"Then the water is running again?" Bud asked.
"Absolutely!" declared Billee. "You comin' back here?"
"Sure! But over the mountain—not under it."
Bud and his boy rancher chums remained that night at the store settlement near the dam, getting beds in what passed for a hotel. It was too late to secure horses and ride over Snake Mountain trail back to Flume Valley.
While thus having a night of leisure, and seeing such sights as were to be viewed in the little town, Bud and his chums discussed the queer situation of the mysteriously disappearing and reappearing water. But, talk as they did, and venture opinions as they and their cowboy friends did, no one could hit on a solution.
"We'll just have to make another and more careful inspection," declared Nort.
"That's what!" agreed Bud.
They learned from Slim that the situation regarding the cattle epidemic at Square M ranch was not much better. All stock which had not been exposed to the infection had been removed, either to Diamond X, Triangle B or Flume Valley, and the infected steers remaining there were being treated by a veterinarian whom Mr. Merkel had engaged.
"But they're slowly dying off," Slim reported. "And I don't believe Square M ranch will ever be safe to use again."
"Why not?" asked Bud.