.

"Oh!" softly murmured Snake, understandingly, and he was echoed by Sam
with:

"I'm wise!"

While, as the aged one again raised his Elixer bottles on high Nort
with his lips only said the words:

"The poor old man's a bit cracked!"

And so it seemed. He was one of the many harmless but well-meaning
"herb doctors" to be found in every community. He had a firm faith in
his own concoction.

"Be warned in time, gentlemen," he went on, still offering the Elixer
to Nort. "You are alive now, but you may be dead to-morrow. This will
save you. One dollar a bottle or six for five."

He now held the two bottles in one hand while, with the other, he went
searching through his coat for more. But Nort stopped him with a
gesture.

"Two are enough for now," he said, soothingly, handing over a two
dollar bill. "But can you tell us anything about the causes for the
deaths that have taken place on Dot and Dash ranch?"

"Yes, young man, I can," was the firm answer as the bill was tucked
away inside the hat band, "I know all about those deaths. They were
caused by a failure to heed my warnings and take this Elixer of Life!

"Be warned in time, gentlemen," went on the old man as he moved over to
his horse. "There are three of you, and you have only bought two
bottles. At least each one should have his own. I may not be back
here and----"

"Oh, shucks! Gimme a bottle!" ejaculated Snake. "And see if you can't
tell us what killed these folks and the cattle."

"I can tell you--yes--certainly!" was the quick retort as another
bottle of the dark liquid was produced and another dollar added to the
hat band bank.

"What was it then?" asked Snake, eagerly, while Nort and Sam waited for
the answer.

"The hand of fate!" was the solemn answer. "But now you are safe. You
have the Elixer of Life and so death cannot harm you. I bid you good
day!"

Before they could stop him, even had they been so inclined, which they
were not, the old man left Nort and his chums holding their bottles of
Elixer and rode away on his sorry looking nag, crooning something into
his ample beard.

"Well, what do you make of that?" asked Snake when the stranger--they
had not thought to ask his name--was beyond hearing.

"He's just a harmless crank," said Nort. "An old herb doctor."

"That's what I think," chimed in Sam. "Though at first I was a bit
suspicious of him. But I guess he doesn't mean anything. And he don't
know anything ab