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

h a blank and uncomprehending look on his face, w

to the transmitter. "See anything of an

the old cowboy's answer was,

hung up the receiver. "Nobody in sight, an' the wat

d Bud. "It was almost as dry as

n here from the riv

red Bud. "Well, if it mended itself so much the better. But that doesn't explain this,"

o do it either at this end, where the pipe takes water from the riv

d the stream inside the

the river end," said Nort, quic

er. I'm beginning to think there may be more

t is that?"

answered. "Well," he went on to his cousins, "we migh

ey," declared Babe. "There isn't a finer place t' rais

t-you might as wel

. "But I reckon it was just a little break, inside th' tunnel, an'

y rancher. "Are you going

of strays from Square M. They

ip them away," exclaimed Bud as he and his chums

Not so loud!"

ted to know, when

as in there! He'll be sure

tool Del Pinzo, and I'd just as soon ei

rash!" counseled Babe. "But they su

part artificial, which supplied Bud's new ranch with such a vital necessity as water. The stream had been

inside the tunnel, the water would have backed up and run out around th

with his cousins, making an easy pace along the trail that led over Snake

el; it's the only way to b

you!" excl

d of my black-rabbit bad luck, and look for success, now that you fellows are he

ttle you got

share with me, that your dad bought, but we don't own

e can clear that off;

nd, being without water so long, raises a specially fine kind of grass. Of course, there's always some at the far end of the valley, good gr

s for the water to

" chimed in

mp near the reservoir that evening. They found Old Billee and Yellin' Kid waiting for them,

as he greeted the lads, the Indian going off by h

"But I can't understand that wa

running?" asked Yellin' K

her, he didn't see it, for there wasn't any water

Old Billee. "Not that Buck would actu

the water wasn't ru

boy. "And there wasn't a sign of anything wrong. B

bbit, I reckon

e. "A black jack shore is bad l

owing the first mysterious disappearance of the water, and its equall

, aided the boys in such minor duties as were necessary to perform about the camp. The main duty was looking after the safety of the cattle, to see that none of them strayed beyond t

by Hank Fisher, the Double Z representative. And th

s and underground tunnel into the reservoir, Bud and his companions be

was only a bluff,"

sn't seem to have given y

nd that man you s

e was blood, sure enough, but he may have stumble

he disappear

e to take another look after we get

from the Flume Valley camp w

y in the tent where he slept with his cousins, uttered an exclamation of

tter?" asked D

ud, as he held up a piece of board

swered Dick.

bit getting in his work," answered Bud. "I

Dick could read, scrawled on it, evident

2. When wil