bet you Paul Revere rode just like Hard does."

"Shucks, Matt, those English guys can ride--stands to reason they can.
Look at the cross-country stuff they do! And on an English saddle at
that."

"Country? The country they ride over's nothing to what the Irish do. A
feller told me----"

"Hello, boys, what's up? Why the theatre supper?" demanded Hard,
entering.

He listened to the particulars which poured upon him. "Well," he said,
finally, "I'm sorry I missed the excitement. 'Twas ever thus. The only
time our house ever burned down I was at a matinee of the 'Black Crook.'
Well, you saved the cash?"

"Miss Polly did," grinned Scott. "And we've got the boy that made the
mischief."

"Jimmy much hurt?"

"Afraid so."

"I was afraid something like this would happen," said Hard. "They told me
over in Conejo that there was trouble on. They had an all-night session at
Hermosillo and the state seceded."

"That's what Pachuca says."

"Morgan's taken his family up to Douglas."

"Any news from Bob?"

"Just a letter for Miss Polly."

"We won't desert until we have orders, but I'm rather glad to have the
car," continued Scott. "I thought we'd run over and see Herrick in the
morning."

"I say, Scott, that Chinaman of Herrick's is a doctor. Why not have him
take a look at Jimmy's leg?"

"A Chinaman!" Polly had come in with Hard's coffee.

"Sure!" cried Scott. "Just the thing. I'd forgotten about him. When a
Chink is scientific, he's as scientific as the devil."

"He came over to practice medicine; you know how the Mexicans feel about
the Chinese? His money went and he had to do what he could. Herrick picked
him up somewhere and he's been there ever since," said Hard.

"We'll get him over here for Jimmy. He's clean at any rate."

"Listen to this!" Polly had opened her letter. "It's from Mother," she
explained. "Poor old Bob's in the hospital--just been operated on for
appendicitis! Isn't that the limit? On a honeymoon!"

"Hard luck," commented Scott. "How's he coming on?"

"She says he's doing splendidly. You see, he's been dodging that operation
for the last ten years, and now it's got him, poor boy. Mother says
they're worried to death about me."

"And well they may be," remarked Mrs. Van Zandt, heartily.

"She says the directors have met but didn't do anything."

"That sounds natural," said Hard. "They've been doing that for the last
three years."

"Trying to figure out which costs less; to give up t