It was this fluttering bit of paper that caught Dick's eye when he awakened, rather lame and stiff, and stretched himself in his blanket as the sun shone in his eyes next morning.
"Hello!" he cried, taking a hasty look around to see if Bud had, perchance, ridden away without awakening his companions, and had left this note to tell them so. "What's the idea?" and then Dick noticed that all three of his companions were stretched out near him, and the four ponies were standing together not far away.
"What idea?" asked Bud, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"That special delivery letter," and Dick pointed to it. "Wasn't here last night," he went on, "for I tied Blackie to that tree before I staked him out. What is it?"
Bud rolled out of his blanket, and took the piece of paper from the tree.
"It's a warning!" he announced.
"A warning?" cried Nort and Dick, while Buck Tooth began making a fire.
"Yes," went on the boy rancher. "Here's what it says:
"'Don't take no more watter frum Pocut River if you want to stay healthy!'"
"Whew!" whistled Dick. "What does that mean?"