Away rode Captain Roy and the cowboys, and some hours later they came back with the men, whom they had easily caught. They found the cattle hidden in a gully, or deep valley, near the creek, and the steers were driven back to their pasturage on Three Star Ranch.
Then the whole story came out. Sam Thurston and the others of the band, instead of raising cattle of their own, used to take those belonging to other ranchmen. They found it easy to take Uncle Fred"s, and, by making a dam, or wall of earth, across the place where the stream started that fed his spring, they could turn it in another direction, making it flow over a path, or trail.
Along this trail, when the water covered it, the men drove the cattle they took from Uncle Fred"s field, and the water covered, and washed away, any marks the cattle"s feet made. So no one could see which way they had been driven.
When the stream was thus dammed it did not flow into the spring, which went dry. After the dam was taken away the spring filled again.
And so it went on. Each time cattle were taken the spring was made to go dry, and the men thus fooled Uncle Fred and his cowboys. The bad men would hide the cattle and sell them to other men who did not know they were stolen.
So the secret of the spring might never have been discovered except for Laddie and Russ making that race to the bridge where they found the cowboy with the broken leg.
Sam Thurston became good after that, his leg healed, and he worked for Uncle Fred for a number of years. The bad men were sent to prison for a long time, and had no more chance to take cattle from any one.
"But aren"t you going to dig down in the well we made, and see what is at the bottom of it?" asked Russ of his father, a day or so after the cattle had been got back and the men sent away.
"Yes, I think we shall," said Uncle Fred. "I"d like to know what that gurgle of water is."
So they dug and found out. But it had nothing to do with the secret of the spring, after all. It was only an old pipe, that had been laid some years before by a man that had formerly owned the ranch, before Uncle Fred bought it. The man laid a pipe from the overflow of the spring to a chicken coop, so the hens could get a drink. Then the pipe became covered over, and the man did not think to tell Uncle Fred about it when the ranch was sold.
But the secret of the spring was found out, and never after that did it go dry, and no more of Uncle Fred"s cattle were taken.
"So it"s a good thing we came out to see you, isn"t it, Uncle Fred?"
asked Laddie.
"I should say it was!" laughed his uncle.
"I"m going to make a riddle about it!" went on Laddie. "I don"t just know what it"s going to be, or what the answer is. But it will be a riddle."
"All right," laughed Uncle Fred. "When you think of it tell me. And now have all the fun you can on Three Star Ranch. There are no more secrets to bother you."
"What makes "em call it a ranch?" asked Violet. "Is it "cause it has a branch of a tree on it? Or is it an Indian name? And where are all the Indians you said we"d see, Uncle Fred? And do the Indians and cowboys ever fight? And do the Indians have bows and arrows, and could I have a pony ride now?"
"Well, I"ll answer the last question by saying you may," said Uncle Fred with a laugh. "As for the others, we"ll see about them later."
"Come on!" cried Russ. "We"ll all have pony rides!"
"And I"ll get Bill Johnson to give us some cookies so we can play picnic!" added Laddie.
"Oh, wait for me," called Rose. "I must put my doll to bed before we start."
"I want to come!" shouted Mun Bun.
"Me, too!" added Margy.
"Bless their hearts! Let "em have all the fun they can!" laughed Uncle Fred.
And that"s just what we shall do with the six little Bunkers as we take leave of them, perhaps some time to meet them again.
THE END
THE TOM SWIFT SERIES
By VICTOR APPLETON
UNIFORM STYLE OF BINDING. INDIVIDUAL COLORED WRAPPERS.
These spirited tales, convey in a realistic way, the wonderful advances in land and sea locomotion. Stories like these are impressed upon the memory and their reading is productive only of good.
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS SERIES
By LAURA LEE HOPE
Author of "The Bobbsey Twins Series."
12mo. BOUND IN CLOTH. ILl.u.s.tRATED. UNIFORM STYLE OF BINDING
The adventures of Ruth and Alice DeVere. Their father, a widower, is an actor who has taken up work for the "movies." Both girls wish to aid him in his work and visit various localities to act in all sorts of pictures.
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS Or First Appearance in Photo Dramas.
Having lost his voice, the father of the girls goes into the movies and the girls follow. Tells how many "parlor dramas" are filmed.
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT OAK FARM Or Queer Happenings While Taking Rural Plays.
Full of fun in the country, the haps and mishaps of taking film plays, and giving an account of two unusual discoveries.
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS s...o...b..UND Or The Proof on the Film.
A tale of winter adventures in the wilderness, showing how the photo-play actors sometimes suffer.
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS UNDER THE PALMS Or Lost in the Wilds of Florida.
How they went to the land of palms, played many parts in dramas before the camera; were lost, and aided others who were also lost.
THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS AT ROCKY RANCH Or Great Days Among the Cowboys.