e
ahead of them, an adobe building in poor state of preservation. It was
Powers' old ranch house, and as they neared it, they saw that there was
no doubt about the holes.

"Told you it was a sieve," grunted Hopalong, swinging in on the tail of
his companion. "Not worth a hang for anything," he added bitterly.

"It'll answer, all right," retorted Red grimly.

CHAPTER IX

MR. HOLDEN DROPS IN

Mr. Cassidy dismounted and viewed the building with open disgust,
walking around it to see what held it up, and when he finally realized
that it was self-supporting his astonishment was profound. Undoubtedly
there were shacks in the United States in worse condition, but he hoped
their number was small. Of course he knew that the building was small.
Of course he knew that the building would make a very good place of
defence, but for the sake of argument he called to his companion and
urged that they be satisfied with what defence they could extemporize in
the open. Mr. Connors hotly and hastily dissented as he led the horses
into the building, and straightway the subject was arbitrated with much
feeling and snappy eloquence. Finally Hopalong thought that Red was a
chump, and said so out loud, whereat Red said unpleasant things about
his good friend's pedigree, attributes, intelligence, et al., even going
so far as to prognosticate his friend's place of eternal abode. The
remarks were fast getting to be somewhat personal in tenor when a whine
in the air swept up the scale to a vicious shriek as it passed between
them, dropped rapidly to a whine again and quickly died out in the
distance, a flat report coming to their ears a few seconds later.
Invisible bees seemed to be winging through the air, the angry and
venomous droning becoming more pronounced each passing moment, and the
irregular cracking of rifles grew louder rapidly. An angry _s-p-a-t!_
told of where a stone behind them had launched the ricochet which hurled
skyward with a wheezing scream. A handful of 'dobe dust sprang from the
corner of the building and sifted down upon them, causing Red to cough.

"That ricochet was a Sharps!" exclaimed Hopalong, and they lost no time
in getting into the building, where the discussion was renewed as they
prepared for the final struggle. Red grunted his cheerful approval, for
now he was out of the blazing sun and where he could better appreciate
the musical tones of the flying bullets; but his companion, slamming
shut the door an