choolcraft said something out of the corner of his mouth and the group
melted away into the little shack at the corral gate. He remained where
he was, scowling frankly at his enemy.

"Looks like they war a-fixin' ter try it on us," growled Hank, returning
the scowl with interest. "Let's go over an' say how-de-do ter 'em. This
here town's been too peaceable, _anyhow_."

"What's th' trouble?" asked Ogden, curiously, his partner pressing
against him to hear the answer.

"Ain't none," answered Tom. "Thar might 'a' been, but it's blowed over."

"Wall," drawled Ogden. "Ye never kin tell about these hyar frontier
winds. Yer th' partisan o' this hyar expedition, Tom. We'll foller yer
lead. It's all one ter us whar ye go; we're with ye."

Schoolcraft, knowing that trouble with these plainsmen would almost
certainly end in serious bloodshed, shrugged his shoulders and entered
the shack; and after him, from behind the corral wall darted the slender
Mexican.

"Thar!" exclaimed Tom, pointing. "See that greaser? Keep yer eyes
skinned fer him. He's bad medicine."

"Looks like he war fixin' fer ambushin' us, hidin' behind that wall,"
growled Hank.

"He's got a fine head o' hair ter peel," snorted Zeb Houghton, whose
reputation in regard to scalp lifting was anything but to his credit.
The fingers of his left hand closed involuntarily with a curling motion
and the wrist turned suggestively; and the Mexican, well back from the
dirty window of the shack, felt a rising of his stomach and was poor
company for the rest of the day.

The four swung on again, Ogden and his partner soon leaving the party to
go to their quarters, while Tom and Hank went on along the street and
stopped at another horse-dealer's, where they bought two riding horses
and eight broken-in mules, the latter covered with scars. The horses
were broken to saddle and would carry them over the trail; two of the
mules were to carry their necessaries and the other six their small
stock of merchandise, which they now set out to obtain. In procuring the
latter they were very fortunate, for they found a greenhorn who had paid
too much attention to rumors and had decided at the last moment that
trail life and trading in the far west did not impress him very
favorably; and he sold his stock to them almost at their own terms, glad
to get out of his venture so easily. They took what they wanted of it
and then sold the remainder at a price which nearly paid for their own
go