"I guess they know we can take care of ourselves--at least we have so far," spoke Nort. "Yes," agreed Bud. "You fellows have done pretty well since you came out here--you aren't tenderfeet any longer, not by all the shots that ever broke bottles." "Say, what do you think of that, anyhow?" asked Dick, as he chewed reflectively on a bit of grass. "I don't know what to think," asserted Bud. "There are a lot of serious questions we have to settle if we're going to keep on with this ranch." "Why, we are going to keep on, aren't we?" asked Nort. "I should say so!" cried Bud. "We're going to stick here, rustlers or not! And those are the only fellows I'm worrying about," and he tossed a lump of dirt in the fire which Dick was starting. "Are there always rustlers to worry about on a ranch?" asked Nort. "More or less," answered his cousin. "Especially when you have a place so near Double Z. I don't accuse Hank Fisher of being a rustler, exactly," he went on, "though I think Del Pinzo is. That's been proved, but it didn't do much good, for he broke jail and they can't seem to land him." "What makes Hank Fisher and that Double Z bunch so sore at you?" asked Dick. "I guess it's because we're beating them at the cattle game," answered Bud. "And because dad dammed the Pocut River and took some water for this valley. As if that hurt Hank!" he added. "But he makes that an excuse. However, I'll fight him to the finish!" "And we're with you!" added Dick and Nort. After supper they sat around the fire, talking of various matters. But ever and again the question troubled them of whether or not they could get on the trail of the rustlers. And, too, they wondered what could be the object of Four Eyes. Night settled down, quiet save for the occasional snorting of the ponies. The boys wrapped themselves in their blankets and crawled between their tarpaulins with their feet to the smouldering fire. They talked until drowsiness stole over them and then, having decided to maintain no watch, they all three slumbered. What time it was that Bud awakened he did not know. But awaken he did, and suddenly. And the cause of his awakening was the sound of a horse rapidly ridden, and, evidently, approaching the place where he and his cousins had camped for the night. "Who's there?" cried Bud suddenly, and without preface. Under the blanket his hand sought his weapon. "Who's there!" CHAPTER XI THE WATCH TOWER Quickly the galloping hoofbeats came to a pause. With a motion of his foot, as he sat up amid his blanket and tarpaulin, Bud kicked into the fire a stick of greasewood which flared up, revealing a rider on a panting horse standing over the boy ranchers, all three of whom were now awake. "Four Eyes!" cried Bud, for the flaring fire had revealed that cowboy. He had accepted his nickname in perfect grace. "That's who," was the good-natured answer. "I saw the fire as I was riding back, and I thought you'd be here."