack, a folded bro
TO DOT
is. But none was needed to make it c
out that!" cried Nort when
ve that warning without bein
ezers must 'a' been asleep at the switch. No tellin' which one it was,"
o camp while I was s
me, too!" came
how here's the warnin' and it looks as if this fellow, whoev
t discourage me
in a duet fro
would like to know," he murmured, "how this chap can sneak
could be picked up, the second warning was placed with the first, in Bil
sited. It was distinctly the "bad lands," but often in such a region can be found is
t was apparent to the boys and their older companions, as they r
e of mountains. "It's just as dad described it. I'll show these papers to whoever's in charge and they'll know we have come to tak
recalled some of the familiar landmarks. "Th
ckon them tales about all the cattle droppin' dead are fakes. Look at
it was, has worked itself out. I hope so. But there's Dot and Dash all right," and he
of a pleasant valley, long and narrow, yet wide enough to give space to several b
with many things. It was rather a tamer entry than they had counted o
id Dick as they rode their horses to the hitching rail, m
t enough,"
body around here for me to serve my possession papers o
he echoes of his voice thr
yourself heard," suggested Snake, an
o get on the nerves of the boys when Billee, who had bee
e matter?"
in the yard," was the quiet