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Summer was coming, with its heat, and Bud was glad there would be no interruption in the water supply that flowed into Happy Valley from the Pocut River, coming through the ancient underground passage. "For we'll need plenty of water in hot weather," he told Jus cousins.
"What makes Hank Fisher and that Double Z bunch so sore at you?" asked Dick. "I guess it's because we're beating them at the cattle game," answered Bud. "And because dad dammed the Pocut River and took some water for this valley. As if that hurt Hank!" he added. "But he makes that an excuse. However, I'll fight him to the finish!" "And we're with you!" added Dick and Nort.
Merkel had, by utilizing an ancient underground water-course beneath Snake Mountain, and by making a dam in Pocut River, brought water to a distant valley he owned. This valley was originally called Buffalo Wallow, the source of the name being obvious.
He and his cousins rode their horses up the rather steep and winding trail that led from the bottom of the reservoir to the top, where a big iron pipe, sticking out under the mountain like the head of some great serpent, brought from the distant Pocut River a stream, without which it would have been impossible to raise cattle in the valley the boy ranchers claimed as particularly their own.
Hank Fisher was the owner of Double Z ranch, adjoining that of Square M, one of Mr. Merkel's, and also adjoining Happy Valley. Pocut Pete was believed to be a tool of these two unscrupulous men, and Del Pinzo had at his command Several Greasers who slipped back and forth over the Mexican border, not far from which were located the holdings of Mr. Merkel and the boy ranchers.
At the foot of this range was grass in plenty, and, occasionally, a water hole, made possible by the fact that End's father had brought the waters of the Pocut River to the valley by means of the tunnel flume. "The trail's plain enough for a blind man to follow," said Yellin' Kid, who rode beside Snake. "But it's going to get harder in a little while," spoke Snake.
Cow doctors don't use 'em, not that I ever heard of," declared Nort. "Though Doc. Tunison is up to date." "He sure was in discovering that it was germs which caused the epidemic outbreak in our stock last year," remarked Bud. "Yes, we got out of that mighty lucky," chimed in Dick. "What's become of Pocut Pete?" he asked, referring to a scoundrel of a cowboy.
"It was a man, as sure as snakes, and he seemed to be trying to open the big gate." This gate was made of heavy bolted planks and was set on hinges in a jamb of other planks and boards that closed the reservoir end of the tunnel water-course. A similar barrier and big door was at the Pocut River end. "Well, if he was here, he seems to be gone," observed Nort "Maybe it was a sheep herder, Bud."
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