ot tangled up in
the cinch of his saddle, which he had kicked before him, and after great
labor he arose, muttering savagely, and continued on his wobbly way.
"Goo' Lord, it's darker'n cats in--_oof_!" he grunted, recoiling from
forcible contact with the fence he sought. Growling words unholy he felt
his way along it and finally his arm slipped through an opening and he
bumped his head solidly against the top bar of the gate. As he righted
himself his hand struck the nose of a horse and closed mechanically over
it. Cow-ponies look alike in the dark and he grinned jubilantly as he
complimented himself upon finding his own so unerringly.

"Anything is easy, when you know how. Can't fool me, ol' cayuse," he
beamed, fumbling at the bars with his free hand and getting them down
with a fool's luck. "You can't do it--I got you firs', las', an' always;
an' I got you good. Yessir, I got you good. Quit that rearing, you ol'
fool! Stan' still, can't you?" The pony sidled as the saddle hit its
back and evoked profane abuse from the indignant puncher as he risked
his balance in picking it up to try again, this time successfully. He
began to fasten the girth, and then paused in wonder and thought deeply,
for the pin in the buckle would slide to no hole but the first. "Huh!
Getting fat, ain't you, piebald?" he demanded with withering sarcasm.
"You blow yoreself up any more'n I'll bust you wide open!" heaving
up with all his might on the free end of the strap, one knee pushing
against the animal's side. The "fat" disappeared and Hopalong laughed.
"Been learnin' new tricks, ain't you? Got smart since you been
travellin', hey?" He fumbled with the bars again and got two of them
back in place and then, throwing himself across the saddle as the horse
started forward as hard as it could go, slipped off, but managed to save
himself by hopping along the ground. As soon as he had secured the grip
he wished he mounted with the ease of habit and felt for the reins.
"G'wan now, an' easy--it's plumb dark an' my head's bustin'."

When he saddled his mount at the corral he was not aware that two of the
three remaining horses had taken advantage of their opportunity and had
walked out and made off in the darkness before he replaced the bars, and
he was too drunk to care if he had known it.

The night air felt so good that it moved him to song, but it was not
long before the words faltered more and more and soon ceased altogether
and a subdued snore