get mad,' says Jimmy. 'But light yore pipe, and set down on
that rock, and you'll see in a minute why I _pre_ferred to corner the
gatling market.'

"Well, I set down and lit up, and Jimmy done likewise, about ten feet
away.

"'I've come back a long ways to talk to one of you boys, and I've shore
hung around this road some few hours waitin' for some of you terrapins
to come along. Ever found out who done those two hold-ups?'

"'Nope,' said I, 'and don't expect to.'

"'Well, I done it,' says he.

"I looked him in the eye mighty severe.

"'You're one of the funniest little jokers ever hit this trail,' I told
him. 'If that's your general line of talkee-talkee I don't wonder you
don't want me to have no gun.'

"'Never_the_less,' he insists, 'I done it. And I'll tell you just how it
was done. Here's yore old express crawlin' up the road. Here I am behind
this little old rock. You know what happened next I reckon--from
experience.'

"'I reckon I know that,' says I, 'but how did you get behind that rock
without leavin' no tracks?'

"I climbed up the cliff out of the canon, and I just walked up the canon
from the Lost Dog through the brush.'

"'Yes,' says I, 'that might be: a man could make out to shinny up. But
how----'

"'One thing to a time. Then I ordered them dust sacks throwed out, and
the driver to 'bout-face and retreat.'

"'Sure,' says I, 'simple as a wart on a kid's nose. There was you with a
half ton of gold to fly off with! Come again.'

"'I then dropped them sacks off the edge of the cliff where they rolled
into the brush. After a while I climbed down after them, and was on hand
when your posse started out. Then I carried them home at leisure.'

"'What did you do with your hoss?' I asked him, mighty sarcastic. 'Seems
to me you overlook a few bets.'

"'I didn't have no hoss,' says he.

"'But the real hold-up----

"'You mean them tracks. Well, just to amuse you fellows, I walked in the
dust up to that flat rock. Then I clamped a big pair of horseshoes on
hind-side before and walked back again.'"

California John's audience had been listening intently. Now it could no
longer contain itself, but broke forth into exclamations indicative of
various emotions.

"That's why them front and back tracks was the same size!" someone
cried.

"Gee, you're bright!" said California John. "That's what I told him. I
also told him he was a wonder, but how did he manage to slip out near a
ton of dust up that r