"Well," said the old man slowly, "I don't know just what to think. It's all mighty queer, but one thing I'll say--this didn't all happen just to-night." "You mean it was planned in advance?" asked Dick. "Sartin sure, son! It was a put-up job if ever there was one. Why, just look back over it. Here we all were in peace and quiet, and Mr. Merkel was entertainin' his friends, when up rides a bunch of onery Greasers, if I'm any judge." "What makes you think they were Greasers?" asked Bud. "'Cause no decent white men would act like they did. Up they rides, pretending to be sneakin' in on us, maybe to lift a few horses or else stampede a bunch of our cows. But that wasn't their intention at all." "If it was, Slim and the rest of 'em spoiled their plans," observed Nort. "Don't worry, they had no notion of takin' anything," declared Old Billee. "They just wanted to take our attention while some of their confederates sneaked in and got Mr. Merkel's papers; and they done that same." "I'll say they did!" exclaimed Bud in disgust. "It was all too easy for them. But how did they know Dad's papers were in the safe?" "Well, it's common knowledge that your paw claims the land around Spur Creek," observed Billee. "That's common knowledge. And it wouldn't take a Kansas City lawyer long to figger out that he had papers to prove his claim, an' that he kept these papers in his safe; it bein' equally well known that we haven't much time to fool with banks around here, 'specially in the busy season. "So all the rascal had to do was to get the house clear, by creatin' some excitement away from it, and then he walked in an' skinned the safe. It didn't help matters any that th' perfesser happened along at the same time, either, and I don't care who knows it!" declared Billee Dobb emphatically. "You don't mean to say you believe Dr. Wright had any hand in this?" cried Bud. "Well, maybe _he_ didn't 'zactly have a hand in it," grudgingly admitted the old cowpuncher, "but he played right into the hands of th' scoundrels." "On purpose, do you mean?" asked Nort. "Well, that's to be found out," remarked Billee musingly. "Billee, you're 'way off there!" cried Bud. "Professor Wright is as right as his name--we proved that before when he was here after the prehistoric Triceratops bones." "He may have changed since then," declared Billee. "What did he want to come in and lead us off on a false trail for, when we was hot after the robbers?" "He didn't do it purposely," asserted Nort, who, with his brother, shared Bud's views as to the integrity of Professor Wright. "It was because he got lost." "Yes, to hear him tell it," sneered Billee. "Why, look here!" cried Bud. "What good would it do Professor Wright to get hold of Dad's papers proving ownership to the Spur Creek lands? Why would he want the land? If anybody wants it they must be those who are coming in under the new government ruling--sheep herders maybe, and it's to them we have to look."