Old Billee Dobb was much excited. His eyes blazed and snapped and he shook the reins in addition to mildly spurring on his pony.
"More mysterious warnings?" asked Bud.
"Worse'n that," was the answer. "She's dry ag'in!"
"The pipe line?" asked Dick.
"You hit it!" cried the other. "Water's stopped runnin' ag'in, Bud!"
"Whew!" whistled the boy rancher. "And with a double lot of stock on hand, too! This is bad!"
CHAPTER IX
A SHOT IN THE NIGHT
Wheeling his pony, Old Billee rode back with the boy ranchers, until they reached the bottom of the reservoir wall. Then, dismounting, Bud, Nort and Dick scrambled up the earth slope on one side until they could look into the storage tank, and at the pipe which, connecting with the old underground water-course, kept the reservoir filled.