"Wall, that beats a fire department," exclaimed Cal, as, after remaining immersed for a short time, Nat drove the car up the opposite bank which, luckily, had a gentle slope.
As Cal had remarked, it did indeed beat a fire department, for the water had put out the flames effectually. An investigation showed that beyond having charred and blistered the woodwork and paint that the fire had fortunately done no damage. It would take some little time to set things to rights, though, after the ordeal they had all gone through, and so it was decided that they would camp for a time at the edge of the river.
"Hullo, what's all that going on over there?" wondered Joe, as he pointed to a cloud of dust in the distance.
Cal rapidly shinned up a tree, and shading his eyes with his hand, gazed for some moments in the direction of the cloud.
"Sheep!" he announced as he slid down again, "consarn thet Jeb Scantling, now I know who set thet fire."
The boys looked puzzled till Cal went on to explain.
"You know I told you fellows that cattlemen was dead sore at sheepmen," he said, "and that's the reason."
He jerked one brown thumb backward to indicate that "that" was the fire.
"Do you mean to say that Jeb Scantling started it?" gasped Nat. The idea was a new one to him.
"Wall, I'd hate to accuse any one of doing sich a thing," rejoined Cal non-committally, "but," he added with a meaning emphasis, "I've heard of sheepmen setting tracts on fire afore this."
"But whatever for?" inquired Joe in a puzzled tone.
"So's to burn the brush away and hev nice green grass in the spring," responded Cal.
"Well, that's a nice idea," exclaimed Nat, "so they burn up a whole section of country to get feed for a few old sheep."
"Yep," nodded Cal, "and that's what is at the bottom of most of the sheep and cattlemen's wars you read about."
At first the boys felt inclined to chase up Jeb, but they concluded that it would be impracticable, so, allowing the sheepman to take his distant way off into the lonelier fastnesses of the Sierras, they hastened to the stream and began splashing about, enjoying the sensation hugely. Suddenly a voice on the bank above hailed them. Somewhat startled they all turned quickly and burst into a roar of laughter as they saw Herr Muller, who had slipped quietly from among them "holding them up" with a camera.