e did what he
thought he had to do. I don't say he was right. I don't say he was wrong.
But I will say that this country would be a whole lot better off if we'd
all put our guns away."

Bud sniffed. "If you hadn't had yore guns this mornin' I'd like to know
where you'd 'a' been."

"True enough. I can't travel unarmed because of Indians an' bad men.
What I say is that some day we'll all be brave enough to go without our
hog-legs. I'll be glad when that day comes."

"An' when you two went up Escondido Canon after the Mescaleros that had
captured Miss Roubideau? I heard Dad Wrayburn tellin' all about it at
supper here one night. Well, what if you hadn't had any guns?" persisted
Bud.

"That would have been tough luck," admitted Prince, holding up the
leather to examine his work. "Learn to shoot if you like, Bud, but
remember that guns aren't made to kill folks with. They're for buffaloes
an' antelope an' coyotes."

"Didn't you ever kill any one?"

"Haven't you had any bringin' up?" Billie wanted to know indignantly
"I've a good mind to put you across my knee an' whale you with this
leather. I've a notion to quit you here an' now. Don't you know better
than to ask such questions?"

"It--it slipped out," whimpered Bud. "I'll never do it again."

"See you don't. Now I'm goin' to give you a chance to make good with me
an' my friend, Bud. Can you keep a secret?"

The eyes of the boy began to shine. "Crickey. You just try me, Mr.
Prince."

"All right. I will. But first I must know that you are our friend."

"Cross my heart an' hope to die. Honest, I am."

"I believe you, Bud. Well, the Snaith-McRobert outfit intend to lynch me
an' my friend to-night."

The face of the boy became all eyes. He was too astonished to speak.

"Our only chance is to get out of town. Jim is supposed to be so bad I
can't move him. But if you can find an' saddle horses for us we'll slip
out the back door at dusk an' make our get-away. Do you think you can get
us horses an' some food without tellin' anybody what for?" asked the
cowboy.

"I'll get yore own horses from the corral."

"No. That won't do. If you saddled them, that would arouse suspicion at
once. You must bring two horses an' tie 'em to the back fence just as if
you were goin' ridin' yourself. Then we'll take 'em when you come into
the house. Make the tie with a slip knot. We may be in a hurry."

"Gee! This beats 'Hal Hiccup, the Boy Demon,'" crowed Bud, referring to a
fam