CHAPTER XX
THE DIAMOND X BRAND
Nort and Dick admitted to one another, afterward, that at first theybelieved the two professors to be joking. They imagined that thecultured scientists were merely indulging in a bit of fun, from much ofwhich they were necessarily barred while in the class room. But asharp look at the faces of the men who were at the head of anexpedition, conducting a mysterious search, showed the boys thatearnestness was the keynote.
"You--you're going to keep us here?" questioned Dick.
"For a while, yes," said Professor Wright, and there was more snap anddecision in his voice than before.
"It is much your own fault," added Professor Blair.
"_Our_ fault!" spluttered Nort, his temper rapidly rising. "Why, whathave we done except to help you when you needed it? And now all we askis that you put us in the way of getting back to Diamond X."
"That is just it," said Professor Wright. "We don't want you to goback to Diamond X at once."
"Why not?" hotly demanded Nort. "What right have you got to hold ushere? You can't! We'll get away in spite of you!" and his hand, halfunconsciously, perhaps, moved toward his holster. But he was surprisedto find his wrist seized in a firm grip, while he was violently swungaround, his weapon being removed by some one who had come silently upbehind him. And this some one was Del Pinzo, into whose sneering,crafty, swarthy face Nort angrily gazed.
Before he could say anything, Nort saw Silas Thorp slip up to Dick, andtake that lad's weapon out of the holster. Dick had no time to drawit, even if such had been his intention, which, the lad said later, itwas not.
"What do you mean? What's this game anyhow? What right have you tokeep us prisoners here and take our guns?" shouted Nort. He took astep toward Del Pinzo, but there was something so sinister in theattitude of the half breed, albeit he did not menace the boy with theweapon, that Nort shrank back.
"I think you had better submit quietly," said Professor Blair. "Weintend absolutely no violence, or ill-treatment of you, unless you makethat necessary. We admit that perhaps we are acting illegally, and inan unusual manner, but, in a way, you brought this on yourselves, boys.You will not be detained long. In fact, if our plans work out right,you may depart for your ranch this evening."
"Acting illegally!" spluttered Nort. "I should say you _were_! We'llhave you arrested for this, you--you--big----"
Then Nort stopped, for he realized that, though he might apply somewell-deserved slang names to the two professors, neither of them was"big." They were small men--at least in stature.
"But you haven't any right to hold us here prisoners!" declared Dick,feeling that he must back up his brother in a firm protest. "Wehaven't done anything to you."
"Except to turn up where you aren't wanted!" broke in Silas Thorp. "Ifyou'd minded your own business, and stayed away--let us alone--wewouldn't have to do this!"
In surprise at such a statement, Nort and Dick looked at the twoprofessors.
Mr. Wright, with a wave of his hand toward his helper, to enjoinsilence, made this statement:
"Mr. Thorp has put the matter rather crudely, perhaps, but that is thestate of the case. Without going into details, boys, we are in thispart of the country on a secret mission. We have almost accomplishedwhat we are after, and, on the verge of the discovery, we do not wishto be balked. You happen to have stumbled upon us just when we areabout to complete a wearisome search, which at least promises to besuccessful.
"We have enemies who would be glad to frustrate our schemes, and it isto prevent these enemies from obtaining knowledge of our movements, ofour location, and the location of that which we are seeking, that weare forced to detain you. We hope soon to end our mission, and, oncewe have gained possession of what we are after, we shall be most happyto restore you to liberty."
He took breath after this somewhat lengthy address, and Nort and Dicklooked at one another, more puzzled than before. What did it all mean?What was the queer secret of the professors, a secret that, somehow,seemed to involve Diamond X?
"Do you mean that you're keeping us here because you're afraid we'lltell something about you?" burst out Nort.
"Yes," answered Professor Blair. "We simply must keep our secret safe,now that we are on the verge of discovery."
"But we wouldn't tell!" declared Nort. "In fact we don't know anythingabout you--except that we've seen you once or twice. We don't knowwhat your secret is--that is, we can only _guess_ at it."
"That's just it!" interrupted Professor Wright. "You are the sort oflads who would make a correct guess, and then, when word of it got out,we would lose the fruits of many weary years of research."
"But we wouldn't tell anyone!" promised Dick. "All we know about it isthat you're supposed to be prospecting for gold. There isn't any greatcrime, or secret, in that, unless you're trying to get gold off landthat doesn't belong to you."
"No, it isn't gold, nor anything like gold," spoke Professor Wright, inrather dreamy tones. "It is much more valuable than gold. I neverwould have endured the hardships I have for mere gold."
"Nor I," said his partner, and then, for the first time the samethought came to Nort and Dick--that these men might be lunatics,obsessed with a strange idea, and that they were searching forsomething that might be likened to a fading mirage.
The boy ranchers looked at one another. If this was the explanationtheir position might be more dangerous than appeared. To be heldcaptives by men who were mentally irresponsible, aided by anunscrupulous gang, of which Del Pinzo was a fair specimen, was not atall a reassuring thought. But Nort and Dick were not the ones to giveup easily.
"Just what are you going to do?" asked Nort, when it was evident that,unarmed as they were, resistance was out of the question for the timebeing.
"Simply hold you here for a few days--not more than a week at most,"answered Professor Blair.
"Suppose we don't stay?" asked Nort, sharply.
"Well, if you refuse to promise not to try to escape, we shall beforced to detain you as best we can," was the calm reply. "But we haveno wish to use violence, and I think you will agree to submit quietly.Be our guests, so to speak."
"What if our friends come to rescue us?" asked Dick.
"Well, we have thought of that," spoke Professor Wright. "If they comewe shall have to do our best to--er--persuade them to go awayagain--that is unless we can bring our task to an end sooner than weexpect, and that is possible. If we can bring that about--make thediscovery we hope for--you will be at liberty to depart at that moment.Otherwise you must stay here!"
"Well, we won't promise not to try to escape," declared Nort, hotly."We'll do our best, not only to get away, but to bring the police downon you, or bring whatever authority they have out here. If you'regoing to act this way we'll be justified in doing our worst!"
"Naturally," agreed Professor Wright, smoothly. "Now that we have beenmade aware of your intentions we shall act accordingly. We shall beobliged to keep you under guard, but I assure you that if you do notact roughly neither will our guards. I am sorry you would not agree toour plan, and see matters in our light. It would have been so muchmore comfortable. And when we have explained, as we hope to do soon,you would appreciate our attitude."
"Well, all I can say now is that we _don't_ appreciate it!" snappedNort, "and we'll leave at the first opportunity!"
"Then we'll see that you get no opportunities!" sneered Silas. "Let'stake 'em out, Del!"
As it was evident that the two professors meant what they said, andthat the boys would be roughly handled if they did not submit quietly,they followed their captors out of the dining tent, in answer tosignals from Silas and the half breed that this was what was wanted.
"Here's going to be your stopping place," said Silas, with anothersneer, as he stopped in front of a small tent. "And let me tell you itwill be best for you to take it easy. You may get into trouble if youtry to leave!"
To this Nort and Dick answered nothing. Th
ey were too angry to knowwhat to say, but that they intended to submit quietly to this indignitywas not in their natures. They cast quick glances about the campbefore entering the tent, the flap of which Del Pinzo pulled back. Thetent contained two cots and some small packing boxes for tables andchairs.
"All right!" said Nort, as he sized up the situation, and glanced backat the men who were his own and his brother's guards for the timebeing. "You can do your best to keep us here, and we'll do our best toget away. It'll be a fifty-fifty proposition!"
Nort was startled by an exclamation from Dick. The latter was gazingat some commotion on the far side of the camp. Looking out from theopened tent Nort saw being driven, along the bank of a small brook thatran through the swale, several big steers. They were being hazed alongby Greasers on horses, and as the cattle splashed into the water,stopping to drink thirstily, the boy ranchers caught sight of thebrands on their flanks.
It was the mark of the Diamond X ranch!
Boy Ranchers; Or, Solving the Mystery at Diamond X Page 20