"I"m inclined t" think it has," said Yellin" Kid. "An", what"s more, Bud, I think we"ll wake up again, some mornin", t" find that reservoir of yours out-a business."
"Do you mean Hank Fisher, or Del Pinzo and his crowd, will blow it up?"
asked Bud anxiously.
"Not exactly that, but they"ll cut off your water supply."
"But how can they?" asked Bud. "They can"t do anything to the pipe intake at Pocut River without being seen, and dad had legal advice to the effect that he has as good right to that river water as Double Z, or any other ranch. And as for this end of the pipe here, we can look after that, I reckon," and he significantly tapped his .45 which he had strapped on, preparatory to getting ready for the cattle shipment.
"That"s all right," a.s.serted Yellin" Kid. "But you"ve forgotten th"
big tunnel under the mountain, Bud, where the water runs free after it leaves the river pipe, an" before it gets to the pipe here."
"But Hank, or Del Pinzo, can"t cut off the water inside the mountain tunnel without having it back up and run into the river again--and it didn"t do that!" Bud insisted.
Yellin" Kid shrugged his shoulders, as he started for the corral to get his horse, since he was to aid in driving the cattle to the railroad stock yard.
"I don"t know nothin" about th" scientific end of it," he drawled loudly, "but, mark my words, there"s some queer business goin" on, an"
Hank Fisher an" Del Pinzo have a hand in it. Look out for your water supply, Bud; that"s my advice!"
"An" don"t let any more black rabbits cross your path," added Old Billee.
"Bunk!" scoffed Bud. "Though I don"t like this warning, all the same.
Let"s go take a look at the reservoir, fellows."
But an inspection of the concrete water-container showed nothing wrong there. The sparkling fluid, so necessary for the cattle, and so vital to Diamond X Second, was spurting from the pipe freely.
"Guess they"re only trying to bluff us!" was d.i.c.k"s opinion.
"Maybe," a.s.sented his cousin. "But, all the same, I"d like to know who was in our camp last night. If this thing is going to keep up we"ll have to mount guard."
"That wouldn"t be a bad idea," declared Nort. "I don"t like to go to bed so early, anyhow."
"You"ll be glad enough to turn in after we get into the swing of things here, branding cattle, shipping "em off and all that," said Bud. "But let"s take a look around after we get this bunch off."
And when Yellin" Kid, with another cowboy sent by Mr. Merkel to help Bud in getting the steers to the railroad station, had departed with the shipment, the boy ranchers, Old Billee and Buck Tooth made a careful examination in the vicinity of the tents.
Of course, with so many who really belonged in the camp, tramping around it, there was little likelihood of an alien foot being discovered. Nevertheless, Bud hoped for something of this sort. But it was not to be. No trace of the midnight intruder, who had left the ominous warning, was discovered. And yet he had come and gone--had even penetrated to the tent where the boys were sleeping.
"It"s either bluff, or it means something," declared Bud, as they a.s.sembled for lunch. "And if it isn"t bluff, but a _fight_, Hank Fisher and Del Pinzo will find we can stick to our guns as well as they!"
"You said it!" cried Nort.
"Del Pinzo didn"t stay long in jail; did he?" asked d.i.c.k, for, following the discovery of the Triceratops and the capture of the cattle rustlers, as detailed in the first volume, the Mexican halfbreed had been arrested.
"No, he managed to get out, and, by some hook or crook, he still manages to escape arrest," Bud answered.
For some time it appeared that the two warnings were only "bluffs." No sign came from the unknown, and no trace was seen of Hank Fisher, Del Pinzo or any of the unprincipled gang which had made so much trouble the previous year for the Diamond X outfit.
Nor did the water coming under Snake Mountain show any signs of giving out. Day after day it ran its limpid stream, furnishing drink for man and beast, and enabling gra.s.s to grow where it had never grown before.
"Some day I"m going to rig up a turbine wheel and attach a dynamo to it, so we can have electric light here," declared Bud.
"That"ll be great!" exclaimed d.i.c.k.
The first shipment of cattle had been safely gotten off from Flume Valley, and brought a good price. This money did not all come to the boy ranchers, however, as Mr. Merkel had insisted on a strict business deal; and he was to be paid for his share of the stock he supplied Bud from the first money coming in. Later the boys would get their profits--if there were any.
But the first lot of steers had been sent away, bringing a higher price than usual because of their prime condition, attributed, so Bud said, to the finer quality of gra.s.s, and it looked as if the boy ranchers might make a success of their first venture.
"Even discounting the black rabbit and the warnings out of the air,"
said Bud.
It was, then, with somewhat of an ominous feeling that, one morning, as the boys and their cowboy friends were at breakfast, they saw a rider hastening toward them along the trail that led from Diamond X.
"It"s Snake Purdee!" exclaimed Yellin" Kid, when the rider had approached near enough to be recognized.
"An" he"s ridin" like he had suthin" on his mind!" added Old Billee.
"I hope that black rabbit----" he murmured, and then his voice trailed off into a whisper as Yellin" Kid surrept.i.tiously kicked him under the packing-box table.
"Don"t scare th" boys!" whispered Yellin" Kid in explanation, as Snake Purdee galloped nearer.
The rider flung himself from his pony, which came to a sliding stop near the camp tents, and, looking first at the boy ranchers, and then at the big, peaceful valley stretching out before him, remarked:
"Yes, there"s plenty of room here!"
"For what?" asked Bud.
"More cattle!" answered Snake Purdee. "There"s been trouble over at Square M, fellows!"
"Trouble?" exclaimed the boy ranchers in chorus. "What kind?"
"Bad trouble," was the reply. "Call your father up on th" "phone, Bud," he added. "He wants t" talk t" you. Yes," he went on, musingly, as Bud hastened in to the telephone, "there"s bad trouble at Square M!"
CHAPTER VII
DOUBLING UP
Nort and d.i.c.k looked at each other as Bud slipped into the tent where the telephone had been installed. Snake Purdee strode over to the water pail, and took a long drink.
"That"s good stuff!" he remarked with a sigh of satisfaction, and then he led his pony to the trough, into which the thirsty animal dipped his muzzle deeply. "Mighty good water!"
"An" I hope nothing happens to it," voiced Old Billee.
"Happens! What d"yo" mean?" questioned the bearer of bad tidings.
"The water"s here, ain"t it?"
"But no tellin" how long it"ll run," added the veteran cowpuncher. "A black rabbit run across Bud"s path the day he was ridin" to meet Nort and d.i.c.k, and ever since then----"