ly, he watched
his chance to be revenged on those connected with it, including Nort
and Dick.

But for the details of this I must refer you to the succeeding volume
of this series.

"Well, fellows, are you satisfied with what you saw and what you did,
for a start?" asked Bud of his cousins, two or three days after the
escape of Del Pinzo.

"We sure have had some summer!" exclaimed Nort.

"Never one like it!" agreed Dick. "It's a shame to have to go back to
school!"

"Well, you wouldn't like it out here in winter as much as you have this
summer," spoke Bud. "It's pretty fierce, sometimes. But can't you
come out next year?"

"You said it!" cried Nort. "From now on we're going to be ranchers in
the summer, and students in the winter. And the summer can't come any
too soon for me!"

"Well, just at present, grub can't come any too soon for me!" laughed
Bud, as he urged his pony onward. The boys had been out on a last
ride, mending a broken fence. For, by this time, Nort and Bud were
almost as expert cowboys as was their western cousin.

"I made a pie for you!" called Nell, Bud's pretty sister, as they rode
up to the corral, and turned their horses in. "I hope you'll like it!"

"Couldn't help it!" said Nort, gallantly. "Pie! Yum! Yum! Where
have I heard that word before?"

"It does seem to savor of happy days," remarked Dick.

"Oh, cut out the poetry!" advised Bud with a laugh. "Let's figure how
long it will be before you can come back."

For Nort and Dick did come back to Diamond X ranch. Their further
doings will be told of in the next volume of this series to be called
"Boy Ranchers in Camp, or the Diamond X Fight for Water." In that you
may learn what Bud, Dick and Nort did, and more about mysterious Zip
Foster and the wily Del Pinzo.

As Bud, Nort and Dick entered the house, escorted by the smiling Nell,
who was well pleased at the tribute to her pie-making, there was a
rattle of hoofs, and a bunch of the cowboys clattered in, having been
out riding herd.

"Grub ready?" cried Babe, as he slumped off his weary pony--Babe was
heavy enough to make almost any pony weary.

"Come on!" cried Mother Merkel.

"Don't tell them about the pie!" whispered Nort to Nell.

"Oh, there's enough for all of them--mother and the women baked a lot,
but I made one specially for you boys," Nell answered.

And what the boy ranchers said I leave you to guess.

Up the lane leading from the corral to the hou