The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley: or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery

CHAPTER III
ON THE TRAIL

Slowly the owner of Diamond X began to speak.

"That's just about what I'd expect of you boys," remarked Mr. Merkelwith a smile as he surveyed the lads. "But I can't let you run yourheads into a noose."

"That's just what they would be doing if they tried to ride herd in

Death Valley," came ominously from the veteran puncher.

"Watch me get him!" whispered Bud to his cousins. Then, addressing Old

Billee he went on: "I don't reckon, if we hit the trail for Dad's new

Dot and Dash ranch – I don't reckon you'll come with us; will you – Billee?" and he drawled the last few words with a wink at Nort and

Dick.

"Who, me? Go out there with you if your Pa thinks he'll let you? Isthat what you asted me?" demanded Billee Dobb, sharply.

"You heard me the first time!" chuckled Bud. "What say?"

"Course I'll go with you an' you know it!" snapped the old man. "Hu!

What you think I am, anyhow?"

"But you just said you vamoosed from Death Valley because you wereafraid," said Bud.

"Well, what I mean I was afraid!" admitted Billee. "It was a mightyskeery feelin', I'm tellin' you, to start out in the mornin' an' notknow whether you'd come acrost some dead puncher 'fore you'd riddenhalf way round the herd. I sure was scared!"

"Then why would you be willing to go back?" asked Nort.

"To look after you kids – that's why – if so be your Pa thinks it fittento send you out to Dot and Dash. An' you heard me, too, the firsttime!" snapped Billee with a trace of temper which was unusual in hisgentle nature.

"Well, I don't believe I'm going to send them – that's the answer to onequestion," said Mr. Merkel. "After what you told me, Billee, I can'tsee that it would be wise to take a chance. I'll put up with my loss, and – "

"Did you pay much for the new ranch, Dad?" asked Bud.

"Well, I thought I was getting a bargain," his father relied. "Butmaybe I'm going to be left holding the bag after all. It strikes menow that Barter was pretty anxious and quick to sell. I ought to havesmelled a rat, but I didn't. And, by and large, it was a pretty goodsum I paid. But, as I said, I'm willing to lose if – "

"You aren't going to lose, Uncle Henry!" cried Nort.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" chimed in his brother.

"And you got to count on me!" added Bud.

"The smallest roosters always have the loudest crow!" chuckled Snake

Purdee.

"Hey, you! Cut that out!" growled Yellin' Kid. "There ain't a yallerstreak in these boys an' you know it!"

"Course I know it!" chuckled Snake. "I was only kiddin'! Me, I aim togo 'long with 'em an' see what caused them mysterious killin's. Sure,I'm goin'!"

"Go easy, boys!" chuckled Billee. "If you all leave Diamond X, how's

Slim an' Babe goin' to run things?"

"Don't fool yourselves!" snapped the lanky foreman. "I run Diamond X'fore any of you fellers ever forked a bronc an' I can do it again."

"He's got me!" chimed in Babe.

"Ho! Ho!" chuckled Yellin' Kid. "You must 'a' been readin' the funnypapers!"

There was an ominous note, now, in some of the voices and Mr. Merkel, knowing how easily tempers of even the best of punchers are ruffled, interposed a soothing word or two.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," he said. "If what Billee states istrue, and I know he is telling the truth as he sees it, or as he heardit, why, I'm not going to send anybody to Dot and Dash."

"Oh, Dad!" cried Bud, beseechingly, while Nort and Dick chimed in with:

"Uncle Henry, we just got to go!"

"We'll have another talk about it," went on the ranch owner. "This isall news to me, Billee, and surprising news, too. I don't know what todo. I wish I had heard some of these stories before I went to LosPompan."

"You'd 'a' heard 'em all right if you had asted me," said the old man, thoughtfully scratching his head near where a bald spot was plainlyshowing. "But I had no idea you'd ever locate there."

"Oh, I won't locate there!" Mr. Merkel made haste to say. "I'd neverlive anywhere else than at Diamond X – my wife wouldn't move. But Ijust have to branch out and this struck me as being a good place tostart."

"Ain't no better place in all the west for raisin' cattle than theneighborhood of Los Pompan," interposed Billee. "And if it wasn't forwhat happened in Death Valley I'd be there yet."

"But what, actually, did happen?" asked Bud.

"That's what I don't know – what nobody knows," said Billee, "and that'swhat makes it all the more mysterious. Shucks! If we could 'a' foundout what caused the deaths it would have been easy to stop it – whetherit was Indians, rustlers or some disease. But we couldn't find out.That was the trouble, boys," and his voice sank to a whisper, "wecouldn't find out."

"Then we will!" cried Bud.

"You'll do what?" asked his father.

"We'll solve the mystery of Death Valley. Come on, Dad," he pleaded,"you just got to let us go!"

"I'll think about it," was all Mr. Merkel would say, and there was amore serious air about him than he had worn in many a day.

Gone, now, on the part of the boy ranchers, was any interest they mayhave had in the coming rodeo at Palmo. All their talk and ideascentered about what the ranch owner had told them, and the bad newsblurted out by Billee Dobb. While Mr. Merkel went in the house, wherehe talked to his wife and daughter, speaking only sketchily of theresult of his trip and Billee's remarks, the boys began to question theveteran puncher. It developed that other hands on Diamond X had alsoheard rumors of sinister stories about Dot and Dash.

"But we never had no reason, before, for speakin' of 'em," remarked

Squinty Lewis. And that, generally, was the sentiment. But though he could not have guessed his employer was on a mission to Los Pompan,

Billee reproached himself for not having sounded a warning.

"Do you honestly mean to say, Billee," asked Bud while his cousinslistened eagerly, "that there wasn't any way of tellin' how thosepunchers and the cattle died?"

"Absolutely not, boy!" was the reply. "They'd be all right one day, and the next they'd be dead."

"Maybe lightning struck 'em," suggested Nort.

"Lightning leaves a mark," Billee replied. "Besides, these things – Imean the deaths – would happen in clear weather. We didn't have manystorms, though lightning did kill some cows and I remember one puncherwho cashed in his chips that way. He was a nasty looking object, too, let me tell you. But Death Valley don't depend on lightning to getyou. There's some other way."

"Well, we're going to find out what it is!" declared Bud and hiscousins backed him up so forcefully that, in the end, Mr. Merkel atlast consented to the boy ranchers going to Dot and Dash, at least tolook the place over.

"I'm not going to ask you to try and sell it for me, so I won't bestuck," the ranchman said after his decision was made. "I'm not goingto palm off a death-dealing place on somebody the way Barter, so itappears, loaded me up with it. But I don't yet admit anything iswrong. However, if you boys find there is, just close up shop andwe'll forget it."

"No, Dad, we won't!" said Bud in a low voice, but with greatdetermination.

"What'll you do then?"

"We'll find that death-dealing ghost and lay him, or her or whatever itis!" cried the lad.

"And we'll be with you from the drop of the hat until the last gun isfired," cried Nort, while Dick nodded his agreement.

"Well, I like to hear you talk that way," Mr. Merkel said. "But I dohope nothing happens," he added anxiously, when the boys left to makepreparations for taking the trail to Death Valley.

"Something is bound to happen!" said Billee, who had been present whenthe decision was made. "But maybe these boys'll be able to beat thegame. They cleaned up the Chinese smugglers and beat the rustlers, sothey may cheat this mysterious death – whatever it is."

"Hush!" warned Mr. Merkel, for the old man, in the rancher's privateoffice, had spoken rather loudly. "I don't want my wife and Nell tohear. They'd never let the boys go, and I'm not sure I should, either."

"I'm going to be with them," Billee said, as if that meant a lot, andit really did.

"I'll send Yellin' Kid and Snake Purdee, too," decided Mr. Merkel.

"Yes," agreed Billee, "and it's going to be hard to beat that bunch.Well, maybe the curse has died out, but I'm afraid not – I'm afraidnot," he added with an ominous shake of his head as he went to thecorral to arrange about selecting the horses for the coming trip.

Los Pompan was about a week's ride, by easy stages, from Diamond X, andwhile the trip could have been made by train or auto, the boys decidedto take their horses. Considerable in the way of supplies must betaken, and, after all, an auto is not of much use, even theever-dependable flivver, in riding herd, a round-up or cutting out abunch of cattle for shipment. Albeit most of the ranchers owned carswhich came in handy for going to and fro from town, or getting in foodand supplies to the ranch house.

"We may be able to pick up a cheap, second-hand car after we get outthere," remarked Nort when his brother and Bud were talking plans overwith him a few days before the start. This was after they had decidedto ride their ponies to Death Valley rather than take the rusty andtrusty old Tin Lizzie which they owned and which carried them back andforth between Happy Valley and Diamond X.

"Yes, we may need a car to run down this mysterious death-dealing forcethat Billee sets such a store by," agreed Bud.

Final preparations were made. The boy ranchers, with Billee, Snake andYellin' Kid were to take over Dot and Dash. Mrs. Merkel and Nell saidtheir good-byes, happily unaware of the dangerous phase of theundertaking. As for the boys, they would not admit it was dangerous.To them it was a great lark.

"I only hope they'll sing the same tune after they've seen some of thethings I've seen," remarked Old Billee. "But I'll stick by 'em to thelast!"

"On our way!" cried Bud, the morning of the start, when their ponieshad been saddled and extra mounts, carrying packs, were loaded withfood and supplies.

"Hit the trail!" echoed Nort.

"And we'll come back with its scalp!" added Dick, referring, though notspecifically, to the mystery.

"Good-bye, boys," said Mr. Merkel in a low voice. "And – take care ofyourselves," he added as he clasped firmly the hands of his son andnephews. "Don't take any risks."

"No, sir!" they promised. But Mr. Merkel took that for what it wasworth.

So they were on the trail at last, setting out with high hopes andlight hearts for Death Valley.

"Where's that outfit heading for?" asked a passing puncher from CircleT ranch, the nearest to Diamond X, and a place owned by Thomas Ogden, who was quite friendly with Mr. Merkel.

"That outfit?" questioningly repeated Babe Milton, sizing up the manand noting that he was a stranger, "that bunch is going to Los Pompanto take over a new ranch the boss bought." It was no secret – half thepeople around Palmo knew what Mr. Merkel had done, though they had notheard the sinister reports of Death Valley.

"To Los Pompan, eh?" murmured the puncher, looking at the cloud of dustwhich hovered over the cavalcade of the boy ranchers. "Los Pompan,"and he seemed unusually interested.

"Know anything about it?" asked Babe.

"Who, me? Not a thing!" and, putting spurs to his mount he was off andaway.

"I don't want to be impolite," murmured Babe as he watched the puncherdisappear in a cloud of dust, "but I think you're a liar!"

Meanwhile the boy ranchers were on the trail. What they would find in

Death Valley not even Billee Dobb could tell.

CHAPTER IV
A NIGHT ALARM

"Well, Dick, how they coming?"

Bud Merkel urged his pony up alongside the mount of his cousin and gaveyoung Shannon a friendly poke in the ribs.

"Oh, everything's fine, Bud," responded Dick.

"How about you, Nort?"

"I'm sitting pretty," was the response from the other boy rancher.

"That's good," and Bud began to whistle a lively air. "Thought maybeyou were getting tired of the trip."

"What, so soon? And we've only been on the trail three days!"exclaimed Nort. "What do you think we are – tenderfeet?"

"Sure not!" replied Bud. "But this is one of the longest trips we'veever taken without something happening, and I thought maybe you twowere getting discouraged."

"Nothing to it!" chuckled Dick. "As you say, nothing much has reallyhappened, but we've been having a fine time since we started out fromDiamond X."

"And there's still plenty of time for things to happen before we get to

Dot and Dash and see what Death Valley looks like," suggested Nort.

"You said it, kid!" exclaimed Snake Purdee who, with Old Billee Dobb onone flank, and Yellin' Kid on the other, was trailing the three boysalong the rough and dusty trail. "There's plenty of time yet forthings to happen."

It was their third day of travel since Mr. Merkel had sent the boys andthe older ranch hands off to take possession of his new placeconcerning which Billee had told such sinister tales. The first daywas uneventful if you eliminate the fact that the pack of one of theled horses came loose, spilling the outfit on the ground. But it waseasily salvaged though it took some little time to pursue and rope thehorse who seemed inclined to take a holiday.

The first night saw the travelers camping under the glorious stars andthough, as a matter of precaution the boys insisted on standing guard,it was not necessary. Aside from the distant howling of coyotes, not asound disturbed their slumbers.

They traveled on the next day, stopping to cook their dinner over anopen fire and the boys declared they had even beaten Ma Merkel at thecooking game. Though Billee Dobb was heard to complain that the beans, which Dick passed to him, somehow lacked the home ranch flavor.

They were now on their third day of travel, after two uneventful nightsspent in the open, and, so far, nothing had happened. Truth to tell,Dick and Nort were beginning to get a bit discouraged. They had heardmuch about the great and glorious west before coming to live at DiamondX and the things that happened shortly after they arrived were quite"up to sample," as Dick used to remark. And in the succeeding seasonsthey passed with Bud, riding fence, helping at the round-ups and at thecutting out of cattle for shipment, enough had taken place to satisfyany reasonable lad.

So it was not without reason that Dick and Nort expected somethingstartling to happen after they had started on this expedition.Especially after what Billee Dobb had told them concerning Death Valley.

"But we haven't had any trouble since that one load was spilled,"complained Dick as he and his brother and cousin rode along together.

"Are you looking for trouble?" chuckled Bud.

"Well, I'd like enough to keep from getting lonesome," was the reply.

"You take it now – "

Dick's remarks were suddenly interrupted for, at that moment, his ponyfelt its left forefoot slipping into the burrow of a prairie dog. Andin shifting and struggling to keep from going down the pony neatlyshook Dick from the saddle and deposited him in a heap alongside thetrail.

"Ride 'im, cowboy!" shouted Yellin' Kid.

"Say, this is no rodeo!" chuckled Bud.

"Are you hurt?" Nort anxiously inquired, spurring to his brother, whowas scrambling to his feet. The pony, after running on a little way, came to a stop for the reins slipped down over its head and this wassufficient signal to cause a halt.

"Hurt? Shucks, no!" cried Dick. "'Tisn't the first time I've had afall." Nor was it. Suddenly leaving the saddle was something a cowboymust count on any time of the night or day. And there are ways offalling off gracefully, and without damage, just as there are insubmitting to a football tackle. Dick and Nort had learned how toprotect themselves.

"Well, something happened then all right!" chuckled Bud as he rode onto capture Dick's pony and lead him back to the unseated ranch lad.

"Thanks, but I don't care for just that kind of happening," and Dicklaughed as he vaulted into the saddle and the travelers kept on theirway. Because of the fact that they had with them several led horses, carrying packs containing food and other supplies, their progress wasnecessarily slow.

"Well, we're half way there, I guess, aren't we, Billee?" asked Budwhen, late that afternoon, they reached a place in a grove of treesamid the foothills where it seemed a good place to make camp for thenight.

"Leetle more'n half way," admitted the old puncher.

"That's good!" sighed Dick. "I'm anxious to see what we'll find in

Death Valley."

"Do you know, Billee, I've got another idea," remarked Bud as thehorses were picketed and preparations begun for cooking supper. "Imean about the mysterious deaths of men and cattle you say you sawwhile you were a hand on Dot and Dash."

"Yes, I seen 'em all right!" declared Billee with more force thangrammar.

"I'm not doubting that," admitted Bud. "Though you don't know whatkilled 'em. But I got an idea."

"What?" chorused Nort and Dick.

"A poison spring!" exclaimed Bud. "I mean bad water. You know there'sa lot of it out this way, and especially as we get into the mineraldistrict, where dad's new ranch is located. Maybe there were poisonsprings on Dot and Dash, Billee, and the men you saw lying dead, andalso the cattle, might have drunk from them. Couldn't it happen thatway?"

"Yes, it could," admitted Billee with an emphasis which showed hisdoubt. "But I never heard tell of no bad water on Dot and Dash."

"But maybe we can find some," went on Bud.

"Find bad water – poison springs! Sufferin' horned toads, what you wantto do that for?" roared Yellin' Kid.

"To prove my point," answered Bud, "and to locate such places and fence'em off so there won't be any more deaths. If dad is going to developthis ranch he doesn't want bad water on it."

"You're right! I didn't think of that," admitted the cowboy. "The kidmay be right, Billee," he went on.

"Yes, he may be," admitted the veteran with that same emphasis ofdoubt. "And it's true enough the Boss wants to develop this new ranch.He said, if we could get it going, he'd buy a big herd and raise cattledown there. But first Death Valley has got to be cleaned up, andthat's certain!"

"And cleaning up Death Valley and solving the mystery is just what weare going to do!" declared Bud. "How about it, boys?" and he turned tohis cousins.

"We're with you!" echoed Nort and Dick in chorus.

After the meal, and as darkness began to fall, the travelers sat aboutthe campfire, the dancing flames of which cast flickering shadows overtheir faces. The men were smoking and the boys talked amongthemselves, speculating over the mystery and occasionally listening tothe conversation of Billee, Snake and Yellin' Kid.

"Well, I'm goin' to turn in!" Billee announced at last as he rose andstarted for his blankets. As the air was warm and dry they had noterected the small tent which was carried.

"Shall we stand guard?" asked Nort.

"What in the name of Tunket for?" asked Snake. "What good did it doyou to have sentry-go the other nights?"

"None," admitted Bud. "Guess there isn't much sense in it."

"What do you say, Billee?" asked Nort.

"Anybody what wants to stay awake all night listenin' to them peskycoyotes has my permission!" chuckled the old man. "As for me, I'mgoing to pound my ear," and he prepared to crawl into his bed.

"We'll let it go," Bud decided and his cousins were not at all averseto this, for it was no fun for one member of the trio to lose even afew hours' sleep while waiting to call his relief to take the nesttrick.

Accordingly, a little later, all six of the travelers were peacefullyslumbering, while the restless horses moved about the length of theirpicket ropes, picking what herbage they could reach.

It happened to be Dick who was suddenly awakened at what he judged tobe the middle of the night. And the manner of his awakening was this.He seemed to be dreaming that he was buying a new pair of shoes and, after having tried on several tentative pairs in a shop, the salesman, who was attired in the full regalia of a cowboy, gave Dick's left foota sharp kick as if to indicate that he should remove the shoe from it.

This kick was so realistic that it awakened the youth and he sat up, his eyes barely open, but feeling a distinct pain in his left foot.

"That was some vivid dream," Dick was murmuring to himself when hesuddenly became aware that some one was moving away from him – a darkfigure barely seen in the shadows of the night – shadows cast by theflickering embers of the fire. And then, in a rush, there came to theyoung rancher the meaning of this night alarm. It had been partly adream and partly an actual happening.

Some one had stepped over him as he lay in his blankets and had kickedhis foot, causing the dream to merge into reality.

"Who are you?" cried Dick sharply, reaching for his gun.