d happenings that even an auto rearing up on its
front wheels and running backward while a cow turned somersaults on the
fender would not cause a pony to turn his head.

The boys dismounted, pulled the reins of their animals over their heads
as an intimation to the creatures not to stray and then made their way
toward the cows.

"They're sure dead all right," remarked Bud, prodding the one nearest
him with his foot.

"Have you just found it out?" asked Nort.

"No, but I remember what happened to Sam, and I was thinking maybe they
might be only stunned, or something like that. But they're dead."

"And not long, either," added Dick, noting the fresh and limp condition
of the bodies. "This didn't happen later than last night or early this
morning."

"Guess you're right," admitted Bud. "Yes, they're dead sure enough."

"And a total loss," came from Dick. "Can't even sell the fresh beef in
Los Pompan. We wouldn't dare, not knowing whether the cows died from
poison or not."

"No," agreed Bud. "And it can't be anything but poison of some sort,
for I'm sure they weren't struck by lightning."

"There was no storm last night," declared Nort.

As Dick had said, the cows were a total loss, or nearly so, for it
would hardly pay to have a skinner come out to flay off the hides of
such a small number. Often when a cow or steer is killed by accident
the carcass is fit to eat and there is fresh beef on the ranch or the
carcass may be sold to the nearest butcher. But in this case it would
have been dangerous and foolish to use this cow meat for food.

"Nothing to do but bury 'em and forget it, I guess," sighed Dick. "But
it's quite a loss."

"It sure is," remarked Bud. "But we're not going to bury 'em right
away--at least not all of 'em, and we're not going to forget it."

"No, I didn't mean just that," went on Dick. "We've got to get to the
bottom of this. But why not bury the bodies, Bud?"

"Oh, that will have to be done, of course. But I mean to have some
sort of a doctor come out here and look at these cows, or at one of
them. Maybe he can tell what killed 'em."

"Good idea," said Nort. "There may be a horse doctor in town."

"I think there is," spoke Bud. "And we'll see if he can tell us
anything about what that Life Elixer is composed of. I'd like to have
that analyzed."

"Do you think that, or the queer old man, had anything to do with the
death of these cows?" Dick wanted to know.

"There's