tackle. Dick and Nort had learned how to
protect themselves.

"Well, something happened then all right!" chuckled Bud as he rode on
to capture Dick's pony and lead him back to the unseated ranch lad.

"Thanks, but I don't care for just that kind of happening," and Dick
laughed as he vaulted into the saddle and the travelers kept on their
way. Because of the fact that they had with them several led horses,
carrying packs containing food and other supplies, their progress was
necessarily slow.

"Well, we're half way there, I guess, aren't we, Billee?" asked Bud
when, late that afternoon, they reached a place in a grove of trees
amid the foothills where it seemed a good place to make camp for the
night.

"Leetle more'n half way," admitted the old puncher.

"That's good!" sighed Dick. "I'm anxious to see what we'll find in
Death Valley."

"Do you know, Billee, I've got another idea," remarked Bud as the
horses were picketed and preparations begun for cooking supper. "I
mean about the mysterious deaths of men and cattle you say you saw
while you were a hand on Dot and Dash."

"Yes, I seen 'em all right!" declared Billee with more force than
grammar.

"I'm not doubting that," admitted Bud. "Though you don't know what
killed 'em. But I got an idea."

"What?" chorused Nort and Dick.

"A poison spring!" exclaimed Bud. "I mean bad water. You know there's
a lot of it out this way, and especially as we get into the mineral
district, where dad's new ranch is located. Maybe there were poison
springs on Dot and Dash, Billee, and the men you saw lying dead, and
also the cattle, might have drunk from them. Couldn't it happen that
way?"

"Yes, it _could_," admitted Billee with an emphasis which showed his
doubt. "But I never heard tell of no bad water on Dot and Dash."

"But maybe we can find some," went on Bud.

"Find bad water--poison springs! Sufferin' horned toads, what you want
to do that for?" roared Yellin' Kid.

"To prove my point," answered Bud, "and to locate such places and fence
'em off so there won't be any more deaths. If dad is going to develop
this ranch he doesn't want bad water on it."

"You're right! I didn't think of that," admitted the cowboy. "The kid
may be right, Billee," he went on.

"Yes, he _may_ be," admitted the veteran with that same emphasis of
doubt. "And it's true enough the Boss wants to develop this new ranch.
He said, if we could get it going, he'd buy a big herd