Tooth having his own special dugout near the camp fire.

"We never snore!" declared Nort.

"Well, I didn't hear a sound!" assented Yellin' Kid.

"Nor I," said Old Billee.

There was no use asking Buck Tooth. An actual demonstration would have
been required to make him understand what a "snore" was, and then he
might have misinterpreted it into an attempt to work some "magic" on
him.

"Well, somebody came in our camp, and left that board--there's no
getting away from the fact," declared Bud, as he put aside the ominous
warning. "And it may have some connection with the stoppage of the
water, or it may not."

"I'm inclined t' think it has," said Yellin' Kid. "An', what's more,
Bud, I think we'll wake up again, some mornin', t' find that reservoir
of yours out-a business."

"Do you mean Hank Fisher, or Del Pinzo and his crowd, will blow it up?"
asked Bud anxiously.

"Not exactly that, but they'll cut off your water supply."

"But how can they?" asked Bud. "They can't do anything to the pipe
intake at Pocut River without being seen, and dad had legal advice to
the effect that he has as good right to that river water as Double Z,
or any other ranch. And as for this end of the pipe here, we can look
after that, I reckon," and he significantly tapped his .45 which he had
strapped on, preparatory to getting ready for the cattle shipment.

"That's all right," asserted Yellin' Kid. "But you've forgotten th'
big tunnel under the mountain, Bud, where the water runs free after it
leaves the river pipe, an' before it gets to the pipe here."

"But Hank, or Del Pinzo, can't cut off the water inside the mountain
tunnel without having it back up and run into the river again--and it
didn't do that!" Bud insisted.

Yellin' Kid shrugged his shoulders, as he started for the corral to get
his horse, since he was to aid in driving the cattle to the railroad
stock yard.

"I don't know nothin' about th' scientific end of it," he drawled
loudly, "but, mark my words, there's some queer business goin' on, an'
Hank Fisher an' Del Pinzo have a hand in it. Look out for your water
supply, Bud; that's my advice!"

"An' don't let any more black rabbits cross your path," added Old
Billee.

"Bunk!" scoffed Bud. "Though I don't like this warning, all the same.
Let's go take a look at the reservoir, fellows."

But an inspection of the concrete water-container showed nothing wrong
there. The sparkling fluid, so necessary for the