The Boy Ranchers on Roaring River or Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers   By: Willard F. Baker

[Illustration: Cover art]

[Frontispiece: "AND WIN HE DID." Boy Ranchers on Roaring River. ]

THE

BOY RANCHERS

ON ROARING RIVER

OR

Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers

By

WILLARD F. BAKER

Author of

"The Boy Ranchers," "The Boy Ranchers in Camp," "The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek," "The Boy Ranchers in the Desert," etc.

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

THE BOY RANCHERS SERIES

By WILLARD F. BAKER

12mo. Cloth. Frontispiece

THE BOY RANCHERS Or Solving the Mystery at Diamond X

THE BOY RANCHERS IN CAMP Or the Water Fight at Diamond X

THE BOY RANCHERS ON THE TRAIL Or Diamond X after Cattle Rustlers

THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS Or Diamond X Trailing the Yaquis

THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK Or Diamond X Fighting the Sheep Herders

THE BOY RANCHERS IN THE DESERT Or Diamond X and the Lost Mine

THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER Or Diamond X and the Chinese Smugglers

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York

COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER

Printed in U. S. A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I A DANGEROUS MISSION II A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE III A SUSPICIOUS VISITOR IV THE HIDDEN GUNMAN V ARRIVAL AT THE RANCH VI THE THREAT VII A SHEEPLESS SHEEP RANCH VIII CYCLONE IX DELTON RETURNS X BUD FINDS A NOTE XI JOE HAWKINS'S VISIT XII THE STORY OF SMUGGLING XIII TRAPPED XIV TO MORROW NIGHT XV BILLEE DOBB'S STORY XVI BUD'S ESCAPE XVII A NIGHT OF WAITING XVIII SMUGGLING OPERATIONS XIX THE CHASE XX DOWN AND OUT XXI CLOSING IN XXII FLYING BULLETS XXIII A RING OF FIRE XXIV THE RATTLING BUCKBOARD XXV YELLIN' KID FINDS HIS BRONC

THE BOY RANCHERS ON ROARING RIVER

CHAPTER I

A DANGEROUS MISSION

"Hold up there, you pint o' peanuts! Hold up, I say! Well, for the love of spread eagle! I suppose you boys are lookin' for a job; eh?"

The speaker, a typical, raw boned cowboy, looked down from his pony at three boys seated on a bench at the side of the cook house.

"Whether we are or not, we've got it, Kid," answered one of the seated trio, a well set up youth with light hair. "And the funny part of it is, we don't know what the job is."

"Huh! Got a job and you don't know what it is? Well, Nort, guess I'll have to look into this," and the cowboy whom Nort addressed as "Kid" or, to give him his full nick name, "Yellin' Kid" swung lightly from his saddle. "Hold up there, you pony, you!" this as the Kid's mount started to prance about wildly. "Just got this here dust raiser, and she ain't used to my ways yet," he chuckled. "Hy' ya', Dick, and Bud! How's the boy, Nort? By golly, ranchin' is sure doin' you fellers good! You all got some powerful grip!"

The three boys, Nort and Dick Shannon, and their cousin Bud Merkel, grinned widely. They were all of the same mold clean cut, straight shooting lads, their faces bronzed from the prairie sun, and their eyes as clear as the blue sky above them.

"Yes, Kid, ranching has done us good in more ways than one. In fact it's done us up brown." And Bud laughed a little ruefully.

"What's the matter? Rustlers, or disease?" The Kid's face expressed instant concern as he mentioned these two nightmares of the rancher's life.

"No, not either but something almost as bad. You tell him, Nort," suggested Bud.

"You started it you might as well finish out, Bud. You know as much about it as I do."

"Aw, get Dick to. He hasn't said a word yet."

"Well, for Pete's sake, somebody tell me before I drop dead from excitement!" burst out Yellin' Kid.