Produced by Al Haines [Transcriber's note: Extensive research found no evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] [Illustration: Cover art] [Frontispiece: SNAKE CAUGHT HOLD OF THE ANIMAL'S LEFT HORN. "The Boy Ranchers at Spur Creek."] THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK OR _Fighting the Sheep Herders_ by WILLARD F. BAKER _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 THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS or On the Trail of the Yaquis THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK or Fighting the Sheep Herders CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER I SHOTS IN THE NIGHT II MISSING PAPERS III ON THE TRAIL IV AROUND THE CAMPFIRE V AT SPUR CREEK VI THE ALARM VII A PARLEY VIII SUSPICIONS IX A CALL FOR HELP X DEL PINZO'S HAND XI COWBOY FUN XII AFTER THE RUSTLERS XIII A CLOUD OF DUST XIV THE SHEEP ARRIVE XV A BATTLE OF WITS XVI STRANGE ACTIONS XVII "WE CROWED TOO SOON!" XVIII SKIRMISHES XIX OPEN WARFARE XX THE FLAG OF TRUCE XXI A LEGAL CONTEST XXII NORT'S PLAN XXIII IN DISGUISE XXIV THE BRONTOTHERIUM XXV THE END OF THE SHEEP THE BOY RANCHERS AT SPUR CREEK CHAPTER I SHOTS IN THE NIGHT With a rattle and a clatter the muddy flivver stopped with a squeak of brakes in front of Diamond X ranch house. From the car leaped three boys, one of them carrying a small leather pouch. "Here's the mail!" yelled this lad--Bud Merkel by name, and his cousins, Nort and Dick Shannon, added the duet of their voices to his as they cried: "Mail's in! Lots of letters!" "Any for me?" asked Nell, reaching out her hand toward Bud. "Don't tell me there isn't!" she pleaded. "Well, I'm sorry, Sis," began Bud, teasingly, "there was one for you, but driving in we ran over a rattler and----" "Don't you believe him, Nell!" consoled Nort, who didn't altogether agree with Bud's teasing of his sister. "Your letters are safe in the pouch." "Oh, there are _letters_, then, are there--not just _one_?" cried Nell with shining eyes. "Thanks a whole lot." "Don't thank me--thank the postmaster--or whoever wrote you the letters!" laughed Nort. Bud had sat down on a bench outside the ranch house and was opening the mail pouch. His mother came to the door of the kitchen, wiping flour from her hands, for though Mrs. Merkel kept a "hired girl," and though Nell assisted, yet the mother of Bud insisted on doing much of the work herself, and very able she was, too. "Any letters for your father?" she asked.