"I made a pie for you!" called Nell, Bud's pretty sister, as they rode up to the corral, and turned their horses in. "I hope you'll like it!"
"Couldn't help it!" said Nort, gallantly. "Pie! Yum! Yum! Where have I heard that word before?"
"It does seem to savor of happy days," remarked Dick.
"Oh, cut out the poetry!" advised Bud with a laugh. "Let's figure how long it will be before you can come back."
For Nort and Dick did come back to Diamond X ranch. Their further doings will be told of in the next volume of this series to be called "Boy Ranchers in Camp, or the Diamond X Fight for Water." In that you may learn what Bud, Dick and Nort did, and more about mysterious Zip Foster and the wily Del Pinzo.
As Bud, Nort and Dick entered the house, escorted by the smiling Nell, who was well pleased at the tribute to her pie-making, there was a rattle of hoofs, and a bunch of the cowboys clattered in, having been out riding herd.
"Grub ready?" cried Babe, as he slumped off his weary pony—Babe was heavy enough to make almost any pony weary.
"Come on!" cried Mother Merkel.
"Don't tell them about the pie!" whispered Nort to Nell.
"Oh, there's enough for all of them—mother and the women baked a lot, but I made one specially for you boys," Nell answered.