The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians | Page 4

the regular troops have received orders to move, and they're on their way now. If there were only a scattered few of the Yaquis, Uncle Sam wouldn't be so anxious. They've raided one Arizona town, I heard."
"They have!" cried Nort, Dick and Bud in a breath.
"Why this must have happened several days ago," exclaimed Mr. Merkel. "The Yaquis are quartered some distance from here, and news doesn't travel as fast as all that. How do you account for it, Billee?"
"Well, the fellow who told me got his information from one of those scavengers," explained Billee.
"Scavengers!" cried Bud.
"Yes, you know--one of them fellers that go up in flyin' machines," explained the old cow puncher.
"Oh, you mean aviators!" exploded Bud, trying not to laugh.
"Well, something like that, yes," admitted Billee. "Word of the rising of the Indians was sent out by wireless, and some of the flying machines were ordered to the border. One of 'em who was flying around here had tire trouble, or something like that, and had to come down. It was from him the boys back in town got some of the news, and the deputy sheriff gave out the rest.
"Oh, the Yaquis are risin' up all right, and they may come out here. I rode over like a prairie fire to let you folks know. We've had trouble enough here at Diamond X and I didn't want any more."
"Much obliged to you, Billee," said Mr. Merkel. "Did you happen to hear what town it was in Arizona that the Yaquis raided?"
"It was La--La--wait a minute now. It was one of those crazy Spanish names. I'll tell you--La--La--La Nogalique--that's it!"
"La Nogalique!" cried Mr. Merkel, and he looked at the letter from Rosemary.
"That's her!" affirmed the cowboy.
"Why--why!" exclaimed the ranchman, "that's the way they were coming--in their auto! La Nogalique! They might have been there--"
"Who were coming?" asked his wife quickly.
"Rosemary and Floyd; They'd be there just about--when was that raid, Billee Dobb?" cried Mr. Merkel.
"Last Friday!"
The ranchman whistled.
"That's bad!" he murmured. "Bad!"
"Would Rosemary and her brother have reached there by then?" asked Mrs. Merkel.
"Just about," her husband replied slowly. "Just about! This looks bad! Boys, we've got to do something! Those Yaquis may just be off on a little harmless jamboree, or they may be excited by a lot of their Medicine Men, or whatever they call 'em! Once let 'em get on the rampage, half Mexicans as they are, and we won't know what to expect! It looks bad! I'm glad the round-up is over. It gives us time. Boys, I think--"
But what he thought Mr. Merkel did not disclose--at least for the time being. The attention of all was again attracted by the sound of rapid hoofbeats, and, looking toward the trail that led to town, a horseman was seen riding toward Diamond X. By the manner of his approach it was easily assumed that he came on no ordinary errand.
"More news of the Indians, or I miss my guess!" murmured Bud.
And while the solitary horseman is rapidly approaching, I will endeavor to imitate his speed in acquainting my new readers with a little of the past history concerning the boy ranchers as they have played their parts in the previous books of this series.
The initial volume is entitled "The Boy Ranchers," and tells how Nort and Dick Shannon went to visit their cousin, Bud Merkel, on the ranch of the latter's father. This ranch, Diamond X, was in a western state, not far from the Mexican border. And, as you know, the Yaqui Indians were, in the main, a tribe of Mexican Redmen, who made their home partly in the Land of Montezuma and partly in Arizona, as best pleased them. Efforts were made by the Mexican Government to keep the Yaquis on a reservation, but the efforts were not always successful.
Mr. Merkel was a ranchman of experience, and planned to have his son follow in his footsteps. This Bud was eager to do, and when his cousins came he saw a chance for them to get into the cattle raising business on their own account.
This they did, but not before they had solved a strange mystery centering about Diamond X. As you may recall, the ranch was named after the brand used to mark its cattle--an X within a diamond outline.
The mystery solved, the boy ranchers turned their attention to other matters, and these are related in the second volume, "The Boy Ranchers In Camp." Mr. Merkel, by using an ancient underground water course beneath Snake Mountain, had brought much-needed moisture to a distant valley he owned, thus making it possible to use it as a place for raising cattle. This new ranch, variously called Happy Valley, Diamond X Second, and Buffalo Wallow, was given in charge of the boys to experiment with. They