owling faces, though
the two professors tried to force smiles to their lips.

"Oh, you are from Circle T ranch, are you not?" asked Professor Blair
of Dick and Nort. "You are the boys who were so kind as to bring the
antiseptics for the wounded men, who, thanks to that treatment, are now
doing well."

"Glad to hear it," said Nort. "Only we're not from Circle T. We hail
from Diamond X."

"Strange names," murmured Professor Wright. "I don't see how you
remember them, though I do recall, now, that Diamond X is the proper
term. We--er--I hardly expected to see you again," he said, haltingly.

"Nor we you," spoke Nort, who seemed to be doing the talking for his
brother and himself. "We started after some cattle, but they got away
from us and we lost ourselves. You haven't seen them; have you? A
bunch of steers with the Square M brand on."

"And if you've seen anything of Diamond X ranch itself, up among these
hills, I wish you'd tell us how to get to it," added Dick, with a
whimsical smile.

"Cattle! Of why should we know of your cattle!" exclaimed a harsh
voice behind the boys, and Dick and Nort, turning in their saddles, saw
fairly glaring at them Del Pinzo, the unprepossessing Mexican half
breed.

"Do you think we have your steers--that we are _rustlers_?" demanded
Del Pinzo fiercely.

"No," said Nort, seeing into what error he might be drawn. "I was only
asking."

"Well, we haven't seen any of your cattle!" declared the Mexican, or
half breed, to give his correct title. "And we don't want you around
here when we're----"

"Just a moment, Del Pinzo," interposed Professor Wright, and Dick
noticed a peculiar look pass between the two scientists. "You must
excuse the zeal of one of our helpers," went on Mr. Wright. "He is
doubtless afraid that you might get hurt in a blast."

"Yes! Yes! Blasts are dangerous!" said the half breed quickly, and it
seemed as if he spoke in answer to a signal given by one of the
scientists. "We are going to set off another."

"It is just some research work we are undertaking," said Professor
Blair, as he saw Nort and Dick looking around. "We have absented
ourselves from our college to do some investigating, and it is
necessary to blast, in some cases, to get at the lower deposits."

Both Dick and Nort said to each other, afterwards, that they did not
believe these statements.

"Perhaps you boys had better come down to the tents," suggested
Professor Wright. "A