a shade too late, and he started to run, with Andy
swaying in the saddle. While they gazed horrified, he straightened
convulsively, turned his face toward them and raised a hand; caught
his hat by the brim and swung it high above his head.

"Much obliged, boys," he yelled derisively. "I sure do appreciate
being packed up that hill; it was too blamed hot to walk. Say! if
you'd gone around that bend, you'd uh found a good trail down. Yuh
struck about the worst place there is. So-long--I ain't all in yet!"
He galloped away, while the Happy Family stared after him with bulging
eyes.

"The son-of-a-gun!" gasped Weary weakly, and started for his horse.

"Darn yuh, you'll _be_ all in when we get hold of yuh!" screamed Jack
Bates, and gave chase.

It was when they were tearing headlong after him down the coulee's rim
and into a shallow gully which seamed unexpectedly the level, that
they saw his horse swerve suddenly and go bounding along the edge of
the slope with Andy "sawing" energetically upon the bit.

"What trick's he up to now?" cried Cal Emmett resentfully, feeling
that, in the light of what had gone before, Andy could not possibly
make a single motion in good faith.

Andy brought his horse under control and turned back to meet them, and
the Happy Family watched him guardedly until they reached the gulley
and their own horses took fright at a dark, shambling object that
scuttled away down toward the coulee-head. Andy was almost upon them
before they could give him any attention.

"Did you see it?" he called excitedly. "It was a bear, and he was
digging at something under that shelving rock. Come on and let's take
a look."

"Aw, gwan!" Happy Jack adjured crossly. He was thinking of all the
water he had carried painstakingly in his hat, for the relief of this
conscienceless young reprobate, and he was patently suspicious of some
new trick.

"Well, by gracious!" Andy rode quite close--dangerously close,
considering the mood they were in--and eyed them queerly. "I sure must
have a horrible rep, when yuh won't believe your own eyes just because
I happen to remark that a bear is a bear. I'll call it a pinto hog, if
it'll make yuh feel any better. And I'll say it wasn't doing any
digging; only, I'm going down there and take a look. There's an
odor--"

There was, and they could not deny it, even though Andy did make the
assertion. And though they had threatened much that was exceedingly
unpleasant, and what they w