e can help fight 'em!" exclaimed Nort, rightly guessing that
this was his brother's question.

CHAPTER II

THE TELEGRAM

While the wind fluttered in his hand the letter from Rosemary, telling
of her plans to visit Diamond X with her brother, and while Mr. Merkel
looked anxiously at Billee Dobb on his panting steed, a far-off look
was in the eyes of the ranchman. Bud thought he knew what his father's
air portended, and he was eager to speak, but he, as well as the
others, felt the tenseness of the situation, and waited for what might
come next.

Nell was about to speak, to voice her gladness that a girl companion
was to come to the ranch, when Mr. Merkel remarked:

"How come you heard all this, Bill--I mean about the Yaquis? None of
it filtered here until you come up sweating lather!"

"I met one of the deputy sheriffs in town," explained the veteran cow
puncher. "He'd just got a telegraph message tellin' him to be on the
lookout, as the redskins might be headed this way."

"Whoop-ee!" yelled Bud, flapping his hat down on his pony's flank,
thereby causing the animal to leap sideways. "Think of it! Indians!
Whoop-ee!"

"It's dreadful!" murmured Ma Merkel. "I don't like to think about it!"

"But, Aunt, we have to think of it if the Yaquis are coming this way,"
spoke Nort. "We want to think of it to protect you and Nell!"

"That's right!" added Dick, while some of the cowboys grinned at the
eagerness and impetuosity of the boys.

"Shucks!" exclaimed Mrs. Merkel, getting back her nerve. "Those Yaquis
are nothing more than a lot of Greasers, anyhow. They'll turn home at
the first sight of a few of the sheriff's posse. I don't believe I'll
worry after all."

"That's right!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "No need to worry when the bunch
from Happy Valley joins with the Diamond X outfit! We're a match for
all the Yaquis that never washed!"

"Let's don't be too sure of that, boys," cautioned Mr. Merkel. "What
more did you hear, Billee Dobb? Is it at all serious? How many of the
imps broke loose?"

"That I don't know, there's enough of 'em to make the government take
action. Some of the regular troops have received orders to move, and
they're on their way now. If there were only a scattered few of the
Yaquis, Uncle Sam wouldn't be so anxious. They've raided one Arizona
town, I heard."

"They have!" cried Nort, Dick and Bud in a breath.

"Why this must have happened several days ago," exclaimed M