ls, and of
course no artillery, though the boys wished they did have a machine
gun. But, on the other hand, no artillery would be brought up against
them, so this evened matters up. If it came to a fight there would be
only revolvers used on both sides at first, though later rifles might
come into play. However, not even the most rabid of the cowboys from
Diamond X really wanted a bloody fight. They would much rather the
sheep men kept away, leaving the rightful owners of the land in
possession.

But, as Billee had said, the stealing of Mr. Merkel's papers seemed to
indicate some deep-laid plot to cheat him of his land that was so
valuable.

"We're in as good shape as we can be, until it comes to a showdown and
a fight," remarked Billee, when the noon-day meal was served, after
they had gone carefully over the defense. "Did you get your dad?" he
asked Bud.

"Yes, I had him on the wire," answered the son of the owner of Diamond
X. "Nothing new has developed back home, and I told him about this
fellow. He thinks, as we do, that he was a spy."

"And, the more I think of it, the more I think I have seen that fellow
before," remarked Nort, with a puzzled air.

"Seen him before--what do you mean?" asked Dick.

"Well, his face seemed familiar at first, and then when he lit his
cigaret and threw it away, he reminded me of some one."

"Some one in the movies, maybe," said Bud.

"Well, that's what I thought at first," admitted Nort, "though the more
I think of it the more I'm certain that I've seen him out here--some
time ago. I wish I could recall it."

"I can't place him," said Dick. "Stop thinking of it, Nort. It may
come to you all of a sudden."

"It may not amount to anything, anyhow," Nort admitted. "But I have a
feeling that I had a run in with that man before."

There was little to do at Spur Creek except await developments, and
this waiting was really harder work than actual fighting would have
been. It was also more nervous, keeping them all on a strain.

The approach of the enemy and by "enemy" I mean sheep men who might try
to pasture their flocks on Mr. Merkel's land, or men who might try to
take possession of it--these enemies would appear on the southern side
of Spur Creek first, as it was well known there were the largest sheep
ranches--just across the Mexican border. And pretty well cropped off
were the vast fields, too. That is why there was such an eagerness to
get into new and fer