s.

It could not be determined, for several days, what the turn would be in
the case of the cattle into which Pocut Pete had injected germs of the
disease. Dr. Tunison was sent for, but said he could do nothing more
than had been done.

"You'll just have to wait and see how many will die," he told Bud.
"You've done all you could by isolation. And there's one thing in your
favor. No more of your cattle have been infected by those five that
first died. We caught that outbreak in time. And if it proves that
Pocut Pete is the sole source of infection on your ranch, it means that
only those he managed to cut in his last operation will die."

But it took time to determine this, and while waiting for the outcome
something else happened which, though it seemed to involve tragedy at
the time, really resulted in clearing up the mystery and ending the
water fight at Diamond X.

One morning, about a week after the roping of Pocut Pete, when the boy
ranchers and their friends were assembled in camp, preparatory to
starting out on their rounds of riding herd, Buck Tooth, who had gone
to the reservoir to fish, came running down to the tents much excited.

"He must have caught a big one!" commented Old Billee.

But it was not fish that had aroused the old Indian.

"Water stop! Water him stop all time!" he yelled.

"What's that?" shouted Bud. "Isn't the pipe running?"

"No run!" answered Buck Tooth briefly. "All gone!"

"More trouble!" commented Bud. And then, with a grim tightening of his
lips, he added: "This time we'll get to the bottom of the mystery!"

There was no doubt about the fact that the water had stopped running.
As they all raced up the sloping side of the reservoir they saw only a
few drops trickling from the pipe.

"The third time--I'm going to make it the last if it's possible,"
declared Bud.

"What yo' aimin' t' do?" asked Old Billee.

"Go through the tunnel from end to end, and both sides, and see where
the water vanished to," was the answer. "We'll get up a regular
expedition this time, and maybe take a boat. We'll find out what it
all means."

"I believe you're right," asserted Snake Purdee. "There's no use
trying to work Flume Valley if the water supply is goin' to be cut off
without notice. I'm with you, Bud!"

"So 'm I!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "Whoop-ee! I'm a lone wolf an' this
is my turn for makin' a noise! Whoopee!"

"Let's find out, first, if the water is coming into the pip