There was a moment of silence, to give the idea time to filter through the minds of all present, and then Mr. Merkel said: "Son, I believe you've struck it! That was a game to draw our fire on the front, while they sneaked up in the rear to frisk my safe! And the professor----" "I hope you don't think I had anything to do with your unfortunate loss!" exclaimed the scientist. "Of course not!" said Mr. Merkel quickly. "I was about to remark that you being on the scene was purely a matter of accident, though it may have had the effect of drawing Slim and his bunch farther away from the real thieves than was desirable." "Shouldn't be a bit surprised," admitted the foreman. "It was so dark, before the moon came out, that we couldn't tell much where we were going. But as soon as we picked up the professor and his friend we took after them. Probably this gave the real rascals the chance they wanted." "Perhaps I had better explain how I happened to be in this neighborhood," said Dr. Wright. "Our discoveries of the prehistoric fossils, at which you helped us so much," he added, nodding toward the boy ranchers, "our discoveries gained us such scientific honors that I have been asked to come back and search for more bones. I had no time to write and tell you I was coming, and that I hoped you would allow my party to make some location on your ranch our headquarters," he said to Mr. Merkel. "You will be very welcome," the ranchman remarked. "I am glad to know that," resumed Dr. Wright. "Well, I hurriedly got a party together, taking as my personal helper Zeb Tauth, the janitor of part of the college building where I am stationed. I know Zeb's ways, and he knows mine. "We rather lost our way in the darkness," continued the scientist, "and, leaving the main party, Zeb and I journeyed on to look for the ranch. We heard shots and saw a party of horsemen riding after us, and Zeb at once concluded we were going to be held up and made the victims of horse thieves. So we did our best to get away." "You rode mighty well, Professor! Yon rode mighty well!" complimented Slim Degnan. "But what's the next thing to be done?" asked Bud, as there came a pause in the conversation. "Did they take everything out of the safe, Dad?" "Well, I didn't have much money in it, luckily, but they did get some valuable papers--documents that prove my claim to land along Spur Creek--land that is the key to the situation in this new tract the government is opening, or, as a matter of fact, has already opened." "It means the sheep herders can come in then; does it?" asked Nort. "Practically that, unless I can get back those papers and prove that I am the real owner of the land, and that I owned it before this government opening took place," answered Mr. Merkel. "It must have been someone interested in sheep herding who knew about the papers, who knew you had them here and who wanted them," commented Dick. "Yes, that's probably true," assented the ranchman.