ssful were they in Happy Valley that they incurred the enmity of
Del Pinzo and his followers. Cattle rustlers stole many valuable
steers from Bud and his cousins, and it was not until after a desperate
encounter that the unscrupulous men were defeated.

Then, for a time, peace settled down over Diamond X and the boys'
ranch. The spring round-up was over, and a successful year begun, when
the ordinary course of events was interrupted in the manner I have set
down in the beginning of this book--by news that the Yaquis had risen.

All eyes were turned on the solitary horseman, who rode fast on the
heels of Billee Dobb. As this rider came nearer, it could be seen that
a paper fluttered in his hand.

"Special delivery letter, maybe," ventured Dick.

"Maybe," admitted Bud.

"I--I have a feeling that it's bad news," murmured Mrs. Merkel to Nell.

"Maybe not," Bud's sister whispered. "It may be only a rush order for
cattle to be shipped.

"All that were fit have been shipped," her mother said. "I'm
afraid--I'm afraid--"

With a shower of gravel, scattered by the sliding feet of his
hastily-reined pony, the man drew up in front of the group.

"Mr. Henry Merkel here?" he asked, crisply.

"Here," said Bud's father, quietly.

"Got a telegraph message for you. It's from La Nogalique!"

"La Nogalique!" murmured Mr. Merkel. "Oh, I hope Rosemary--"

With a rapid motion Mr. Merkel tore open the yellow envelope.

CHAPTER III

"GET HEADY, BOYS!"

Anxiously the boy ranchers and the others watched the face of the
stockman as he read the message. It was rather lengthy, which
accounted for the somewhat protracted time it took Mr. Merkel to get at
the meaning of the words. But when he had read to the end he passed
the missive to his wife, exclaiming, as he did so:

"Couldn't be much worse!"

"Are they killed?" cried Nell, clasping her hands.

"No, but maybe they'd better be," grimly answered her father.
"Rosemary and Floyd are carried off by the Yaquis!" he added.

"How do you know?"

"Does the message say so?"

"Which way did they go?"

These were the questions, fired in rapid succession, by Bud, Nort and
Dick.

"That information's in the telegram," explained Mr. Merkel. "The
message is to me from the Sheriff of La Nogalique, or at least from
some one in his service, for it's signed with his name. I know him,
slightly."

"Did he see Rosemary and Floyd carried off?" Dick wanted to know.

"Not