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As they were in friendly country, not after cattle rustlers and had no fear of Del Pinzo and his gang, there was felt to be no need of standing guard. But for all this Bud, Nort and Dick were a bit restless, and did not sleep as soundly as the others. In fact along toward morning, though while it was yet very dark, Nort, thinking he heard suspicious noises, unrolled from his blanket and stood up.
"Give it up," answered Snake, who had sent some men to collect the guns and horses of the Del Pinzo gang. "He may have bribed his way out of jail, or have broken out, and we'll have to let that go until later. He may really be trying to drive back the Yaquis, for fear they'll steal things that he has an eye to himself. Or he may be lying I think most likely the last.
She swung free of Mike's grasp, and in an instant that individual was looking straight into the muzzle of a small but very serviceable automatic. Bubbling over with mirth, at the manner in which they had gotten the best of Del Pinzo and his gang, the outfit from Diamond X rode on the trail again, once more intent on trailing the Yaquis that had captured Floyd and Rosemary.
He was taking no chances on leaving a hidden, lurking foe to fire behind their backs. "All, Senor Purdee. Shall we go?" "When I tell you to, yes. Now, Del Pinzo, you know I don't trust you, and there's no use soft soaping the situation. I wouldn't trust you with a Mexican dollar. So here's what you've got to do. "March over there," and he indicated a bunch of scrub about half a mile away.
"You're better off not to," spoke Bud grimly, for Fisher was a ranchman of unsavory reputation, who was believed to have figured in more than one affair with the half breed Del Pinzo, to the discomfort of Diamond X. "Hank Fowler, the sheriff, will tell you I'm straight," said Rolling Stone. "I don't say I haven't faults," he went on.
"I fancy that Del Pinzo and his gang are on their way to this natural corral now, t' drive out th' cattle they stole from us. We've got t' get ahead of 'em!" "But how?" Bud wanted to know. "I think we can dig out enough of th' shale an' dirt they slid int' th' opening, so that we can get th' horses through," Slim answered. "We ought t' have shovels, but we can use sticks t' dig with.
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.
"What do you imagine they really plan to do, and who are they?" asked Dick, as he and his brother followed Bud to their own special tent. "I can only guess who they are, and your guess is as good as mine," the western lad answered. "Then I'll say Del Pinzo and the Hank Fisher gang," ventured Nort. "And I'll agree," replied Bud. "They have two motives, now, for working against us.
"What do you mean by firing on us?" "I did not know it was you," declared the half breed. "We set out to look for the Yaquis " "The Yaquis?" interrupted Snake. "Sure! They have risen, it is said, and I and my men are on their trail!" This was news indeed another surprise, in fact. That Del Pinzo was speaking the truth could scarcely be believed.
"Well, things are right peaceful since we got rid of Del Pinzo and his gang of greasers," observed Slim, as he rode on with the boys down the trail that led to Diamond X ranch, the property of Bud's father. "But I'm always worrying for fear they'll come back, or we'll have some sort of trouble with our cattle," observed Dick.
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