Nor did the sheep herders thus forego an attempt to graze their flocks on the rich pasture claimed by Mr. Merkel. It was too late that day to attempt anything more. Night settled down, but with an augmented force of cowboys at the fort the boy ranchers were not apprehensive. Tours of duty were arranged, so that two or more cowboys would be on guard all night. However, the hours of darkness passed with no further activity on the part of the Mexicans. In the morning, however, the forces from Diamond X ranch observed strange actions on the part of their enemies. "What in the world are they up to?" asked Nort, as he and his brother and cousin looked across the river. Well might he ask that. CHAPTER XVII "WE CROWED TOO SOON!" Not only the boy ranchers, but their more experienced cowboy companions were puzzled by the actions of the sheep herders. It was the period after the morning meal, the smoke of which fires was still rising toward the sky. The sheep men appeared to have slept in the open, with nothing more than their blankets for a bed and their saddles for pillows. But they were accustomed to this, and so were our friends, though they were glad of the fairly comfortable bunk house, or "fort," as they dubbed it. But all interest was centered in what the Greasers were doing. Some of them separated themselves from the sheep, which really did not require much more attention than that given them by some intelligent dogs, and a bunch of the hated and despised men were approaching the river, carrying long poles. "What do you reckon they're going to do?" asked Dick. "Make a raft, maybe," answered Nort. "Though how they can float a lot of sheep over on a raft made of a few bean poles is more than I can understand." "It would take them a month or more to float the sheep over, one at a time, on a bunch of poles," objected Bud. "That isn't what they're going to do," declared Dick, after closely watching the actions of the Mexicans. "They're going to leave, that's what they're planning." "Leave? What do you mean; go away?" asked his brother. "That's it--yes. They're going to make those dinguses the Indians use trailing after their horses--a pole fastened to either side of the animal, and the ends dragging on the ground. Between the poles they carry their duffle." "Nonsense!" laughed Bud. "In the first place these aren't Indians, though they're as bad, I reckon. But they didn't come with those pole trailers; so why would they make 'em to go away with? All they own they can pack in their hats." "I guess you're right," admitted Dick, after thinking it over. "But they're going to do something." They were all watching the Mexicans now. The men with long poles--which they must have brought with them as none grew in the vicinity--now closely approached the edge of the creek. They could not be going to make a raft--the nature of the poles precluded that.