ur cattle!"

"Rope 'em an' hog-tie 'em!"

These were only a few of the many directions that were yelled at the
tops of voices as the boy ranchers and their friends swept onward down
the valley, converging on the band of men they believed to be cattle
rustlers, if not something worse.

"Hands up, there!"

"Drop those guns!"

These commands came sternly from Mr. Merkel, Babe and Slim, while Dick
and Nort, riding beside Bud, felt a wild thrill as they realized that
they were to have a part in this strenuous fight. To possible danger
they gave not a thought.

But if the attacking party thought everything was to be easy, it was
not long before this idea vanished. After the first surprise, the
Greasers, and other rough characters in the camp of the professors,
regained their nerve, and prepared to fight. There were shouts in
hissing Spanish, and Del Pinzo was observed to be rallying his
followers.

Bud and his cousins had a glimpse of this wily Mexican leaping on his
horse, and, surrounded by a number of evil-looking men, riding straight
for the invaders.

"They're coming!" cried Nort.

"I see 'em!" muttered Dick.

"Keep together!" advised Bud in a wild cry. "Stay with me, and we'll
ride right through 'em!"

Several weapons popped, and two or three saddles were emptied, one on
the side of the Diamond X forces. Nort and Dick heard bullets
whistling in the air over their heads, and though they may have ducked,
instinctively, they did not after the first two or three of these
nerve-racking experiences.

"Come on! Come on!" yelled Bud to his cousins, as they saw Del Pinzo
and his gang of Greasers spurring toward them.

Nort and Dick touched their horses lightly, and the spirited ponies
sprang forward. Dick had a glimpse of the two professors, and one or
two other men, standing by the derrick structure as though dazed at the
sudden turn in affairs. Some of the helpers were endeavoring to quiet
the harnessed cattle.

"Ride 'em down, boys! Ride 'em down!" yelled Mr. Merkel.

"You said it!" shouted Slim Degnan, and Babe added his voice to the
din, the while starting one of the verses of his cowboys' song.

"Crack!"

That was a gun going off close to the ear of Dick. He leaned over
slightly in his saddle, fearing he had been hit. But in another
instant he realized that Bud had fired, with a pistol held so close to
the eastern lad's ear as nearly to deafen him.

"Well, I got him, anyhow!" yelled Bud