nces."

"Especially with the sheep herders likely to swoop down on us and spoil
everything," added Bud.

"Hello, boys! Are you there?" exclaimed Professor Wright as he
recognized the voice of the lad. "You say someone had been stealing
your sheep?"

"Shades of Zip Foster! Never that!" cried Bud, calling upon a sort of
mythical patron saint whose identity he jealously concealed from his
cousins. "When we start herding sheep, Professor, the world will turn
the other way."

"We'll explain later," suggested Nort. "If you're going to stop with
us, Professor, turn around and come back."

"Gladly," answered the scientist. "But I have left my men and the
outfit some miles back, awaiting word as to whether or not I could
locate your ranch, and----"

"I'll send a man to bring 'em up," offered the foreman. "Mighty funny,
though, about you not firing at me," he added, as the horses were
turned back toward Diamond X. "Are you sure your friend didn't?" he
asked the professor.

"Zeb doesn't know one end of a gun from the other," said the scientist.
"As for me--I have none."

"Mighty queer!" muttered Snake. "Somebody fired all right."

"Must have been another party," suggested Bud. "Maybe you chased the
wrong bunch, Slim."

"Maybe I did, Bud," admitted the foreman, "though I didn't think there
was two bunches. If there was----"

He did not finish what he intended to say, for his mind was busy with
several thoughts engendered by the news that the hated sheep men might
come to a land so far held sacred to horses and cattle.

"Yes, it's mighty queer," said Slim musingly, as they turned in toward
the corral not far from the ranch house. "Some one fired at me just as
the chase began, and if it wasn't the professor----"

Mr. Merkel, followed by some of his ranchmen neighbors, came hurrying
from the house. Framed in the lighted doorway stood Ma Merkel and Nell.

"That you, Slim?" asked the owner of Diamond X.

"That's me," was the reply.

"Did you get 'em?"

"Well, in a way, yes," came the slow reply. "They turned out to be
friends of yours."

"_Friends?_" questioned Mr. Merkel sharply.

"It's Professor Wright," explained Bud.

"Then you've got the wrong parties!" cried Mr. Merkel. "There's been a
robbery here!"

"A _robbery_!" chorused the boy ranchers.

"Yes! In the excitement somebody got in the ranch house and ransacked
my safe."

"Did they get much?" Dick asked.

Amid a silence Mr. Merkel