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"The last meal I had for nothing was given me by Hank Fowler." "Hank Fowler!" cried Bud. "The sheriff?" added Nort. "Who sent on to Mr. Merkel the message from Rosemary?" completed Dick. "Rosemary that's for remembrance," quoted Rolling Stone with a smile. "I know her not, and yet Hank Fowler is a sheriff to my certain knowledge." "Do you mean the one from La Nogalique?" persisted Bud.
I thought it was rather risky when they first wrote of it, but my wife says Rosemary is a good driver, and Floyd almost as good." "Is he a Westerner?" asked Yellin' Kid. "Not born and raised here," said Mr. Merkel, "but Floyd is no tenderfoot, and as for Rosemary " "She's a whole can of peaches! That's what she is!" cried Bud.
Bud was a western lad, the son of Henry Merkel, who had been a ranchman all his mature years. He lived at Diamond X ranch, with his wife and daughter Nell. Some time before this present story opens Bud's cousins from the east had come to spend the summer with him, while their father and his wife made a trip to South America.
He brought the girl's message to me after the fight, when I'd sent some of my men to trail the devils. This is what the message said, and I'm sending the actual message to you by mail. "Get word to my uncle, Henry Merkel, Diamond X Ranch, that Floyd and I are taken. Ask him to send help." That's what the message said and I'm doing as requested.
It does look as if they tried to drill the safe!" Bud pointed to several parallel marks on the steel door. The scratches were deep in the paint, and seemed to radiate toward the shiny nickel dial of the combination. "Scratches!" repeated Mr. Merkel, coming over to look. "No, I never noticed them before. Why, she is clawed up some," he admitted.
"Some one's up there around the tunnel entrance," responded Bud Merkel. "I saw 'em dodge back out of the light." Then, raising his voice, he cried: "Come on, now! None of your tricks! I've got you covered!" "I don't see any one," spoke Nort. "They're there, all right," asserted Bud. "Come on, fellows," he exclaimed, "we'll have to look into this.
"No need to worry when the bunch from Happy Valley joins with the Diamond X outfit! We're a match for all the Yaquis that never washed!" "Let's don't be too sure of that, boys," cautioned Mr. Merkel. "What more did you hear, Billee Dobb? Is it at all serious? How many of the imps broke loose?" "That I don't know, there's enough of 'em to make the government take action.
"Old Hank Fowler didn't try to get it all in ten words so we have a pretty fair idea of what went on. Reckon he knew he didn't have to pay for that message. It come out of the county funds I take it. Listen to this, boys!" Mr. Merkel read: "'I regret to inform you that some relatives of yours were carried off in the last raid of the Yaquis here.
It was from him the boys back in town got some of the news, and the deputy sheriff gave out the rest. "Oh, the Yaquis are risin' up all right, and they may come out here. I rode over like a prairie fire to let you folks know. We've had trouble enough here at Diamond X and I didn't want any more." "Much obliged to you, Billee," said Mr. Merkel.
"When I saw the fellow, bending over my safe," said Mr. Merkel, "it appeared to me he was only trying to work the combination. I have a hard job, myself, remembering how to do it, account of the safe being a new one. And I was so surprised, at first, that I just stood there, like a locoed steer, watching him. Then I let out a yell, told him to throw his hands up, and things began to happen."
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