For that is what they amounted to--tricks. Who built the copper-lever-controlled water gates, putting them in to utilize the winding underground streams, no one could tell. It may have been the Aztecs. The powerful, slanting stream of water, it was discovered, formed the outlet of the shunted-in-river stream when the two side channels were opened so that Flume Valley's water supply was cut off. The water gates and the underground streams formed the chief mystery, and these never could be fully explored. It was thought too dangerous. How Del Pinzo discovered the workings of the levers, utilizing them to try to end the rule of the boy ranchers in Flume Valley, was not disclosed for many years. "You won't have any further trouble, now that the gates are closed and the levers taken off," Mr. Merkel said, for that had been done. "You'll get all the water you want in Flume Valley." "Guess I'll call it Happy Valley," said Bud, "for everything is coming out right, now." "In spite of black rabbits!" chuckled Old Billee. "Yes, even with black jacks!" laughed Bud. "Everything is working fine, now." And so it was. For with the discovery of the secret water gates and the disappearance of Del Pinzo, the epidemic died away. Though this, of course, was due to the arrest of Pocut Pete. That scoundrel was found guilty and sentenced to a long term in prison. But he kept his counsel, and never actually confessed that it was Hank Fisher who set him to this dastardly trick--if, indeed, it was that unscrupulous ranchman of Double Z. That it was rustlers from Double Z who had tried to drive off some of the boy ranchers' cattle was not doubted, the finding of the branding iron being regarded as telltale evidence. But this was not enough to cause any arrests. "Well, what are we going to do next?" asked Dick, of his brother and cousin, when they were fishing in the reservoir one evening, as, with the closing of the hidden gates and the uninterrupted flow of the water, many more finny prizes could be hooked. "Get ready for a big shipment of cattle," said Bud. "I never saw any finer stock than we have here in Happy Valley. That's our next move--reap the benefits of our hard work." But the lads did more than that. And those of you who wish to follow their fortunes further may do go in the next volume of this series, which will be called: "The Boy Ranchers on the Trail; or Diamond X After Cattle Rustlers." "Who's that down at camp?" asked Dick, as he pulled up a good-sized fish and put it beside him on the grass. "Looks like Nell and your mother," said Nort to Bud. "It is!" Bud cried. "They said they'd come over, and Nell promised to bring a pie! Come on; we got enough fish!" And down the reservoir rushed the boy ranchers to greet their visitors. "Any pie, Nell?" cried Bud. "Sure," was the answer. "But it's for company--Dick and Nort!"