d to town, a horseman
was seen riding toward Diamond X. By the manner of his approach it was
easily assumed that he came on no ordinary errand.

"More news of the Indians, or I miss my guess!" murmured Bud.

And while the solitary horseman is rapidly approaching, I will endeavor
to imitate his speed in acquainting my new readers with a little of the
past history concerning the boy ranchers as they have played their
parts in the previous books of this series.

The initial volume is entitled "The Boy Ranchers," and tells how Nort
and Dick Shannon went to visit their cousin, Bud Merkel, on the ranch
of the latter's father. This ranch, Diamond X, was in a western state,
not far from the Mexican border. And, as you know, the Yaqui Indians
were, in the main, a tribe of Mexican Redmen, who made their home
partly in the Land of Montezuma and partly in Arizona, as best pleased
them. Efforts were made by the Mexican Government to keep the Yaquis
on a reservation, but the efforts were not always successful.

Mr. Merkel was a ranchman of experience, and planned to have his son
follow in his footsteps. This Bud was eager to do, and when his
cousins came he saw a chance for them to get into the cattle raising
business on their own account.

This they did, but not before they had solved a strange mystery
centering about Diamond X. As you may recall, the ranch was named
after the brand used to mark its cattle--an X within a diamond outline.

The mystery solved, the boy ranchers turned their attention to other
matters, and these are related in the second volume, "The Boy Ranchers
In Camp." Mr. Merkel, by using an ancient underground water course
beneath Snake Mountain, had brought much-needed moisture to a distant
valley he owned, thus making it possible to use it as a place for
raising cattle. This new ranch, variously called Happy Valley, Diamond
X Second, and Buffalo Wallow, was given in charge of the boys to
experiment with. They were allowed to raise cattle on their own
responsibility. Without water Diamond X Second was out of the
question. And the story in the second book has to do with the efforts
of Del Pinzo, a dangerous character, and others, to drive away the
boys. There was a fight over water rights, and another desperate
fight, involving some strange ancient secrets.

The third book, "The Boy Ranchers on the Trail," deals with the boy
ranchers after they have become full-fledged "cow punchers." So
succe