om that, what do you make of this situation,
Kid?"

"You mean comin' back here an' not findin' anybody? Gee, I don't know,
Bud! Might be any one of several reasons why this 'J. D.' bird skipped
out. 'Course I didn't actually see him, but something tells me he
couldn't stand a close look-in to his ways and means of business.

"'Course I shouldn't run down a guy that I never saw. But there's been
a lot of funny work goin' on in these parts, and if anyone wanted to be
crooked, this is the best place in the world for it. You know this
ranch property is right on the border line between Mexico and U. S."

"Say, Kid, look how dark it's getting all of a sudden," Bud interrupted
as he looked up into the sky and tested with his hand the direction of
the slight breeze blowing. "Wind's in the east. Rain, I guess.
Getting hotter, too. Why yes, Kid, I guess you're right about this
ranch being a good place to pull shady work. But I don't believe we'll
have any trouble."

The Kid whirled around. The next moment he was on his way inside.

"Get the others together!" he yelled. "There's a cyclone comin'!"

Bud scarcely heard him. He stood still, fascinated by the tremendous
spectacle.

CHAPTER IX

DELTON RETURNS

Cyclones are somewhat rare visitors on the prairies, but when they do
come they make up for lost time. Bud, though he had lived the greater
part of his life on the range, had never seen one. Now he stood with
his face to the east, drinking in the awesome sight.

The eastern sky was covered with a blanket of black, ominous-looking
clouds, which quickly expanded and filled the whole heavens with their
darkness. The breeze had died away and a deathlike stillness hung in
the air. Nature seemed to be hesitating, gathering up her forces for a
tremendous onslaught. Suddenly the black clouds in the east were
tinted to a coppery color, which slowly turned to a dark green. And
still Bud stood, oblivious to all else save the grandeur of the scene
before him.

Within the ranch house the men were scurrying about, shutting windows,
glancing out now and then to see the progress of the approaching storm.

Billee Dobb ran to where the Kid was struggling with one of the sashes.

"How about the horses!" he yelled. Though there wasn't a sound
without, by a curious phenomena the men talked in shouts, as though
they were trying to make themselves heard above a roaring.

"Isn't Nort out there?" the Kid answered