had to do with getting out the ore and finding
how much it assayed to the ton.

"But we can't let the cattle business slide; can we?" asked Dick, as he
and most of the others prepared to depart. A guard was to be left in
the cave, and sufficient food and supplies would be sent them to enable
them to remain on constant duty.

"Oh, no, we won't give up the cattle business," decided Bud. "We'll
work that and the mine, too."

Mr. Merkel was duly astonished when, that night, his son succeeded in
getting in touch with him over the long-distance telephone from Los
Pompan. Bud found a booth to talk from which insured his conversation
not being broadcast in the town. If news of the gold strike got out it
might mean a rush. Not that any land around the gulch or cave could be
preempted by others, for it was all on Mr. Merkel's ranch. But not
everybody would respect his property rights and there might be trouble.

"Are you sure it's gold, son?" asked the ranchman over the wire.

"Why of course it is, Dad. What else could it be?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to make sure before I start a torch-light
procession. I'll send you out a good mining man. Don't do anything
until he arrives, and keep your shirts on--all of you."

"All right, Dad. I know what you mean. We won't broadcast it."

"Better not. There might be a slip-up, you know."

"I don't see how there can be, but we'll keep it mum."

Busy days followed at Dot and Dash. While the cattle business was not
passed up, Bud and his cousins devoted all their time to the discovery
in the cave, and let the new cowboys attend to the shipping and care of
the cattle. Some of the yellow ore was dug out and taken to the ranch
house to await the arrival of the mining expert. Meanwhile it was
carefully guarded.

Covering several days a careful exploration of the cave had been made
without discovering any of the enemy. There were several exits from
the cavern, and it was surmised that the "gas gang," as they were
dubbed, had escaped by one of these.

"But as long as they're gone, we haven't anything to worry about," said
Bud. "We're sitting pretty now."

"Nothing to worry about," added Nort.

"And I guess we won't find any more dead cattle," said Dick. "It must
have been some of the gas they were experimenting with that killed the
cows and Sam's horse."

"Sure!" assented Bud.

Thus were the boys lulled into a false security, and their fond dreams
were not