r the thieves, for much depended on their
success and an early start was essential.

Bud and his cousins had not ridden far beyond the corral when they
heard behind them shouts of:

"Wait a minute! Wait! Come back!"

"What's up now?" questioned Bud, drawing rein.

CHAPTER IV

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE

Naturally impatient, the boy ranchers did not want to return once they
had started on the trail of the robbers. They thought they should be
allowed to rush off, and perhaps they had an idea they could soon "meet
up" with the suspects and bring them back. But Mr. Merkel and the
other ranchmen, as well as the veteran cowboys, had no such delusions.
However, this was no time to discourage impetuous youth.

"What's the matter, Dad?" asked Bud, as he recognized his father's
voice among those bidding him and his cousins to return. "Has someone
telephoned in that they've rounded up the thieves?"

No surprise need be occasioned when I speak of telephones in connection
with ranching in the far west. Times have changed since the early days
of the buffalo and Indians. Both are almost extinct, though the
Indians have lasted longer than the bison.

But the West has progressed with other parts of the country, and the
advent of the cheap automobile and the spread of telephone wires, and
even wireless now, has brought far distant ranches close together. So
Bud knew it could easily have been the case that some distant ranchman
might have telephoned to Diamond X that he had made a capture of
suspicious persons. He may not have known of the theft of Mr. Merkel's
Spur Creek papers, for this robbery had not yet been broadcast.

"No telephones, son," said Mr. Merkel easily, as he strode out to where
the horses of the boys were pawing the ground, almost as impatient to
be gone as were their masters. "But I want you to take one of the men
with you."

"Oh, Dad! I don't want to do that!" protested Bud.

"We've hit the trail alone before," added Nort.

"It isn't a question of your ability," went on Mr. Merkel. "But you
may have to split--very likely you will, and for this purpose four are
better than three. Then you can pair it off."

"That's right," slowly admitted Bud. "Two of us might have to follow
one trail, and it would be lonesome for just one to take the other.
How about Old Billee?"

"You couldn't pick a better companion," agreed Mr. Merkel.

Billee Dobb was only too glad to get away from the routine work