CHAPTER XIX
PRISONERS
"Would you look at that!" shouted Nort, pointing down into the valley."They must be under bombardment! It's a battle, Dick!"
"Nonsense!" cried the younger lad, not as impulsive as his brother."They're blasting; that's what they're doing! Trying to locate apocket of gold, I reckon. But now we're all right, Nort. They'll tellus how to get back to Diamond X, even if they can't put us on the trailof the cattle we so stupidly missed."
"Well, maybe they can, and then again, maybe they can't," said Nortslowly.
"What do you mean?" asked Dick.
"Well, they may be able to tell us the way to Diamond X, but maybe theywon't want to tell us where the missing cattle are."
"You mean they may have taken 'em _themselves_?" asked Dick, and therewas surprise in his voice.
"It's possible," declared Nort. "But we can't find out much by stayingup here. Let's ride down and see what's going on. I reckon it's asyou say--they have been blasting."
At first no one paid any attention to the approach of Dick and Nort.The men who had run away as the blast let loose, now hurried back topeer into the excavation made by the explosion. And among those whothus eagerly sought to see the inner secrets of the earth, our heroesrecognized Professors Blair and Wright. These two scientists wereforemost among the men standing on the edge of the hole that had beentorn in the earth.
"No success!" Dick and Nort heard Professor Wright say as he turnedaside from the hole. "We must try lower down."
"Higher up, I should say," spoke Professor Blair.
"Oh, no. You must remember that the deposits are weighty, and would bebrought lower and lower each year by gravity, as well as by the slidingaction of the hill under the influence of erosion."
"Yes, you are correct, Professor," admitted Mr. Blair, and then the twoturned and beheld Dick and Nort at hand.
Surprise, and no very pleased surprise at that, was manifest on thefaces of the two scientists as they viewed the boys. Grouped aroundthe professors were several Mexicans, or Greasers, a Chinese, evidentlythe cook of the "outfit," and a number of workmen, unmistakablyAmerican. These last looked at the boys with scowling faces, thoughthe two professors tried to force smiles to their lips.
"Oh, you are from Circle T ranch, are you not?" asked Professor Blairof Dick and Nort. "You are the boys who were so kind as to bring theantiseptics for the wounded men, who, thanks to that treatment, are nowdoing well."
"Glad to hear it," said Nort. "Only we're not from Circle T. We hailfrom Diamond X."
"Strange names," murmured Professor Wright. "I don't see how youremember them, though I do recall, now, that Diamond X is the properterm. We--er--I hardly expected to see you again," he said, haltingly.
"Nor we you," spoke Nort, who seemed to be doing the talking for hisbrother and himself. "We started after some cattle, but they got awayfrom us and we lost ourselves. You haven't seen them; have you? Abunch of steers with the Square M brand on."
"And if you've seen anything of Diamond X ranch itself, up among thesehills, I wish you'd tell us how to get to it," added Dick, with awhimsical smile.
"Cattle! Of why should we know of your cattle!" exclaimed a harshvoice behind the boys, and Dick and Nort, turning in their saddles, sawfairly glaring at them Del Pinzo, the unprepossessing Mexican halfbreed.
"Do you think we have your steers--that we are _rustlers_?" demandedDel Pinzo fiercely.
"No," said Nort, seeing into what error he might be drawn. "I was onlyasking."
"Well, we haven't seen any of your cattle!" declared the Mexican, orhalf breed, to give his correct title. "And we don't want you aroundhere when we're----"
"Just a moment, Del Pinzo," interposed Professor Wright, and Dicknoticed a peculiar look pass between the two scientists. "You mustexcuse the zeal of one of our helpers," went on Mr. Wright. "He isdoubtless afraid that you might get hurt in a blast."
"Yes! Yes! Blasts are dangerous!" said the half breed quickly, and itseemed as if he spoke in answer to a signal given by one of thescientists. "We are going to set off another."
"It is just some research work we are undertaking," said ProfessorBlair, as he saw Nort and Dick looking around. "We have absentedourselves from our college to do some investigating, and it isnecessary to blast, in some cases, to get at the lower deposits."
Both Dick and Nort said to each other, afterwards, that they did notbelieve these statements.
"Perhaps you boys had better come down to the tents," suggestedProfessor Wright. "As Del Pinzo says, blasts are dangerous, and themen are going to set off another. Come to the tents," and with a waveof his hand he indicated the camp site, a level place amid the littleand big hills all about.
"Thanks," murmured Nort. "But are you going to be able to direct ushow to find Diamond X ranch?"
"Doubtless some of our men can tell you," said Mr. Wright. "Have youeaten?" he asked.
"We had a little," Dick replied. "But----"
"You can eat more, I have no doubt!" laughed Professor Blair, but hismerriment seemed to be forced. "Well, fortunately our larder is wellstocked. Come down and have something. How are all your friends?"
"Well, as far as we know, not having seen them since yesterday,"answered Dick. "You see we're not regular ranchers or cowboys yet,we're just learning."
"One need not be told _that_!" sneered Del Pinzo, who had followed ourheroes and the two professors down the slope.
Professor Blair turned and looked sharply at the half breed. Then thescientist, speaking, said:
"Del Pinzo, perhaps you had better return and watch that the next blastharms no one. We would not want an accident."
The half breed hesitated for a moment, and then murmured:
"_Si, senor!_" ("Yes, sir!")
He turned back up the hill, Dick and Nort continued down it toward thetents.
"Picket your horses and come in," invited Professor Wright, as he heldopen the flap of what was, evidently, the private dining tent ofhimself and his college companion. "I'll have Sing Wah fix you up alittle feed."
"This is mighty kind of you," murmured Dick, as he and his brother satat the folding camp table and ate hungrily.
"And now all we want is to be put on the trail to Diamond X," saidNort, as they finished. "We'll let the cattle go, for the time being."
He rose to leave the tent, followed by his brother, but, as the boysneared the flap a man, who, they remembered, had been called SilasThorp, interposed his ugly bulk in front of them.
"Don't be in a hurry to leave, boys," he sneered.
"Why not?" hotly demanded Nort.
"Because we'd like to keep you here a while," Thorp went on. "I guessthe professors would like to have you accept their hospitality a littlelonger."
"Is this true?" cried Nort. "Are we prisoners?"
"Well, that is rather a harsh word to use," said Professor Wright."But we feel we must detain you--at least for a while!"