The Boy Ranchers in Camp: or, The Water Fight at Diamond X

CHAPTER XX
INTO THE DEPTHS

Preparations for exploring the mysterious tunnel on this occasion were much more complete and elaborate than when Bud, Dick and Nort walked through it before. And they did not rush off in haste, the moment it was discovered that the water no longer came through the reservoir end of the pipe line that formed the beginning and end of the old underground stream course.

"There's water enough for nearly a week, anyhow," said Bud, in discussing their plans. "And if we can't discover the cause of the stoppage inside of that time, and get it turned on again, we may as well know that and give up Flume Valley as a bad job."

"That's right," chimed in Nort.

"The stoppage is inside the tunnel, that's sure," voiced Dick.

"Yes," answered his cousin. "The water is running in all right from the river."

This fact had been ascertained by telephone. The water was running freely from Pocut River above the dam, and into the pipe that entered the side of the mountain.

Bud's father had been told of the situation, which followed so closely on the heels of the discovery of the evil acts of Pocut Pete.

"Doesn't this sort of set you fellows back so you want to give up ranching?" Mr. Merkel asked his son and nephews.

"Not a bit!" promptly answered Bud.

"We're going to stick!" added Nort.

"And find out what makes this water stop," contributed Dick. "We'll show up Hank Fisher, Del Pinzo and that other bunch of crooks, too!"

"I don't see how Hank could have had anything to do with this water stoppage," said Mr. Merkel. "Of course it may develop that he hired Pocut Pete to infect our cattle, but even that is doubtful. Those fellows are pretty cute. Anyhow, Pocut Pete is where he can't do any harm for some time. He won't be tried until fall.

"But it's my idea, boys, that this water stoppage is caused by some natural means. We are using an old underground river bed, you realize, and there may be what I'd call a 'hole' in it somewhere. The water that ought to come to you may drop down that hole."

"But why doesn't it do it all the while?" asked Dick.

"That's one of the mysteries," said his uncle, "one that you'll have to solve."

"We went over it all before," spoke Bud, "and we couldn't see even a branch passage."

"Well, some of the men are going with you this time," his father said. "They're more used to looking for signs than you fellows are, though I must say you've done fine, so far!"

As Mr. Merkel had stated, it was decided to send several of the cowboys with Bud and his cousins on this expedition into the dark tunnel. Old Billee, Yellin' Kid and Snake Purdee would be of the party, which would thus consist of six.

In this way, there being safety in numbers, it was hoped that accidents might be avoided, or, if they happened, there would be at hand help for the unfortunates.

"If we could only take a boat," said Dick, when the preparations were almost completed, "it would be great!"

"What could we do with a boat in that stream, which is hardly three feet wide in places?" asked his brother. A boat had been mentioned in the first excitement, however, but the idea was abandoned as impracticable.

"Well, if the flood came, as suddenly as it did when we had to take refuge on the ledge, we could float out," answered Dick.

"A boat to hold six men would be too big to carry," spoke Bud. "Even a folding canvas one wouldn't answer. But I know what we can do."

"What?" asked Nort.

"We can each take an inner automobile tire. Blown up, they are as good as life preservers, and with them fastened to us we can float and be carried along by the current, if a flood happens again."

It was decided that this was a wise precaution to take, and from Diamond X some inner tubes were sent over – old ones that had outlived their usefulness on the car, but which still held air, and would, as Bud said, make excellent life preservers.

In order to make a thorough examination it was decided to take food and water enough to last the expedition at least two days. It was easy to traverse the tunnel in one day, as the boys had proved. But Old Billee counseled a slower trip.

"I wish I could go with you," said Mr. Merkel to the boys, when the time came for the start, "but I have a shipment of steers to get off, and I want to keep watch of this epidemic. It begins to look as if we had gotten the best of it, but I'm taking no chances."

"Oh, we'll make out all right, Dad," spoke Bud. "Though we would like to have you with us. And when we come back we'll either settle, for good and all, this fight for water, or we'll abandon Flume Valley!"

"I'd hate to see you give it up," said the ranchman. "It is an ideal place to raise cattle, with the water here. But without it, of course, there's no use thinking of it. Well, good luck to you," he called, as he turned to go back to Diamond X proper.

As he had said, there had been no further outbreak of the epidemic among the cattle of the boy ranchers. The steers which Pocut Pete had cut, injecting into them the pus and germs, died, however. And there were more of these than Bud and his cousins had counted on.

But if they lost no more than this half-score, and could get the water back, all might yet be well.

The water in the reservoir had gone down several feet when the expedition started into the tunnel. Much of the fluid had to be drawn off to water the thirsty cattle, for it was the height of summer now, and the heat, in the middle of the day, was terrific.

But there was still enough of the supply to last for several days. Then, if Bud and his companions could not discover the secret of the stoppage, and get the water to running again. Flume Valley would have to be abandoned.

"Well, I can't see that we can do any more," spoke Bud.

"No; you've got things as well fixed as possible," agreed Old Billee.

"Can't tell when you'll see us again," said Dick to the remaining cowboys gathered about the reservoir end of the tunnel to see the expedition start in.

"Well, good luck, anyhow!" came the answer.

A number of punchers had been sent over to Flume Valley from Diamond X and Triangle B to replace Yellin' Kid, Billee and Snake Purdee who were to accompany the boy ranchers.

Suddenly Yellin' Kid broke into song:

 
"Leave me alone with a rope an' a saddle,
Fold my spurs under my haid!
Give me a can of them sweet, yaller peaches,
'Cause why? My true-love is daid!"
 

"Oh, give us something cheerful!" laughed Bud, as the cowboy seemed about to start on another verse.

"That's cheerful enough for this occasion," retorted Yellin' Kid. "Wait 'till you hear me howl in that tunnel."

"Don't!" begged Dick with a laugh. "It echoes so you'll bring the roof down!"

There was a hurried inspection of their weapons and supplies, for each was equally needed. The inner tubes of several auto tires had been provided and tested, and there was a small air pump with which to inflate them.

"All ready?" asked Bud, at length.

"All ready," answered Old Billee. "But I wish I had a hoss!"

"Couldn't use one," retorted Snake Purdee. "It'll work off some of the fat, if you walk."

"Hu! Fat!" snorted Old Billee. "I ain't fat!"

"Forward!" suddenly called Bud.

Then with waves of their hands, and with the calling of many "good-bye" farewells, the expedition disappeared into the black depths of the tunnel.

What would they find? What would be the outcome? Would they ever reappear again?

These were questions which more than one asked himself, but no one spoke them aloud.

"Now," remarked Bud, when they were well within the long stretch of blackness, and lanterns had been lighted, "we walked, the other time, on the left-hand side of the water course. What say we try the right one this time?"

"Good enough!" decided Old Billee. "We'll be right for once!" he joked.

"But it really is a good idea," declared Snake Purdee. "There might have been something – some hidden passage on the side you didn't travel, boys. You could easily have missed it in the darkness."

So this was decided on. As a matter of fact in many places it was possible for the party to divide and some walk along either side of the old stream bed. But this would not be feasible should the water suddenly appear again.

And so the expedition moved slowly along. I say slowly, for that speed marked their course. They carried a number of lanterns and these were flashed over walls and roof as well as on the bottom, to discover, if possible, a branch tunnel, or hole, where the water might travel to, and thus be shunted off from the reservoir end. But, for several hours nothing occurred, and nothing was discovered. Lunch was eaten in the blackness, relieved as it was only by the lanterns, and then the expedition started off again.

"Here's the place where we were when the water came spouting before," said Bud, as they came opposite the ledge on which he and his cousins had taken refuge. "I think we ought to spend some time here and – "

"Hark," suddenly interrupted Nort. "Hear that noise!"

They all heard it – a rushing, roaring sound, like the blowing of a mighty wind.

"The water – the water!" cried Bud. "Look out!"

They could hear the noise more plainly, now, and as Snake and Billee raised their lanterns, the glows flashed on a white, frothy mass approaching through the blackness of the tunnel.

"It's the same as before!" cried Nort. "Get to the ledge! The ledge!"

He made a leap, running ahead to where he saw a more narrow place that would enable him to leap across from the right to the left side of the channel.

And then, while the others hung back for a moment, and Nort thus dashed ahead alone, his companions saw him quickly disappear. The wall of water suddenly rushed forward, but it never came quite to the place where the party of five now stood in nameless terror – five, for Nort had disappeared into the depths of the stream that had so mysteriously appeared again out of the blackness.

From whence it came, and whither it was rushing, not to foam entirely over that startled group, none in it could say. But it had engulfed Nort – that they had seen.

CHAPTER XXI
THE FIGURE ON THE ROCK

Horror and surprise held the five speechless for a moment. Then, as they heard the noise of the rushing water, and saw, by the light of their lanterns, that it came almost to them, but suddenly turned to the right, they came to their senses.

"Nort! Nort!" yelled Dick, his voice being flung back at him in echoes from the rocky, vaulted roof of the tunnel.

"What in th' world happened?" asked Old Billee in trembling accents.

"Nort fell into the stream, and was carried away," answered Bud, his voice choking.

"But why doesn't the water reach us?" asked Snake.

"That's what we'll have to find out," asserted Bud, bravely. "Come on!"

"But be careful," cautioned Billee. "Something may happen t' us, an' then we can't help Nort! Go easy!"

He spoke only in time, for the next moment, with an exclamation of horror, Bud and Dick, who had forged ahead, recoiled back.

"Look out!" shouted Bud, and he made such a lurch backward to recover his balance that the lantern was flung from his hand. It dropped, as they all could see, into the midst of black, swirling waters, white foam-capped on top.

And it was into this stream that Nort had fallen and been carried away, and into this stream that Bud and Dick had been nearly precipitated as they dashed forward.

Bud's lantern was extinguished with a hiss as the waters penetrated it and covered the wick. It sank from sight, but not before it had, in a flash, illuminated the surface of the water.

"It's a good thing we took the right-hand side," said Billee, as he and the others saw what it was that had caused the water to rush almost to their feet and then branch off. "I mean it's a good thing, for it may help us to solve the mystery. But as for poor Nort – "

He did not finish, but Dick sent up a despairing cry:

"Nort! Oh, Nort! Where are you?"

And only the vaulty echoes answered.

"What are we going to do?" asked Snake, who seemed unable to suggest anything.

"Everybody come here with their lanterns," directed Bud. "And light that spare one, Billee."

Thus was replaced the one he had dropped in the effort to save himself from falling into the same torrent that had engulfed his cousin.

And in the light of the lanterns, the one Nort had carried being forever lost, it seemed they all could see the explanation for the apparently mysterious action of the underground stream; or, rather, it was an explanation of part of the mystery; for this was only the beginning.

Beyond where they stood, in the direction of Pocut River, there flowed through the ancient channel a body of water larger than that which usually filled the underground course. This was accounted for, likely, by the fact that it had been stopped, or dammed, by some natural or artificial means, and had suddenly been released. Thus the channel was more fully filled than usual.

But, as I have said, the water came up to the point where the members of the expedition then stood. From there it made a sudden turn to their right, as they stood facing the river end of the tunnel. And it was this sudden turn – this shift in the course of the underground stream – which prevented it from engulfing our friends.

But it had engulfed Nort.

"I see what happened – or, at least, part of it," spoke Bud while the others listened. "The waters were suddenly turned on again, or turned themselves on, and shot this way. Nort heard them and ran down here to jump across the stream-bed, which was then dry. But he must have fallen over the edge of this traverse ledge, or channel, as I nearly did, and down he went!"

They looked, and agreed that this was very likely how it had taken place.

"But can't we save him?" pleaded Dick. "I'm a good swimmer. Let me try to get him! Maybe he's lying down there – on the bottom!"

He made as if to take off his coat, but Old Billee grabbed him by the arm.

"You'd only go t' your death, boy!" said the old ranchman hoarsely. "It's bad enough – as it is!"

"But what happened to Nort?" asked Dick, and there was a sob in his voice.

"He must have been carried away – down that stream – wherever it goes," asserted Snake Purdee.

"That's just the point, where does it go?" Dick asked.

"Wait a minute," counseled Bud. "Let's see if we can reason this out." He paused to give it thought. "The way this stream is running now," he resumed, "wouldn't put any water into our reservoir, would it?"

"No," answered Yellin' Kid, and for once his voice was softened. "Th' water is all being shunted down this passage – where Nort fell."

"But," resumed Bud, "this passage has always been here. We didn't see it before, as we walked on the other side of the main channel. Then if this side channel has always been here, and we managed to get water through our pipe when it was here, it stands to reason that it must fill in time, enabling the water to run along here," and he indicated the regular channel that extended back of them out toward Flume Valley.

"That's so!" cried Old Billee. "There's an end, or a bottom, t' this channel somewhere, and poor Nort can't be carried all the way through th' earth."

"But – but," faltered Dick. "It may be too late to save him when this side passage fills up."

"What I was going to propose," went on Bud, "is that we see if we can't follow along this newly-discovered side passage, as we have been following the main bed of the underground river."

He paused to let his companions visualize this suggestion.

"Do you think that would be safe?" asked Old Billee. "I mean," he added quickly, "will that be th' safest way t' try an' save Nort? I won't back down on anything – I guess you know that – but I was just wondering if there was some other way."

"There might be," said Bud. "We could go along on the left side of the stream, and see if there is a crossing place farther on. We saw some narrow places when we were here before, but it's a question how much water they'd have in them now."

"Oh, but can't we do something?" cried Dick, now almost sobbing, though he was making a brave effort to conquer himself. "Oh, Nort! Nort! Where are you?" he cried frenziedly.

But again only the echoes answered.

"Come on!" cried Old Billee suddenly. "We'll try this way. We've got t' do something!"

"Leave our packs here," suggested Yellin' Kid, and again his voice was low, as if in deference to Dick's feelings. "We can put 'em up on that ledge," he added, indicating a small one on their side of the underground stream. "The water doesn't appear to have been up there in years. If we leave our things here we'll be better able to help Nort – if we find him," he added in a voice so low that only Old Billee heard.

"Take our lanterns," suggested Snake Purdee.

"And ropes," went on Bud. "We may need 'em!"

Accordingly the food and other supplies, which the searchers after the secret of the underground water course had brought with them, were put up on the ledge, and then they started down the black passage through which the stream appeared to have branched, carrying Nort with it. There was room but for one to walk at a time on this "bank," as it might be called, of the hidden stream, and they had to proceed in single file.

"I'd like to see a map of this place, so we'd know where we were going," spoke Old Billee, as he swung his lantern from side to side in an endeavor to disclose the hidden secrets of the place.

"I have an idea that the underground stream is shaped like the letter T," spoke Bud. "The top, or cross stem, is the part that extends from the river to our reservoir. We are now walking along the upright piece."

"But if the main part of the T is also a stream, and the water is running down that, as it is, instead of along the main stem, it becomes for the time being a letter L, doesn't it?" asked Snake.

"Yes," assented Bud. "And as long as the water turns at right angles, as it does at the place where Nort fell in, and as long as the water runs along this same side passage, we don't get any at Flume Valley. The letter T is in our favor, and L is against us."

"But we didn't see anything like this when we were here before," remarked Dick.

"Because we weren't on this side," Bud answered. "And I have an idea that, in time, this second passage finally fills with water completely, and when it does the stream again flows along the cross stem of the T and we get it."

"Mebby you're right," Old Billee agreed. "But this isn't finding Nort."

"Will we – will we ever find him?" faltered Dick.

"Sure!" declared Bud, as heartily as he could.

But as they progressed in the darkness, stopping now and then to look about by means of the light, calling again and again, and as no reply came, even the heart of the stoutest of them sank in despair.

All they could see was black, rushing water, flowing in a channel it appeared to have cut, after countless years, in the solid rock. There was a narrow footpath, so to speak, on either side of this stream, and it was along this the searchers were walking.

Suddenly Bud, who was in the lead, uttered a strange cry.

"What's the matter?" exclaimed Dick. "Do you see him?"

"No! But look!" went on Bud. "We have come out into a regular underground cave! It's as big as a house!"

He flashed his lantern around in a circle, and as the others came up and stood beside him, at a spot where the passageway beside the stream widened, they saw that they had emerged into a great vault.

And as they stood there, awed and marveling, there came to them, above the rustle and whispering of the rushing waters, the sound of a human voice – it was as though someone, sorely hurt, had moaned.

"Listen!" cried Dick.

"Hold up your lanterns!" commanded Bud sharply.

As they raised them, throwing the combined light farther out across the stream that had widened into a pool in the vault, Dick uttered a cry.

"I see him! I see Nort!" yelled Dick. "There, on the rock!"

And he pointed to the huddled figure of some one on a great rock in the middle of the pool of black water, which seemed, a short distance from the inflowing stream, to be as quiet as a lake. And, as they watched in the gleam of the lights, the figure on the rock moved slightly.

"Nort! Nort!" cried Dick, and his voice was flung back in deafening echoes from the vaulted roof.