re for the animals to
drink, and also some to irrigate the more arid portions so that fodder
would grow.

At the foot of the eastern slope of Snake Mountains ran the Pocut
River, which served to supply not only Diamond X, Square M and Triangle
B ranches with water, but also those of Double Z and Circle T, the
respective holdings of Hank Fisher and Thomas Ogden. But though Pocut
River gave plenty of water to Bud's father and the other ranchmen, none
was available for the isolated valley which, except for this, would
have been an ideal place to raise steers.

And it was here that the good services of Professor Wright, one of the
scientists mentioned in the first volume, came into play. For
Professor Wright discovered an ancient underground water course,
connecting with Pocut River, and when this had been partly tunneled,
re-opened at places where it had caved in, and a big iron pipe laid
part of the way, water came gushing out into Flume Valley, as Bud
renamed the place, it having been called Buffalo Wallow before that
time; probably when there was water in it and the buffalo made it a
rendezvous.

And when the water came through the iron pipe, falling into the
reservoir that had been built to hold it in reserve, Bud was allowed to
begin his experiment in stock raising.

His father provided him with the cattle, and Bud was a boy rancher in
reality now. His cousins had agreed to help him in the venture on
their arrival, and Bud had been expecting them when he rode out with
Old Billee that day. Old Billee was one of the Diamond X cowboys, and
he might have been made a foreman, except that he had no executive
ability. He could do as he was told, and that was about all. He was
reliable and dependable, but had no initiative for big undertakings.
Old Billee, with Buck Tooth and some other cowboys, had been assigned
to help Bud in his venture.

As Bud has told his cousins, when he rode to meet them at the
water-hole, on the trail from Diamond S ranch, there was no time, yet,
to construct ranch houses in Flume Valley. Tents would have to serve
the purpose, and the boys were rather pleased, than otherwise, with
this.

"It will be just like camp!" said Bud.

And so the easterners had arrived, and, almost with the moment of their
coming, there had begun the first act in what was to prove a drama of
almost tragic happenings.

"You stay at the camp, Buck!" called Bud to the Zuni, as the three boy
ranchers mounted an