ught yu was farmin' up on th' Staked Plain?"

"Hullo, Pie," replied Hopalong, recognizing Pie Willis. "What was yu
chasin' so hard?"

"Coyote--damn 'em, but can't they go some? They're gettin' so thick we'll
shore have to try strichnine an' thin 'em out."

"I thought anybody that had been raised in th' Panhandle would know
better'n to chase greased lightnin'," rebuked Hopalong. "Yu has got
about as much show catchin' one of them as a tenderfoot has of bustin'
an outlawed cayuse."

"Shore; I know it," responded Pie, grinning. "But it's fun seem'
them hunt th' horizon. What are yu doin' down here an' where are yore
pardners?"

Thereupon Hopalong enlightened his inquisitive companion as to what had
occurred and as to his reasons for riding south.

Pie immediately became enthusiastic and announced his intention
of accompanying Hopalong on his quest, which intention struck that
gentleman as highly proper and wise. Then Pie hastily turned and
played at chasing coyotes in the direction of the line-house, where he
announced that his absence would be accounted for by the fact that
he and Hopalong were going on a journey of investigation into the
Panhandle. Billy Jordan who shared with Pie the accommodations of the
house, objected and showed, very clearly, why he was eminently better
qualified to take up the proposed labors than his companions. The
suggestions were fast getting tangled up with the remarks, when Pie,
grabbing a chunk of jerked beef, leaped into his saddle and absolutely
refused to heed the calls of his former companion and return. He rode to
where Hopalong was awaiting him as if he was afraid he wasn't going to
live long enough to get there. Confiding to his companion that Billy
was a "locoed sage hen," he led the way along the base of the White Sand
Hills and asked many questions. Then they turned toward the east and
galloped hard.

It had been Hopalong's intention to carry out what he had told Red and
to go to Big Spring first and thence north along Sulphur Spring Creek,
but to this his guide strongly dissented. There was a short cut, or
several of them for that matter, was Pie's contention, and any one
of them would save a day's hard riding. Hopalong made no objection to
allowing his companion to lead the way over any trail he saw fit, for
he knew that Pie had been born and brought up in the Panhandle, the
Cunningham Lake district having been his back yard, as it were. So they
followed the short cut ha