They made the start early the next morning--the boy ranchers, with Yellin' Kid and Snake, and there was the promise of more cowboys to help them hold the "fort" should it be considered necessary. "Well, everything seems to be all right," remarked Bud as he and his party rode up to the shack on the edge of the stream. "No signs of the sheep yet." "And no smell, either," chuckled Yellin' Kid, as he sniffed the air. "It takes the perfesser for that!" said Snake with a laugh. "I wonder what Professor Wright is doing?" said Nort. "Oh, digging up a lot of old bones, I reckon," Bud answered. "But let's get grub and rest. I'm tired." The events of the past few days had been strenuous enough to make them all welcome a period of rest. And they had it, for a few hours. And then something occurred to start a series of happenings that lasted and created excitement for some time. It was toward the middle of the afternoon when Nort, who had gone down the stream a little way, looked across Spur Creek and saw hanging in the hazy air a cloud of dust. "Wonder if that's a wind storm," he mused. But as there was not a sign of vapor in the clear blue sky he gave up that theory. "Guess I'd better let 'em know," he thought, turning back toward the fort. And when the others came out to look at the cloud of dust, on the Mexican side of the river--a cloud which had grown larger--Bud exclaimed: "Sheep, I'll bet a hat!" CHAPTER XIV THE SHEEP ARRIVE Among the saddles, horse-gear, weapons, grub and other equipment that had been put in the fort at Spur Creek was a telescope. Remembering this, Bud rushed in to get it, while his companions stood in front of the place, gazing across the stream at the ever-increasing cloud of dust. "Something's comin' on, anyhow," observed Yellin' Kid. "Can't be cattle," remarked Snake Purdee. "They ain't spread out enough for cattle." This was one way of telling, for, as the cowboy said, cattle, meaning by that steers or a herd of grazing horses, separate much more than do sheep, which stick in a bunch as they feed. Still there was no being certain of it until Bud should take an observation through the glass. "Might be another bunch of Greasers--or rustlers," said Snake, musingly. "There's plenty of both kinds down there," agreed Nort, with a wave of his hand in the general direction of Mexico, the border of which misruled, unhappy and greatly-misunderstood country was not far away. Bud came running out with the telescope, pulling shiny brass lengths to their limit before focusing it. "We'll soon tell now," he said, as he raised the objective glass and pointed it at the cloud of dust, while he squinted through the eye-piece. A moment later, after he had made a better adjustment of the focus, he cried: "It's sheep all right! A big bunch of 'em!" "Any men with 'em? No, I shouldn't call 'em men," hastily corrected Dick. "No decent man would raise sheep."