Leaping into their saddles, Nort and Dick followed Bud toward the scene of the disturbance. They saw the cattle running to and fro, and in the slivers of light that leaped from the muzzles of guns which were shot off at intervals, they descried figures swiftly riding backward and forward, evidently trying to cut out bunches of cattle. Action had followed rapidly on the heels of the sinister arrow warning. CHAPTER XV THE BRANDING IRON "Come on, boys! Come on!" shouted Bud, as he spurred off in the darkness, followed by Nort and Dick. "They're trying to drive 'em off through the lower end of the valley! We've got to stop 'em!" "You said it!" shouted Dick. "Who are they?" yelled Nort Bud had no time to answer. What was needed, then, was quick action to prevent his own and his cousins', as well as his father's stock from the Square M ranch, being driven off by unscrupulous rustlers. For that this night attack was made by these marauders of the plains was not to be doubted. "Ride hard, boys! Ride hard!" shouted Old Billee as he galloped up beside the boy ranchers. And they were riding hard--all of them, including the cow punchers who had come in from their night's duties, expecting to be relieved. It was at this favorable--for them--moment that the rascals had made their attack. It was so dark that only, indistinctly, could the forms of raiders be made out. But there were several of them, leaning low over the necks of their galloping steeds, and endeavoring to create a panic among the cattle so that a stampede would result. Once this started it would be a comparatively easy matter for them to "cut out" as many choice specimens as possible, driving them to some secret place. There the brands could be "blurred," or changed, and Diamond X Second would be out several thousands of dollars. "There they are!" yelled Bud, as, riding between Nort and Dick, he saw a group of men swinging their big hats and heard them shouting to frighten the already thoroughly roused cattle. But though Bud thus indicated the presence of the rustlers it was not a very clear sight of them that he or his companions had. Only for the fact that those of Flume Valley rode together, and saw the indistinct forms ahead of them, could it be made certain that the unknown ones were the enemy. "Crack!" Bud's gun shot out a menacing warning, for he had fired high in the air, above the heads of the rustlers. He had borne in mind his father's injunction never to shoot at a human being unless vital necessity required it. "And I'd rather lose all my cattle than kill anyone," Bud said afterward. "Unless I had to do it to save my life." It was for this reason that he had fired high, and his example was followed by his cousins. But that this consideration on the part of our friends was not appreciated, was made plain, a moment later, when Old Billee exclaimed: "That was a close one!"