," laughed the other. "I've
had lots of fun over that racket, son, I give you my word I have.
Of course there's a sheriff down there capable of doing all those
stunts your friend on the paper wrote up; but his name chances to
be Rawlings and not Hastings. I must have got things a bit mixed
when I told you about how he took bad men into camp, and all that.
But here's the log, and we can take things easy while I confess how
I'm the most tremendous impostor going."

Hugh seemed eager to hear about it, nor was he apparently at all afraid.
In fact he was looking at the reformed tramp as though he felt a
positive affection for him now, in the light of the new revelation.

"First of all, Chum Hugh," said the man, after they had settled
themselves comfortably, "I want you to know that the stories I told
you about my travels in foreign lands were every one of them Gospel
truth. I have been all around the whole globe, and seen some queer
things in my day. But let that pass, for as we are apt to see
considerable of each other after this, there'll be a plenty of time
for me to continue that narrative of adventure.

"In the course of my travels I've really picked up several fortunes,
and then lost them again almost as quickly. It didn't much matter,
because I was one of those happy-go-lucky chaps who believe the world
owes them a living, and which they can get any time they more than
half try.

"So the years went on, and all at once I awoke to find that I was
getting old and gray. When a man passes sixty, lad, his thoughts
begin to travel far back into the days of his childhood. So more
and more I got to thinking of those who were everything to me. I
knew that all of them had checked in but a sister, and her I hadn't
seen for twenty years and more; though I believed she was still living.

"It was down in Texas a few months ago that I had a little sick
spell, and while I lay there convalescing strange fancies came into
my head. I made up my mind the time had come for me to quit this
foolish roaming all about the world. I couldn't expect to live a
great many years more, and why not settle down to being decent and
respectable, as well as do some good with my money before I cashed in?

"That idea kept gripping me until I finally made up my mind to sell
all my big holdings in the new oil wells. This I did, and banked the
cash in New York---I won't tell you what it was, lad, but six figures
would be needed to cover it, a