"All the more reason why we should go on there and see what it means!"
cried Nort.

"That's the talk!" echoed his brother and cousin.

"If they're trying to scare us away, they'll find we don't scare worth
a cent," added Bud.

"It goes to prove, though," remarked Dick, "that Billee's story is
likely to be borne out. I mean that there's something queer going on
at Death Valley."

"Queer is right!" assented Bud. "Though whether this is a warning in
our interests, sent by one who doesn't want to see any of us get put
out of business with the poisoned water, or whether it's a warning to
keep away so we won't discover some crooked business--that's something
we can't answer."

"Not yet," said Billee Dobb significantly. "But we'll soon be able to.
I've got my mind made up, now. I'm going to see this thing through to
the finish!" and he smote his right fist into his open left hand with a
sound like the report of a small gun.

"That's the way to talk!" cried Yellin' Kid. "I wish I'd had a sight
of the fellow who dropped that warning," he went on. "He would be
sitting down here now talking Turkey and tellin' what it was all about.
Why didn't you call me first, Dick?"

"I raised the alarm as soon as I could wake myself up," was the answer.
"But I guess we were all sleeping pretty sound."

While Snake was frying the bacon and making the coffee, some of the
others cast about the camp in a circle, seeking some clew to the
midnight visitor. But nothing could be found that shed any light on
the mystery. It was evident that the man, whoever he was, had ridden
to the camp, had picketed his horse out some distance and then had
sneaked in among the prostrate, sleeping figures. Evidently his object
was merely to leave the warning, and not to rob or commit some more
serious crime. And his touching the foot of Dick was an accident.
Then, seeing he had caused an alarm, the man slipped away, dropping his
note.

Puzzle their heads as they did, none of the six could recall any one,
either among their friends or enemies, whose initials were S.T. and
Dick's suggestion, that the symbols of a name were only assumed, seemed
to be generally accepted.

Breakfast was eaten, camp was broken and once more, after another
casual casting about for possible clews to the intruder, the cavalcade
was under way. But one more night separated them from the vicinity of
Death Valley and the new ranch.

"And the sooner we can get there and b