Then, as one after another of the sheep herders thrust the end of his pole into the water, wading out a short distance to do this, Bud uttered an exclamation. "I have it!" the lad cried. "You mean you're on to the game?" asked Dick. "Yes." "What is it?" cried the two brothers. "They're feeling around to find the places where the quicksands are," announced Bud. "You mean so they can jump in and get rid of themselves?" grimly asked Snake Purdee. "I mean so they can tell where _not_ to cross," said Bud, though this was unnecessary, since they all grasped his meaning when he spoke of the quicksands. "I guess you're right, son," observed Old Billee, who had come back to the fort with the return of the cowboys. "They're looking for safe fords and I shouldn't wonder but what they'd find 'em." "I wouldn't be too sure of that," said a tall lank cowboy. "What do you mean?" Billee wanted to know. "Wa'al, they may find the places where it's safe to cross--I ain't sayin' but what they is sich places," went on "Lanky," as he was called, "I know this creek putty well, an' I've crossed it more'n once, swimmin' a hoss over an' sometimes drivin' cattle. But th' trouble is sometimes when you find a safe place it doesn't stay safe very long." "What do you mean by that?" asked Bud, who thought it his duty to learn all he could about matters connected with his father's ranch. "I reckon he means the quicksands shift--is that it, Lanky?" asked Billee Dobb. "That's it--yep! A place that may be safe to cross to-night may be the most dangerous in the mornin', or even in less time." "Oh, so the creek is going to favor us after all!" exclaimed Bud. "If it's as treacherous as that it will keep those Greasers on the far side." "Not altogether," said Billee. "They may have just enough fool luck to strike a safe place and get over here." "Well, if they come we'll be ready for 'em!" grimly said Nort, and the others nodded in accord with this sentiment. Then, as there was nothing else to do for the present, they watched the actions of the Mexicans--actions that were not so strange and mysterious as they had been before Bud hit upon the right solution. And that it was a correct guess no one could doubt who watched the sheep herders. With their long, thin poles they went up and down the bank of the stream, thrusting the ends into the mud, or whatever formed the bottom of Spur Creek. At times, as I have said, the Mexicans would wade out, perhaps until the water came as high as their middle, in order to thrust their poles farther out into the stream. But when a man thus waded another stood near with ready lariat. "They're taking no chances on being caught as the horse was," said Nort. "Right-o!" exclaimed his brother.