The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley; Or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery

he fence for he had just returned from a long journey and wa

Valley as sure as shootin', and while I wish you good luck I don't see how

y new Dot and Dash ra

Mountains of Californ

at place-four hund

nd all that sort of

Death Valley," interrup

only a local name for

it's as bad

re about it, Billee," s

ould be a good ya

ke to read abo

lared the veteran punc

uth. I'll tell

le and then, selecting a place on the ground, where a shadow was

s two cousins. They are the youths who are to be the heroes of this story, and they first came into promine

y found Bud, who had been among horses and cattle all his life. Nort and Dick soon assimilated the traditions of the west, became accomplished riders and able to punch

ranch in Happy Valley, not far from the main one managed by Mr. Merkel and his foreman Slim Degnan. But

re trailed, and how the sheep herders were overcome. "The Boy Ranchers on Roaring River; or Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers" is the title of the book immediately preceding the present

had gone off on a business trip, the import of which was little known to the boys. He had returned, as has been

nnouncement about the ominous character o

you if this Death Valley of yours is anything more than one of the picturesque names we have out here in the Golden West. You know we just n

t a name, Boss," said the old punch

hom, Billee

ugh to try to live there and r

cattle?" Dick

a low voice. "They just naturally die off 'fore they can be shipped t

e," asked Mr. Merkel, "

here. I don't buy a pi

the place up before I c

Death Valley didn'

ted the old

stay there l

ther. "But it won't take me long to tell you boys," and h

ake any money in the cattle business nowadays you got to do business on a large scale. So I've been looking around, and making inquiries, and in that way h

ust what I was looking for. The ranch wasn't too near the town, and yet it wasn't too far from the railroad, and I took the t

l of good beans right

rd

ots of water, and there's a range of hills that will keep off the cold winds in winter. Barter's cattle-what I saw of 'em-looked to be in good shape. So, havi

, and leave no one in charg

reman who worked for Barter, to remain in charge unt

anxious to stay?" a

t away," admitted Mr. Merkel. "Though I didn't pay any atte

alley does get another job," comment

and Dash and hurried home here to get Bud, and some of the boys to go down

, Dad, if you got a rea

u

all right, and then som

gged Bud. "What you t

st it,

w, if your father is through

e," said Mr. Merkel. "Le

I'd known you was dickerin' for any ranch near Los Pompan, Boss, I'd 'a' told you to

nd paid for it. Barte

keep it

ranch and the

muttered Billee. "As for the cattle, you'll find few

Billee, and spill th

iamond X, "when, in the course of my wanderings, I struck Los Pompan. There was a ranch there then, called Dot and Dash, just as there is now

n the job?" chuckled B

nt, and as fat a

le better'n what you can any day and I'm a heap sight older 'n' wiser. No,

happened?"

d!" said Billee, solem

bserved Mr. Merkel quietly. "We ha

red Billee. "And they didn't keep happenin

were there?" Bu

remember, but t

ysterious," commented

poor devil of a puncher would be found dead off in some lonely swale. Then w

," sugges

"Rustlers drive off cattle-they do

did up the cowboys,"

dead, got shot, why wasn't there bulle

here?" as

a h

fe thrust?" Nort

the old man. "And yet their faces showed they'd die

ted Mr. Merkel. "But didn't you fin

neither did nobody else I ever heard of,

admitted Mr. Merkel. "But that doesn't say, because fifteen or twen

ob. He come here but I knew we was full up so I told him to go over to Circle T, and he do

mysterious dea

what I says is, lay

y jolly. I don't want anybody to take any unne

lose it, Dad

you mea

ere! We aren't going to be scared off by any

his fellow

!" declared Di

" cried No

three lads ranged the

aiting fo