The Boy Ranchers in Camp; Or, The Water Fight at Diamond X

, Bud! Look out

ishes! What's the ide

s the trail almost under his feet and then, when the animal came to a sudden st

n a great measure, to break the force of the catapult over his pony's head. And

the petrified prune p

as black as gunpowder! Yo' shor

ng Sock," and the lad looked anxiously at his pinto, being re

bb. "I never see a black jack shoot in fron

e girths were tight. "Black jack! First one I ever saw," and he looked off in the distance toward a streak of

stars!" exclaimed the old cowboy.

ack in the ground!" laughed Bud, as he looked at his companion's greater

come that-a-way," cr

p yourself! Hump yourself, you old soap-footing specimen of

uthin' of a hurry, t' hear you talkin' that-a-way t' your critter," r

ahead of his companion on the dusty trail. "I reckon you'd be in a rush, too, if your cousins that you hadn't seen since last fa

n' out to Diamond X ag'in

y helped get rid of Del Pinzo and his cattle-rustling gang, and did their share in solving the

ep pace with Bud's. For the pinto, responding to the spur of voice and heel, had shot ahead. "I sorter forgot y

st bunch of steers you ever hazed to the stock yards, and Nort and Dick are going to help me. I'm r

h Bud Merkel was the son of the man who owned Diamond X, and other important western r

er through the tunnel-flume from Pocut River, but now it grows the best gra

in' suthin' about putting me over there, but I didn't pay much attention to

on the deal, and can raise steers on the grass that's grown since the water was let in, why, I'm to have it

sharply to his animal, pulling the pony quickly up as it stumbled. "There aren't any

r treatment of the animals. It was just their picturesque, western manner of talking, and hardly had the echo

ley?" asked Bud, as he slowed down the pace of his

nake and the rest of the bunch. But if you say your cousins are coming out, and if we

n in the short time the steers have been i

y-haired, "Well, if they've been thrivin' by themselves so far, what

hole, where the main trail from Diamond X came in. "For one thing this is something new, and dad wants it watched carefully. Then,

tryin' to run off our stock last year!" complained B

what they deserved, for they were sentenced to long terms. Bu

t it just the other w

t bunch of Mexicans and Greasers loose. That's one reason why we've got to watch out at Flume Valley, where we're

oothless smile at his employer's son. "Well, it's all in th' day's work, I reckon. But I'm not e

m to meet Dick and Nort at the water-hole-they were due a

he old cowboy. "I don't take much to new-fang

is part of the country for raising cattle was water. Now, since dad had the big pipe flume put in from Pocut Rive

ou all good luck, Bud, I'll help all I can. I'll be over to-night

ort and Dick will be with me, but we'll be on the lookout for you to-morrow. Bring what thi

asked Billee

ung rancher beat a tattoo with his heels on the sides of his steed, and raced down the slope toward two other lads who, l

maybe I can do something yet! Only I don't like that black jack-I shore don't! Never heard

oad-brimmed hat into the air, and catching it on the end

n't 'a' made it better!" joyously declared

et?" asked the other lad, who was ra

off?" a

eated Dick. "Last

"Oh, but I'm glad you fellows are here! Have a good trip? Are you hungry? Did

otion pretended to mop his face free of some imaginary perspirat

, Bud?" he begged. "One at a

ather said we were to ride out and meet you here at the water-hole. We've got as much of our outfi

that up there?" he asked, pointing to the figure of a

ellin' Kid,"

o be with us out at Flume Valley. Did dad tell

have been quite a trick to brin

round water course for part of the way. Then it was easy. And say-you ought to see what

s to see it

e," added Dick. "Just think! We're going t

at time!" cried Bud. "We

back over the way the latter had come. As they rode up the hill O

u a bit later over at your own ranch!" he added, and then, with a friendly wave

een his two eastern cousins, who had again come to sp

year we sure will have a ban

tling and digging up animals ten million years old," laug

d Nort and

later," pr

engthen they rode down into a triangular valley, at one end of which a rude dam could be

some slick pla

Nort. "And is this where w

h house yet. But we've got a tent-there it is," and he

nd better!" yelled Dick, a

resented by two or three tents grouped together, there e

d Buck Toot

d the easte

he best herd-riders you'd want, and he and I are great friends. Wonde

im. Nort and Dick also halted their ponies. But Buck Tooth rode to meet them at great speed, sitting i

tance. And then Nort and Dick could see why he was called that. A large, yellow-st

e so pronto like?" demanded

r in guttural tones. "You no

ater? I should say not!" c

k Tooth waved his hand toward the reservoir made by a dam th

d Bud. "This is strang

semi-desert it had long been. Dismounting, they climbed the slope and saw that from the great i

e. "The water has taken another course! Th