The Boy Ranchers; Or, Solving the Mystery at Diamond X

ving been spent on his father's ranches, Bud had unconsciously acquired the valuable habit of observation-and quiet observation at that. He wanted to look about and notic

ost as impulsive as Nort. He was like the majority of boys, but on this occasion, when

t again, as eagerly as before. "Doesn't th

ng they weren't after the yellow boys was all bunk and bluff! They did it to throw us off the t

ly shook

ousin's denial of the theory that f

they'd been prospecting for water, digging here, there and everywhere. But there wasn't any need of that, for here's a good spring of water, and the river isn't

m his saddle, and, by pulling the reins forward, over his pony's head, thus

een tearing up the ground," he added, as he noticed on the side hill, where t

ng to accept a theory of less valuable metal. "Or diamonds!

es not far from here, down Mexico way, and diamonds have bee

long, saying what we thought, and we don't know any of the ins and outs of the matter. You're right on

foot, walking about the debris of the camp, while the ponies sniffed, here and t

nting for something, wo

that far,"

n't find it,"

nk so?" asked the y

ot to say mined gold," went on Dick. "In all the stories of recovered treasure I ever read, they always left a hole where t

gold, or anything like that," declared

uth?" asked Nort. "That's

now of the country and sizing up this outf

essor Blair and Professor Wright don't hire an ou

ey're after something, but I reckon it's

our cattle, or some steers from the Circle T

e they've gone into cattle rustling on a new scale, to throw everybody off the track, and finding out we we

tacked by Greasers and Indians, who thought they could get some gold, the profes

as Zip Foster would say, I don't be

this meant?" asked Dick, waving

longer. We can't learn anything here. Might as well get back to the ranch. If you

ing it here?" asked Dick.

orse and his gun-the ever-present lariat. Bud was an accomplished swinger of t

nd pulled up his pony which had, as was usual, started off the moment he felt a weight on his back. "I can see you better up here," Bud went on. "Try it stan

other, and Bud encouraged them b

his arm began to ache, for throwing

r roping from the saddle. Of course this isn't regular, for you don't generally rope standing objects," he went on. "Sock isn't used to t

, wheeling quickly, and with a wild, inspiring "Yip-yippi!" the young rancher came riding fast t

g through the air, lengthening out like a long, thin snake, and almost hissing like one. Ins

pe. For Sock had been taught that he must always do this when a steer was being roped, and though he cou

ere about to settle over the stump, there was a sudden movement in a

boys, rose a human figure. He was so close to the stump and he rose up in such a manner leaning slightly over, as if d

the Box, that Sock was startled, and pranced back, exactly as he would have done in orde

he was dragged over the flat top of the

it of play arranged for their benefit by their cousin. But a look at Bud's

nd Dick recognized as Mexican-Spanish, and then, as Bud stopped his pony, and the rope loosen

gnized the fellow. "Del Pinzo! I di

lster that Nort and Dick noted with relief was empty. For Del Pinzo's gun had fallen out