, Del Pinzo! Here are the deeds that
prove Mr. Merkel's claim to the land, and I can prove that you stole
them the night of the shooting!"

"_San Diabalo!_" muttered Del Pinzo, turning quickly. "It is the
brother of Feliece!"

"Not exactly," laughed the voice of the newcomer. He snatched off a
wig of black, wiry hair and stood revealed as--Nort Shannon!

He tossed a bundle of papers to Mr. Merkel's lawyer, and then all eyes
turned on Del Pinzo, who feverishly was examining a bundle of documents
he tore from an oiled-silk bag.

"_San Diabalo!_" he cried again. "They are gone!"

"No, they are here!" mocked Nort. "I found where you had hidden the
real papers, and I just took them out and substituted some of my own."

Del Pinzo glared about the court for a moment, and then made a movement.

"Catch that scoundrel!" cried the Judge. But it was too late. Del
Pinzo slipped out, leaped to the back of his fleet horse and though the
pursuit was soon organized, he got away.

"Where did you come from, Nort?" asked Dick, as he shook hands with his
brother.

"Direct from the professor's camp. Didn't get here any too soon,
either, as it happens. My horse went lame and then there was a lot of
excitement when they found the Brontotherium."

"Oh, did they find another of those monsters?" asked Bud.

"Yep! The Grandfather of 'em all, I reckon!" laughed Nort. "And
during the ruction I managed to get to the place where Del Pinzo had
hidden the deeds he stole. I took them out and put in some worthless
documents so he wouldn't suspect. Then I came on here. Now I guess
they won't pasture any sheep at Spur Creek."

And they did not. With the finding of Mr. Merkel's deeds, which had
been stolen, his ownership was clearly established. No one now dared
claim his lands. Of course there were parts of the open range where
the sheep herders could go in, but none were as choice or as much
desired as the pastures of Spur Creek. And they were far enough away
not to menace Diamond X.

"The application of the plaintiff for permission to take over the Spur
Creek range is hereby denied," announced the Judge. And thus ended the
case of the men whose cause Del Pinzo had taken up. Some of them were
innocent parties to his treachery, and he had engineered the whole
scheme to enrich himself eventually. For these innocent victims sorrow
was expressed. But even sorrow would not induce a cattleman to allow
sheep on his ranch.