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