the tent, they having fallen
together, but as he did so the Greaser ripped out something fiercely in
his own tongue, and his hand went toward a sheathed knife at his belt.

"Oh, keep your shirt on!" burst out Dick. "I'm not going to run
away--not just now," he added as a qualifying phrase.

Whether the man understood the words, or guessed that Dick had no
intention of escaping, was not made clear, but he offered no further
objection to the act of the boys in pulling aside the flaps of the tent
and looking out.

They saw that the cattle which had been taken from the Diamond X
ranch--stolen as Dick and Nort believed--were being driven into a
small, and evidently hastily-constructed corral, where they could get
to the stream to drink.

"They've got a regular system," remarked Nort, as he saw the cattle
being quieted down, once they were inside the improvised pen.

"Making a business of it," agreed Dick. "But you wouldn't think such
men as these two professors would frame it up to be cattle rustlers;
would you?"

"That isn't all they are," said Nort. "That digging and blasting means
something!"

He pointed to where, on the side hill at the scene of the first
explosion, the two scientists were evidently directing operations
looking to another blast. Professor Wright and his aide seemed to pay
no attention to the cattle that had been brought in.

"This is a queer sort of game," said Dick to his brother, as they went
back in the tent and sat down on boxes at the heads of their cots. "I
can't see to the bottom of it."

"Nor I, except that these fellows are doing something they don't want
known. Rustling cattle isn't all of it, by any means, but if the other
isn't digging for gold, or something valuable, I give up."

"But if they were after gold, why would they deny it?" asked Dick.

"You've got me!" admitted Nort. "It sure is queer. But I wonder if
they're going to starve us; and what's become of our ponies?"

The last question was answered first, for Dick pointed to where, off to
one side, Blaze and Blackie were contentedly grazing, being pegged out,
as were a number of other horses.

And, an hour or so later, came the answer to the other question, for a
man, who evidently acted as camp cook, came to the tent with a pot of
coffee, some tin cups, and the head of a barrel used as a tray, on
which was piled some food.

Had the viands been most uninviting, Dick and Nort would have eagerly
welcomed them,