ill him! Oh, such men!
Such men!"

"Kill who? What's the matter? What sort of help do you need?" asked
Bud quickly, while Nort and Dick looked at the excited man. He bore
none of the marks of the west. His garb was of the East as his riding
had been, though he sat a fairly good saddle, or he never could have
ridden at the speed he did. But he had a good horse. Even Dick and
Nort knew enough about animals to tell that. The pony, his sides
heaving and his nostrils distended, gave this not altogether mute
evidence of his race against time.

"It's Professor Wright," came the panting answer. "He's off
there--with his prospecting party. I'm his assistant!"

"I thought he looked like a professor," murmured Dick to Nort.

"Keep still!" sharply commanded Nort.

"I am Professor J. Elwell Blair," went on the still greatly excited
rider, "an assistant to Professor Wright. We are camped about three
miles from here, over there," and he waved his hand toward where Bud
and Slim, on their homeward ride, had seen the wisp of smoke. "Some
Mexicans threaten to attack us," went on the man who called himself
Professor Blair. "In fact they had already started when Professor
Wright bade me ride for help. We knew there was a ranch over in this
direction. Can you send us help?" he asked anxiously.

"Sure!" exclaimed Bud.

"Oh, if your father were only here!" murmured Mrs. Merkel.

"Our boys are enough!" declared Nell, with sparkling eyes. "I wish I
might go!" she added. "Can't I?"

"No indeed!" declared her mother. "The idea! You must take Slim with
you!" she called after Bud, for he was already half way down the lane
leading to the corral, calling on Professor Blair to follow, and
shouting to Nort and Dick:

"Come on, if you want to see some lively doings!" Bud invited.

"We sure do!" yelled Nort.

"Hadn't we better change our clothes?" asked the slower Dick.

"Change nothin'!" cried Nort. "Leave your coat off if you want to!
I'm going to shed mine!" and shed it he did, dropping it on the ground
as he leaped forward.

"What is it, Bud?" asked Slim Degnan, as he and Babe, on their way to
the house, met the fleeing young rancher, who had even distanced
Professor Blair, though the latter had again mounted his tired horse.

"Don't know--exactly," came the answer. "He's a stranger," and he
jerked his thumb over his shoulder back toward the professor. "He and
a party are camped over in the hills--where we saw