e man answered in a weak voice. "What happened? Woolworth
tower fall on me? Wow! What a head! Seems to me I remember takin' a
subway train at Times Square--or was that last year? Can't just think
straight now----"

"New York," whispered Bud to Dick. "Thought he didn't look like a
westerner!"

"Just you lay quiet," advised Yellin' Kid. "Won't do you a bit of good
to talk now. Got lots of time to do that. You stay here to-night,
an'----"

"I remember now! That storm! I was riding over toward the Shootin'
Star ranch, when the sky got black, and that dumb-bell horse of mine
started to act up. The next minute I got hit by a ton of bricks."

He was silent a moment, thinking.

"Say--" he suddenly propped himself up on one elbow and glanced around.
"I know where I am! Yes. And I know you--and you!" pointing at Bud
and Dick. "You're the two galoots that--oh!" he finished weakly, and
sank back. He closed his eyes again. It was not evident to the
watchers whether he had really fainted, or whether he realized he was
talking too much.

At all events it was useless to expect him to say more. At Bud's
suggestion he was carried upstairs, and after his heavier clothing had
been removed he was laid in one of the beds. He seemed to be resting
easily, and if his sleepy attitude was simulated at first, it certainly
was not now, as his regular breathing and relaxed condition indicated.

"Better let him sleep," Dick said in a low voice. "He'll be all right
when he wakes up. The bleeding from his head has stopped, and if he
had anything else the matter he would have told us. I think we'd all
better eat. Let's get out of here, anyway--we'll disturb him if we
talk much."

"Eat!" exclaimed the Kid when they had all left the room wherein Delton
lay. "Let's see now--have I heard that word before, or did I dream it?
Believe me, when I sit down to this chow nothin' is goin' to drag me
away--fire, wind or flood! Seems like that Mex cook of ours is a
hoodoo. Every time we start to eat something happens."

"Guess we'll go through with it all right this time," Dick remarked
with a laugh. "Here we are, boys. Set! And go to it! Enough bacon
here for an army. Kid, go easy on that bread! You want to choke?"

The five were seated around a table in the rear of the house. In the
middle of the table was a huge plate of bacon, and next to this was a
mess of beans, steaming hot. Bread, butter, coffee and condensed mil