Bar-20 Days

eriences near the Mexican border. Word had come up to them that Martin had secured the conviction of the smugglers and was in line for immediate advancement. No one on the range

ut he had yielded to Johnny's persuasive

t, some miles distant, and it was too strong to be resisted. Flinging a word of explanation to the nearest puncher, he turned to lope away, when Red's voice checked him. Red wanted to delay his home-coming for a day or two and attend to a purely personal matter at a ranch lying to the west. Hopalong, knowing the re

se he owed a return game of draw poker to certain of Grant's leading

e up to the nearest shack. "Show!" he exclaimed. "Now, ain't that luck! I'll shore take it in. If it's a circus, mebby it has a trick mule to ride-I'll never forget that one up in Kansas City," he grinned. B

ying dogie to a staggering-with-age mosshead, an' shout 'tally one' with the same joy. Well, not for mine, this trip. I'm going to graze loose an' buck-jump all I wants. Anyhow, if I did let him brand me I'd only

dy! Glad to see you! Keep right on for the store-I'll be with you in a minute." When David

an lead him out of his wickedness I will rest content tho

What

have heard

e man in this part of the country that won't feel some honored an' proud to be called a friend of Hopalong Cassidy. Them's the sentiments rampaging hereabouts. I ain't denying that he's gone an' killed off a lot of men first an' last-but the only trouble there is that he didn't get 'em soon

to be thankful for: The wickedness of most of these men, these over-grown children, is manly

mplete. When the conversation threatened to repeat itself cards were brought and the next two hours passed very rapidly. Th

"You play a whole lot better than you did the last time I was here. I've got to move along. I'm going east an' see Wallace an' f

g it worse than ever i

ear the sky-pilot's palaver before you go. It'll do you a

asked Hopalon

quickly responded Tom, his brothe

he shook hands all around. "You all know where to find us

s his friend mounted. "But come up again soon-an' be sho

t the tent. Such inconsistency is trying to the temper of the best-mannered horse, and this particular animal was not in the least good-mannered, wherefore its ride

on I'm any ascared to go in that tent? Huh, I'll just show 'em anyhow!" whereupon h

ness went out of his bearing as his eyes fastened themselves in a stare on the man's neck-kerchief. Hopalong was hardened to awful sights and at his best was not an artistic soul, but the villainous riot of fiery crimson, gaud

"Meaning?" he questioned, with an upward slant in his voice. The neck-kerchief seemed to grow suddenly malign

te governing free fist fights in gospel tents, and while he hesitated as to whether he should dent the classic profile of the color-bearer o

fore death takes you in the wallow of

he glanced around. It took him ninety-seven seconds to see everything there was to be seen, and his eyes were drawn irresistibly back to the stranger's k

ecoration, if it might be called such, but the evange

ith-a-difference he found them sitting up very straight and apparently drinking in his words with great relish; whereupon he felt that he was making gratifying progress toward t

he friends who have gone before; who were well one minute and gone the

flicted neck starte

ed at the antics of the bench, a sob came to his ears. Turning his head swiftly, he caught sight of the stranger's face, and sorrow was marked so strongly upon it that the sight made Hopalong gape. His hand opened slowly and he cautiously sidled back again, disgruntled, p

lips with satisfaction at what was in store for it. His visit to Wallace w

has the right to punish. 'Vengeance is mine,' saith the Lord, and whosoever takes the law into his own hands, whosoever takes

round and stared over the suddenly outstretched arm and p

Are you no

ed and formed. "Guilty, I reckon, an' in the first degree. But they didn't get

e should be pinned into a corner by logic and asked for his proofs, that he could squirm out easily and take the offensive again by appealing to faith, the last word in sophistry, and a greater and more powerful weapon than intelligence. This was his game, and it was fixed; he could not lose if he could arouse

hing; Command or no command, devine or not devine, I know when a man has lived too long, an' when he's going to try to get me. An'

nd departed; and Hopalong, heaving a sigh of satisfaction, settled himself more comfortably and gave real attention to the discourse, although he did not reply to the warm and eloquent man on the soap box. Suddenly he sat up with a start as he remembered that he had a long and hard r

ng had something to take home with him and wrestle out for himself in spare moments; that is, he would have had but for one thing: As he slowly looked around for his horse he came to himself with a sharp jerk, and hot profanity routed

p? They was watching me when I went inside an' sneaked up and rustled my cayuse. Well, I'll

nything of a skinny roan cayuse fifteen han's high, white stocking on the

ed: he also knew Dave Wilkes and that gentleman's friends. He chuckled and determined to hel

borrowed it," he grinned, making his way leisurely towards the general store, kept by his friend Dave, the

ught you was half-way to Wallace's by now!" he excl

. "An' how innocent you act, too. Thought you could scare me, didn't you? Thought I'd go tearing 'round this fool town like a house afire, he

e ol' cayuse, you chump! Last time I saw it you was on him, going like the devil. Did somebody pul

ment, and replied: "'At's aw right; I want my cayuse." Swallowing hastily, he contin

, beginning to suspect that something was radically wron

th his sleeve. "Well, then,

' went the other way, same as they allus do." Dave was getting irritated. "Look here

Ese prunes er purty good," he mumbled, in grave con

alf-pound," Dave retorted with asperity, anxiously shifting his feet

at that," Mr. Cassidy responded, nodding his head

exploded Dave. "

in them, anyhow. But when am I going to get my cayuse? I've got a long way to go, an' delay is costly-ho

ly replied Dave. "If you don't know where it is, then somebody went an' lifted it. It looks like it's up to yo

minute!" and he dashed out of the store and made good time towards the liquid refreshment parlor. Dave promptly nailed the covers on the boxes of prunes an

cing into the bar-room, "where d

Hoyt's Corners," the stranger replied, grinning broadly

lk! Who was

dy at

do you

eing rid whe

that cayuse was

ain't it?" smiled the stranger, enjoying hi

long, growing red and then pale. "You t

hore blinded by the most awful an' horrible neck-kerchief I've ever had the hard luck to lay my eyes on.

the street as he ran towards the store. "Hypocrite son-of-a-hoss-thief went an'

ding the way on the run towards t

s ain't no plain hoss-thief case-it's a private grudge. See you later, me

hat Doll of mine for very long. She can out-run anything in these parts. 'Sides, Cassidy's cayuse looked