The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley: or, Diamond X and the Poison Mystery

"I've seen you before, old man!" said Sam and there was somethingmenacing in his tone. "I've seen you around this ranch a lot, and I'veheard some say you was always around when something happened – I meanwhen men and cattle were found dead. I saw you just before my ownhorse died and I passed out and now I want you to explain. I've gotyou now!"

He made a grab for the old man, who did not seek to elude Sam, butstood quietly while the cowboy held one arm and took out a gun withwhich he covered the inventor of the Elixer.

"Now, son," said the old man, soothingly, "don't get excited. Ihaven't done any harm and I don't intend to. It's true you've seen mearound this ranch a lot – I live a few miles from here back in thewoods. And I've been around when there's been deaths. But I wastrying to stop death – not bring it about. Only I was always too late.They never would listen to me – them cowboys. And I was around when Isaw your horse go down. I rode back, later, thinking I could sell youa bottle of my Life Elixer before you passed away, but I got there toolate. I saw that you had expired so I went on."

"I'm a pretty live man for a dead one!" chuckled Sam. "But what's yourgame, anyhow?"

He had released his hold of the aged one and had put his gun back inthe holster as Snake had done. And then Nort made, unseen by thestranger, a motion to his two companions which served to explainmatters. Nort made a circular motion with one finger up near his headas though to indicate wheels going around.

"Oh!" softly murmured Snake, understandingly, and he was echoed by Samwith:

"I'm wise!"

While, as the aged one again raised his Elixer bottles on high Nortwith his lips only said the words:

"The poor old man's a bit cracked!"

And so it seemed. He was one of the many harmless but well-meaning"herb doctors" to be found in every community. He had a firm faith inhis own concoction.

"Be warned in time, gentlemen," he went on, still offering the Elixerto Nort. "You are alive now, but you may be dead to-morrow. This willsave you. One dollar a bottle or six for five."

He now held the two bottles in one hand while, with the other, he wentsearching through his coat for more. But Nort stopped him with agesture.

"Two are enough for now," he said, soothingly, handing over a twodollar bill. "But can you tell us anything about the causes for thedeaths that have taken place on Dot and Dash ranch?"

"Yes, young man, I can," was the firm answer as the bill was tuckedaway inside the hat band, "I know all about those deaths. They werecaused by a failure to heed my warnings and take this Elixer of Life!

"Be warned in time, gentlemen," went on the old man as he moved over tohis horse. "There are three of you, and you have only bought twobottles. At least each one should have his own. I may not be backhere and – "

"Oh, shucks! Gimme a bottle!" ejaculated Snake. "And see if you can'ttell us what killed these folks and the cattle."

"I can tell you – yes – certainly!" was the quick retort as anotherbottle of the dark liquid was produced and another dollar added to thehat band bank.

"What was it then?" asked Snake, eagerly, while Nort and Sam waited forthe answer.

"The hand of fate!" was the solemn answer. "But now you are safe. Youhave the Elixer of Life and so death cannot harm you. I bid you goodday!"

Before they could stop him, even had they been so inclined, which theywere not, the old man left Nort and his chums holding their bottles ofElixer and rode away on his sorry looking nag, crooning something intohis ample beard.

"Well, what do you make of that?" asked Snake when the stranger – theyhad not thought to ask his name – was beyond hearing.

"He's just a harmless crank," said Nort. "An old herb doctor."

"That's what I think," chimed in Sam. "Though at first I was a bitsuspicious of him. But I guess he doesn't mean anything. And he don'tknow anything about the deaths here."

"If he does he isn't telling," decided Nort.

"Well," said Snake slowly, "I'm not superstitious, but as long as Ibought this stuff I might as well sample it."

He pulled the cork from the bottle, and was about to take a drink whenNort, with a quick motion, knocked the flask down, almost sending it tothe ground.

CHAPTER X

DEAD CATTLE

"What's the idea?" spluttered Snake, for he had his mouth set for adrink, and did not appear to like being balked.

"Better wait until you find out what's in the bottle before you sampleit," advised Nort.

"Why, didn't the old gazaboo tell us what it was – Elixer of Life? Somesort of tonic, I reckon, and, believe me, boy, I need something rightnow!"

"What you need is grub!" broke in Sam. "I'm in the same boat. I'mgetting my appetite back," he added with a look at Nort, whose turn itwas to get the dinner.

"Well, maybe this will give me an appetite for baked beans," suggested

Snake.

"More likely to take your appetite away," went on Nort. "This may be agood, safe stomach medicine, and, again, it may be deadly poison. Iwant it analyzed by a chemist before I take any of it. And, even then,I don't believe I'll try any though it may be safe. I don't need it."

"Poison; eh?" mused Snake. "Do you think – "

"No, I don't think this harmless, crack-brained old man had anything todo with the deaths that are said to have taken place at Dot and Dash,"interrupted Nort, guessing at Snake's implied question. "But a crankis a dangerous man to have mix your drinks. He may have brewed thisfrom honest herbs, or it may be an extract of toadstools. I'm goingslow at it."

"Well, I guess I'd better, too," agreed Snake, ruefully, "I'm glad youdidn't let me sample it, Nort."

"It's better to be sure than sorry," said the boy. "Is there a chemistin Los Pompan," and he nodded in the direction of the town that laynearest to the ranch.

"I don't believe there is," Sam answered. "But there's a doctor andmaybe he can tell whether this stuff is safe or not," and he gazed atone of the Elixer bottles he had picked up off the bench where Nort hadset them.

"Safe or dangerous, we don't need it," went on the boy. "I only boughtit to lead the old man on. But we didn't get much out of him."

"No," assented Snake. "His answers were crazy enough. Guess we'llhave to wait until Billee and the others come back to find out what'sthe real secret of Death Valley."

"Maybe we won't then," suggested Sam, in a low voice.

"Do you mean they won't come back?" asked Nort with a sudden increasein his heart beats.

"Oh, some of 'em are bound to come back," was the not very cheeringreply. "The deaths ain't wholesale like that. And maybe nothing won'thappen to any of 'em," which was sufficiently clear and hopeful if notvery grammatical. "But, even if they all come back, which is more thanlikely," went on the most recent foreman of Dot and Dash, "that ain'tsaying they'll find out the secret."

"No, I suppose not," agreed Nort. "Well, we'll hope for the best."

They resumed their labors of getting the group of ranch buildings inshipshape against the return of Bud and the others. Sam had agreed tostay for a while to aid in the check-over and as soon as possible, asNort knew, Mr. Merkel intended to add to his cattle already on theranch, and hire more men to look after them.

"I wish we'd found out that old geezer's name and more about him beforewe let him vamoose," said Snake as he worked away with Nort.

"Yes," agreed the boy, "but so much was happening, and he was so queer, that I forgot about it."

"Guess we all did. Well, we can pick him up again when we need him – ifwe ever do," chuckled Snake. "I mean if the doctor says this hereElixer is any good."