e, and,
forgetting you, he vamosed."

The detective arose to take his departure, again congratulating Ted on
the outcome of his adventure.

"Keep your eye peeled for Checkers, and if you do run across him, have
your gun at half cock," he said, and, bidding good night to all, went
away.

"And now, good fellows, all to bed," said Ted. "To-morrow we start for
the West, and the capture of the head men of the train-robber syndicate,
and the extermination of the business."

In the morning, before the others were up, Ted made Scrub take a bath,
and then they sallied forth to a clothing store. When they came out,
instead of the ragged and dirty little boy, there walked proudly by
Ted's side a fine, clean, fresh-looking lad in a well-fitting serge
suit, and other appointments that transformed him completely.

When they arrived at the hotel the boys professed not to know Scrub.

"Hello, picked up another kid?" asked Bud. "I swow, yer allers goin'
round pickin' up mavericks. I reckon yer aim ter brand this one as well
ez ther one yer brought in last night."

"Why, here's another kid," said Ben, looking over Scrub's new outfit
with interest. "He don't look much like the one you brought in last
night. I reckon that one has run away, I don't see him anywhere."

Poor Scrub was standing first on one foot and then on the other, fairly
squirming with embarrassment.

Ted gave the boys the nod to cease teasing the boy.

"Don't mind those fellows, they're only joshing," said Ted.

"Oh, I don't mind it if they can get any fun out of it," said Scrub,
with a smile. "Maybe, some day I can get back at them, when I know them
better."

Stella came down in the elevator at that moment, and, catching sight of
Scrub, gave a little scream of astonishment at his altered appearance.

"Goodness, what a fine-looking addition to the family!" she said,
shaking hands with the boy, who blushed and looked pleased. "I don't
like the name Scrub a bit. I'm going to change his name."

"This isn't leap year, Stella," said Ben.

"You hush! What name would you rather have than Scrub? That's no name
for a broncho boy," she said to the boy.

"I don't know," answered the boy. "What name do you like?"

"I think she likes Ben better than any," said Ben, posing in a very
handsome manner.

"Don't listen to him, he's always teasing. You want something short and
easy to say."

"What's the matter with 'Say'?" said Ben. "That's always easy to
remember. I