about forty mile north to-night, and set him loose about daylight--up
near the White Oaks stage road. Thank'ee kindly. Good-by, all!"

"Wait a minute, Toad," said Smith briskly. "I'll catch up my new
cayuse and side you a little ways. Stake him out in good grass, some
quiet place--like my pardner here." He grinned at Mr. Jones, who
smiled, attentive. "I'll hang my saddle in a tree and hoof it back
about dark. Safe enough here--all good fellows. And I sure like that
bear meat. To say nothing of being full up of myself for society."

"We'll do the dishes," said Johnny. "Bob, you rope me up the gentlest
of my hyenas and we'll slip down to Puddingstone presently."

"Well, good luck to you, Mr. Dines," said Hales at the door.

"So long."

"That horse you've got staked out, Mr. Jones," said Johnny, when the
others were catching horses, "how about him? I've got a private horse
out in the water pen. Shall we swap? Saddles too? You're a little the
biggest, but you can let out my stirrups a notch, and I can take up a
notch in yours, up on that pinnacle when I go for my new horse and
come back--about dark. That way, you might ride down the canyon with
Bob. I think maybe--if it was important--Bob might not find the horses
he wants, and might lay out to-night. And you might tell him you was
coming back to camp. But you can always change your mind, you know.
'All you have to do is ride.'"

"This is right clever of you, young man," said Jones slowly.

"It sure is. Your saddle any good?"

"Better'n yours. Enough better to make up for the difference in
hosses, unless yours is a jo-darter. My hoss is tired."

"He'll have all fall to rest up. We'd better trade hats, too. Somebody
might be watchin' from the hills."

"Them fellows?" Jones motioned toward the water pen with the plate he
was drying.

"Scouts, I guess. Decoy ducks. More men close, I judge. Acted like it.
You ought to know."

"It ain't noways customary to send two men after me," said Jones.

Johnny nodded. "You don't know about Smithy yet. Let me wise you up."
He outlined the trustfulness of Smithy. "So he was all labeled up for
an outlaw, like a sandwich man. Putting one over on Bobby--him being a
boy. Bobby fell for it. And me, just a big kid myself, what show did I
have with two big grown men smooth as all that? So they fooled me,
too. Smithy said 'Toad' once--notice? Toad Hales. I've heard of Toad
Hales. Socorro way. Big mitt man, once. Skunk--but no fightin