The Boy Ranchers in Camp or The Water Fight at Diamond X   By: Willard F. Baker

[Frontispiece: "LOOK OUT!" QUICKLY YELLED NORT. "JUMP FOR YOUR LIVES! IT'S A FLOOD!" "The Boy Ranchers in Camp."]

THE

BOY RANCHERS

IN CAMP

OR

The Water Fight at Diamond X

By

WILLARD F. BAKER

Author of "The Boy Ranchers," "The Boy Ranchers on the Trail," 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 The Diamond X After Cattle Rustlers

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York

COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

THE BOY RANCHERS IN CAMP

Printed in U. S. A.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE II A NIGHT RIDE III THE WARNING IV A STRANGE REAPPEARANCE V ANOTHER WARNING VI TROUBLE AT SQUARE M VII DOUBLING UP VIII DRY AGAIN IX A SHOT IN THE NIGHT X INTO THE TUNNEL XI THE RUSH OF WATERS XII THE RISING FLOOD XIII WHERE DID IT GO? XIV A NIGHT ATTACK XV THE BRANDING IRON XVI QUEER ACTIONS XVII "GERMS!" XVIII ROPED! XIX AN EXPEDITION IN THE DARK XX INTO THE DEPTHS XXI THE FIGURE ON THE ROCK XXII THE WATER GATE XXIII THE CONSPIRATORS XXIV A POWERFUL STREAM XXV HAPPY VALLEY

THE BOY RANCHERS IN CAMP

CHAPTER I

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

"Look out there, Bud! Look out! There you go!"

"Side stepping soap dishes! What's the idea? Whoa, there, Sock!"

The pinto pony reared, swerved sharply to one side as a black streak shot across the trail almost under his feet and then, when the animal came to a sudden stop, there shot over his head the boy who had given vent to the last exclamation.

Bud Merkel came down sprawling on all fours in a bunch of grass which served, in a great measure, to break the force of the catapult over his pony's head. And then, as the lad righted himself and limped over to catch his steed, he cried:

"What in the name of the petrified prune pie was that, Billee?"

"A jack, Bud! A jack rabbit, and as black as gunpowder! Yo' shore are in for some bad luck, now!"

"Bad luck! I should say so! Almost breaking my neck, and laming Sock," and the lad looked anxiously at his pinto, being relieved to find, however, that the animal had suffered no harm.

"But this won't be all!" declared Billee Dobb. "I never see a black jack shoot in front of a man yet that bad luck didn't follow!"

"Well, let's make it go some to catch us!" suggested Bud as he leaped to the saddle, after making sure that the girths were tight. "Black jack! First one I ever saw," and he looked off in the distance toward a streak of dust, which was all that now represented the frightened rabbit that had shot across the trail so unexpectedly.

"They aren't plentiful; thank your stars!" exclaimed the old cowboy. "I'm glad it didn't happen to me ."

"Yes, if you'd a' toppled over your critter's head there'd be a bigger crack in the ground!" laughed Bud, as he looked at his companion's greater girth and weight. "It came as sudden as a flash of lightning, that jack!"

"Bad luck allers does come that a way," croaked Old Billee Dobb.

"Oh, you and your bad luck!" laughed Bud. "Come on now, hump yourself! Hump yourself, you old soap footing specimen of a slab of saltpeter!" he cried to his pony. "Mosey along!"

"What's your rush, Bud? Anybody's take a notion t' think you was in suthin' of a hurry, t' hear you talkin' that a way t' your critter," remarked Billee as he ambled along behind his more impetuous companion.