uch as ter say: 'Go ahead; I know
you won't hurt us.' No, siree; it's suthin' they've smelled out, er
seen, that's given 'em the scare of their young lives."

"Maybe it was something on the other side of the mesa. Let's go and
look," cried Jack.

Followed by the others, he ran across the flat summit, but an earnest
inspection of the surroundings on that side failed to reveal any
explanation for the animals' sudden terror. For all the strange
objects that lay about them, they might have been in the middle of a
desolate ocean.

"No wonder they call this the Haunted Mesa," snorted Pete. "I tell
you, perfusser, ther sooner you git them thar measurements a-measured,
and we're hiking out of this neck of the woods, the better I'll be
pleased. 'Tain't natural, all these queer goings on."

"Maybe a coyote or something scared them," suggested Ralph.

"And them used ter seeing 'em every day," scoffed Pete. "Guess again,
son. It takes something with hoofs, horns and red fire about it to
scare a burro, and you kin bet your Sunday sombrero on that."

"Well, I propose that we adjourn the meeting till after dinner,"
laughed Jack; "all in favor, will signify by saying 'aye.'"

The chorus that answered him left no doubt of "the sense of the
meeting," and a rapid descent of the mysterious mesa was begun. A good
meal was not long in being prepared, thanks to Coyote Pete's skill as a
camp cook. Seated over their dinner, the main topic of conversation
was naturally the unaccountable occurrence of the morning. But
although a score of explanations were advanced, nobody could hit on one
that seemed to fit the case.

"This water is singularly pure and sparkling,"' said the professor
finally, by way of changing the subject, and holding up his full tin
cup.

"Yep; I remember hearing old cowmen say that there's no water in New
Mexico any better than this from the Haunted Mesa," said Pete,
stretching himself out, and lighting his inevitable after-meal-time
pipe. "Though that ain't sayin' a heap," he admitted.

"Wonder how those old what-you-may-call-ums ever managed to dig such a
well?" questioned Ralph.

"Comes to my mind now," said Pete, "that it ain't exactly a well. An
old Injun that used ter hang around with the Flying Z outfit tole us
oncet that thar was a subterranean river flowed under here, and that
once upon a time afore all the country dried up, considerable more
water came to the surface here than there does now