ter defile in record time. Nor did they stop
to dismount. Rough as was the way, they rode their mounts up the
valley until they came within sight of the cave. Nor were they
stopped, and they detected no gas, though they were on the alert for it.

"Maybe it's a false alarm," suggested Nort. "Maybe our fellows didn't
suffer from a gas attack after all."

"Well, the cows certainly did!" exclaimed his brother.

However their worst fears were realized when, as they flung themselves
off their horses at the mouth of the cave they saw, just within, the
prostrate forms of Sam Tarbell and his companion guards. Stark and
silent the men lay there.

"We're too late!" muttered Bud sorrowfully.

"They're all dead!" echoed Nort.

"This is Death Valley sure enough!" came gloomily from Dick.

There was a movement within the cave. There sounded the rattling
echoes of dislodged stones.

"Some one's coming!" murmured Bud, drawing his gun.

A moment later there emerged from the cavern the form of Old Tosh. He
did not appear surprised to see the boys, nor to note the prostrate
forms of the men. In one hand he held a bottle of his Elixer and
waving it over his head he cried:

"I'm just in time! Come on, boys, help me! We'll save 'em yet!"

CHAPTER XXIII

TESTING THE GOLD MINE

Any suspicions which the boy ranchers held against the old man vanished
quickly as they saw the eagerness with which he went to work to save,
if possible, the men on guard at the cave gold mine. Bud and his
cousins had, naturally, held back a little against approaching the
stark, prostrate forms too closely. They were still young enough to
be, at a time like this, unduly impressed by death.

But Old Tosh, as he was generally called, went at the business as if he
were a doctor intent on saving lives in desperate danger. He opened a
bottle of his Elixer, and, though the boys thought it pitifully weak
stuff for the occasion, he appeared to have unbounded faith in it.
Raising the head of Sam Tarbell, the old man placed the bottle to the
silent lips, tipped it up and managed to force a little into the cow
puncher's mouth.

"Come on, you boys!" Tosh called to Nort, Dick and Bud. "You got to
help. I can't do this all alone. I'm just in time. I knew this would
happen. They're on the verge of death but I'll save them."

"I'm afraid you're too late," said Bud.

"No, I'm not. These men are alive yet. All they need is a little
stimulan