"What's that?" asked Bud, who had ridden into camp at the conclusion of his tour of duty.
As if in answer came distant shots, the howls of coyotes and the snorting of cattle, mingled with a rush which told its own story.
"Stampede!" yelled Bud. "They're trying to stampede our herd and drive 'em off! Come on, fellows!"
And all within the sound of his voice rallied to repel the night attack, for such it proved to be.
Leaping into their saddles, Nort and Dick followed Bud toward the scene of the disturbance. They saw the cattle running to and fro, and in the slivers of light that leaped from the muzzles of guns which were shot off at intervals, they descried figures swiftly riding backward and forward, evidently trying to cut out bunches of cattle.
Action had followed rapidly on the heels of the sinister arrow warning.
CHAPTER XV
THE BRANDING IRON
"Come on, boys! Come on!" shouted Bud, as he spurred off in the darkness, followed by Nort and Dick. "They're trying to drive 'em off through the lower end of the valley! We've got to stop 'em!"