he cowboy. There seemed to be
no doubt in the minds of the men as to what they would do with the
Greasers.

"We'll have to dispose of 'em," said Bud regretfully. "It seems a
pity, too, for the poor things haven't done any harm. But it's either
their lives or those of our cattle. The two can't live on the same
range, and the sheep have no right here."

"Shoot 'em and drive 'em back into the water if they try to swim
across--is that it?" asked Dick.

"Yes, but hang it all!" cried Bud, "I hope that doesn't happen. I sure
hate to do it!"

And to give them credit, the others felt the same way about it.

Meanwhile the sheep having settled down to a quiet but fast
feeding--which is their characteristic--the actions of the band of
Greaser and Mexican herders who had them in charge was eagerly watched
by the boy ranchers and their friends.

They saw two horsemen ride down to the bank of the creek at one spot
and urge their steeds in. For a time all seemed to go well, but
suddenly, when a few yards out in the stream one of the Mexicans
frantically called to his companion, who shouted an inquiry as to what
was wrong.

Something very dangerously wrong seemed to be the trouble, for the
first Mexican was now frantically appealing for help, and a moment
later his companion sent his lariat hissing through the air, the coils
settling around the frightened man who grasped the rope and leaped into
the creek.

But the horse remained in the water, though the animal was wildly
struggling to turn and go back to the southern shore, along which the
sheep were feeding, some of them slaking their thirst in Spur Creek.

Pulling his companion along by the lariat, the still mounted Mexican
made for the shore he had so recently quitted, leaving the lone horse
to struggle by itself.

"What does that mean?" cried Dick.

"Quicksands--just what I told you about," answered Bud. "There are a
lot of places where the bed of the creek is pitted with quick sands,
and this Greaser struck one."

"One did and the other didn't," observed Snake, for it was evident that
the rider who had used his lariat had found firm footing for his steed.

"That's it," Bud explained. "You can't tell where the sands are and
where they aren't. I happen to know some places that are free," he
went on, "but, even there the water is too deep for the sheep to get
across, on account of the current."

The two Mexicans, one on his horse and the other swimming at