CHAPTER XXIII
CLOSING IN
"Now let's have the whole yarn," urged Bud Merkel.
The rescue party of cowboys had returned to Diamond X ranch, aftermeeting Nort and Dick who were riding their saddleless horses on theirway of escape from the mysterious camp.
Thereupon the two brothers told everything that had happened since theyrode off together two days before, to haze back the bunch of wildsteers.
"Hum! That's quite a yarn," commented Bud's father who, with SlimDegnan, Babe Milton and several of the cowboys, had listened to thelads' story.
"Did they harm you at all?" asked motherly Mrs. Merkel.
"No, they were very polite about it," answered Nort. "But of course weweren't going to stay with them on that account."
"I should say not!" chuckled Bud. "So you put paregoric in theGreaser's coffee! That was rich! Even Zip Poster couldn't have donebetter!"
"Oh, Zip! He'd 'a' drugged the whole camp, and brought 'em away one ata time on his shoulder," said Slim, with a wink at the others.
"Hum! You know a lot--don't you?" murmured Bud, but it was easy to seehe did not like any fun poked at Zip Foster, a very mysteriouspersonage, it appeared.
"How'd you come to find us?" asked Nort, when his own tale, and that ofhis brother, had been sufficiently told.
"Well, it was mainly luck, in a way," Bud answered. "After you tworode off that time, we didn't pay much attention to you for a while, aswe had our hands full with the cattle. Then we didn't worry, even whenit began to get dark, for we figured that the steers had given you moreof a run than usual. We didn't worry, for I told dad that you weregetting to be real ranchers."
Nort and Dick smiled proudly at this tribute.
"But," resumed Bud, "when you fellows didn't come back in the earlyhours of the morning, we did begin to get a little leery. And then westarted off to look for you as soon as it was light. We needn't say wedidn't find you. But we kept on hunting, and we were just about togive up again, and ride off in another direction, when we saw youheading for us."
"That camp of the professors' is pretty well hidden," spoke Nort. "Iwonder if we can find it again?"
"Bet your boots!" cried Bud. "I could find it in the dark, but wewon't wait until then to close in on the rustlers!"
"That's what they are!" cried Nort "They're cattle rustlers, andsomething else! Why, they had the nerve to drive some of our Diamond Xbranded cattle right in under our noses, and they never evenapologized!"
"Such fellows don't generally beg your pardon," commented Mr. Merkel,dryly. "But have you any idea what their game is, boys?" he asked thetwo brothers.
"They're digging, blasting and excavating for something that's hiddenin the ground," answered Nort. "Whether it's gold or diamonds I don'tknow."
"I don't see how it can be either," said Bud, with a shake of his head."Nothing like that has ever been found around here."
"There's always a first time," said Mrs. Merkel, with a smile. "Andwouldn't it be wonderful if there should be a diamond mine on ourranch? I'd rather it would be diamonds than gold," she went on, "as itdoesn't take so many diamonds to amount to a fortune."
"Well, all I've got to say is that if those rascals rustle off enoughof my steers they'll be making a fortune that I ought to have,"commented the head of Diamond X ranch. "I think it's time we closed inon 'em, boys!" he added sharply. "Up to now we didn't have any directevidence. But if Nort and Dick saw some of our cattle driven intotheir camp, and held there, that's proof enough of what they are."
"That's what I say!" cried Bud. "Let's get after the rustlers, DelPinzo and the rest! I always did suspect that slick Greaser, and nowwe've got the goods on him. Shouldn't wonder but what that Double Zoutfit was mixed up in this, too."
"Don't go jumping too fast," counseled his father. "Zip Fosterwouldn't like it!"
"Oh--er--well, you'll see if I'm not right!" said Bud, somewhatconfused.
It was planned, in the light of what Nort and Bud had seen and heard,to close in and raid the mysterious camp of the professors' the nextday. This talk had taken place during the night and early morninghours, following the meeting of the refugees with the rescue party.
"Maybe we ought to close in on 'em this morning," suggested Bud, as theconference broke up, when the first streaks of dawn were coming in theranch house windows.
"No," decided his father. "Nort and Dick want to get a little sleep,and we want them with us when we close in. Then, too, I want tocirculate the word around a bit, and have some deputies from thesheriff's office on hand to see that everything is done regular. Ofcourse I'd have a right to go in there, right off the reel, and take mycattle. But I'd rather do it regular."
So it was planned. Nort and Dick, indeed, were glad to get some sleepand rest, for they had had a hard time during the last two days. Butthey were hardy, healthy lads, and their life almost continually in theopen since coming to Diamond X ranch had made them able to endurehardships they could not, otherwise, have stood. So, after a shortrest and sleep, they were as eager as Bud and the cowboys to start on araid.
Meanwhile Mr. Merkel had not been idle. He had sent word of what hadhappened to several adjoining ranches, being careful, however, not tolet news of what was afoot trickle through to Hank Fisher, owner of theDouble Z. As a matter of fact, while there was no evidence to directlyconnect Hank with the mysterious operations at the professors' camp,this man was believed to have been involved in more than one cattlerustling operation.
It was hinted that he branded more mavericks than were rightfully his,and on several occasions cattle with "blurred brands" had been found onhis ranch. But he always managed to explain matters, though hisassociation with Del Pinzo, who gave it out that he was officiallyattached to Double Z, did not raise the value of Hank Fisher'sreputation. So it was thought best not to include him or his cowboysin the raid.
But others from adjoining' ranches assembled at Diamond X on themorning selected for the start, and by this time saddles and bridleshad been provided for Blaze and Blackie, and Nort and Dick sported newguns in their holsters.
"Now do be careful, won't you?" pleaded Mrs. Merkel, as the cavalcadestarted off, with none of the usual whooping and yelling that markedmany cowboy affairs. This was thought too serious to be decorated withhorse play.
"We'll be careful," promised her husband. "But I don't imaginethere'll be any serious trouble. We'll surround the place and if thosefellows have any sense they'll give up and take what's coming to them."
"Look out for the boys!" she said in a lower voice, nodding toward herown son, and Nort and Dick.
"I will," promised Mr. Merkel. "But from what I've seen," he added,with a twinkle in his eyes, "they're middlin' well able to look afterthemselves. Paregoric for that Greaser! That's pretty good!" and hechuckled as he rode off with the others.
The plans had been carefully made and each cowboy knew what he was todo. The idea was to surround the camp, if possible without arousingthe suspicions of the inmates, and then make a sudden rush on it fromall sides. This would be comparatively easy to do, since the camp wasin the valley, with hills all around it. It was simple enough tofollow the trail to the point where Nort and Dick had been met with asthey were escaping. And when this point was reached, it was left tothe two young ranchers themselves to say which way to go, since thecamp was not in sight, nor were there any known trails leading to it.
"Well, as near as I can tell this is the way we came," said Nort, afterstudying over the matter a bit, and consulting with Dick.
"All right," decided Mr. Merkel. "You lead a party that way, and I'lltake Dick, and bear off more to the south. It may be you haven't justhit it, and this will give us two shots at it. We'll keep within sightof one another as long as we can, and the first one who sights theright trail, leading in, will build a fire and send up smoke puffs."
This much settled, two parties rode off, Nort leading one and Dick theother.
They
were closing in on the mysterious camp.