Bar-20 Days

. It was now mid-forenoon and Hopalong occupied his time for a while by riding out fancy designs on the sand; but he soon tired of this makeshift diversion and grew petulant. Red's tardiness was all

eat an' no prospects of anything, sitting up on this locoed layout like a sore thumb, an' can't move without hitting myself! An' it'll be late to-day before I can get any grub, too. Oh, well," he sighed, "I ain't in lo

e good, square look at her wouldn't ever accuse him of having brains. But he'll forget her

or tobacco and papers. As he finished pouring the chopped alfalfa into the paper he glanced up an

palong muttered, dexterously spreading the tobacco along the groove and quickly rolling the ci

ited. "Old son-of-a-gun, I'd wait a week if I had some gr

red his mount. "Come on, bronc; wake up. His girl said 'yes' an' now he wants me to get him out of his t

ed to the rear. "War-whoops! W-a-r w-h-o-o-p-s! Injuns, y

roat, and then shouted in reply: "Love an' liquor d

g bucks on their first war-trail, I reckon. 'T ain't Geronimo, all right; I wouldn't be here now if it was. Three of 'em c

t's the way you got that graze?" pointing to a bloody furrow on Mr. Connors' ch

you going to sit here like a wart on a dead dog an' wait for 'em?" he demanded with a ri

assidy, gazing intently towards the

ped the owner of the furrowed cheek. "The other

ecause two sprouted papooses feel like crowding us a bit; it wouldn't be none of our funeral, would it?" and the indi

an' act scared to death, if you know how. It's that little trick Buck told us about, an' it shore

parted as bidden, his face gradually breaking into an enthusiastic grin as he ruminated upon the plan.

ont of him, he arose on his toes and looked around for his companion, and laughed. Mr. Connors was bending very dejectedly apparently over his prostrate horse, but in reality was swearing heartily at the ignorant quadruped because it strove with might and main to get its master's foot off its head so it could ari

hey had brains," Mr. Cassidy muttered. "They're just at the age when they knows it all a

for pleasure or to view the scenery, let out a yell and dashed ahead at grater speed, at the same time separating s

all about such warfare knew that they would do just such a thing, which made it all the more bitter. But Red had cultivated the habit of thinking quickly and he saw at once that the remedy lay with him; he astonished the ex

red on again, drawing closer together, and along the chord of the arc made by Mr. Connors' trail. Evidently the fool white man was either crazy or had original and startling ideas about t

ir type and seeming to be a part of their mounts. Then two shots rang out in quick succession and a cloud of pungent smoke

rance doubly sure and he hastily rejoined his

ust, watching his friend shed sand from his clothes. "I allus opi

cess of their scheme. "Them two ain't 'Paches-they're the exceptions. But let me tell you that's a good game, j

his eyes searching the sky-line of the hills. "The rest of the coyotes will be here pur

e hidden horse. When he returned he grinned pleasantly. "Why, we'll go on like we was greased for calamity, that's what we'll do. Did

," retorted Red, shifting his cartridge belt so the empty loops were behin

know how many's head

replied. "You see, the three that chased me were out scouting ahead of

e way. "If we can get home there'll be a lot of disgusted braves hitting the high spots on the back trail trying to find a way out. Buck an' the res

as far as Powers' old ranch house, an'

t good enough for me to die in, no matter what you think about it. Why, it's as

might all get in on the treat. Times were very dull on the ranch, and this was an occasion far too precious to let slip by. Besides, he then would have the pleasure of leading his friends against the enemy and b

ou know what that means," retorted Mr. Connors. "But if you don't want to take a chance in the shack,

owers' shack, neither; we'll push right through as hard as we can go for Buckskin. Let them fellers find their own hun

was a hard-headed old mule, anyhow." In his heart Red knew t

of restless young men and slipped away at their head, eager for the joys of raiding and plundering. But instead of stealing horses and murdering isolated whites as they had expected, they met with heavy repulses and were now without the mind of their leader. They had fled from one defeat to another and twice had barely eluded the cavalry which pursued them. Now two more of their dwindling force were dead an

dians and derived a great amount of satisfaction every time an Apache was killed. It still clung to the time-honored belief that the only good Indian was a dead one. Mr. Cassidy voiced his elation and then rubbed an empty stomach in vain regret,-when a bullet shrilled

got to show 'em that they're taking big chances crowding us this way." He took the heavy rifle and turned in the saddle. "It's an even thousand, if it's a yard. He don't

been stunned by such a thing as a hit under the circum

med for, but I got the cayus

about

ase. Look! It's slowed 'em up a bit, an' that's about all I hoped to do. Bet

all the cartridges we got before we get out of this hole.

azes with the time! Gim

ifle and peered through the smoke at the confusion he had caused by dropping the nearest warrior. He was said to be the best rifle shot in the Southwest, which means a great deal, and his enemies did not deny it. But since the Sharps shot a

t a gun like mine? Lord, if I could use a rifle like you, I wouldn't have that gu

t eight hundred with it, an' that's long enough range for most anybody. An' if I

yore fool talk about that carbine!" snapped

contention between them and one well chewed, at that. Red was

had good cayuses instead of these wooden wonders, we could run away from 'em dead easy, draw their best mounted warriors to the front an' then close with 'em. Good thing their cayu

you got?" inquired hi

b full. How'r

ys with some to spare, if we're careful," Mr. Connors replied. New Mexic

ho was riding half a mile to their right and rapidly coming abrea

t his Sharps. "We can't let him get ahead of us

an't hit a jack-rabbit going over rough country as fast as that fell

edging off a-plenty. See him cuss

devil do I know? I don

superstit

Shu

us it's a shore sign that somebody's going to get hurt. He'll

hey must 'a' been pushing on purty hard the las

to make a stand purty soon-how much further do you recko

off-see it a

le, "stencil yore mark on his hide; catch him

that shack can't

them, an adobe building in poor state of preservation. It was Powers' old ranch

winging in on the tail of his companion. "Not

all right," ret