g on the side of his pessimism.

"For th' Lord's sake, have you broke out?" asked Red, disgustedly. "I'm
goin' to hit the trail--but just keep this afore yore mind: if By-and-by
gits in any accidents or ain't in sight when I comes to town again, this
here climate'll be a heep sight hotter'n it is now. No hard feelings,
sabe? It's just a casual bit of advice. Come on, fellows, let's
amble--I'm hungry."

As they raced across the plain toward the ranch a pair of beady eyes,
snapping with a drunken rage, watched them from an arroyo; and when
Cowan entered the saloon the next morning he could not find By-and-by's
rifle, which he had placed behind the bar. He also missed a handful of
cartridges from the box near the cash drawer; and had he looked closely
at his bottled whisky he would have noticed a loss there. A horse was
missing from a Mexican's corral and there were rumors that several
Indians had been seen far out on the plain.

CHAPTER V. The Law of the Range

"Phew! I'm shore hungry," said Hopalong, as he and Red dismounted at the
ranch the next morning for breakfast. "Wonder what's good for it?"

"They's three things that's good for famine," said Red, leading the way
to the bunk house. "Yu can pull in yore belt, yu can drink, an yu can
eat. Yore getting as bad as Johnny--but he's young yet."

The others met their entrance with a volley of good-humored banter, some
of which was so personal and evoked such responses that it sounded like
the preliminary skirmish to a fight. But under all was that soft accent,
that drawl of humorous appreciation and eyes twinkling in suppressed
merriment. Here they were thoroughly at home and the spirit of
comradeship manifested itself in many subtle ways; the wit became more
daring and sharp, Billy lost some of his pessimism, and the alertness
disappeared from their manner.

Skinny left off romping with Red and yawned. "I wish that cook'ud wake
up an' git breakfast. He's the cussedest hombre I ever saw--he kin go to
sleep standin' up an' not know it. Johnny's th' boy that worries him--th'
kid comes in an' whoops things up till he's gorged himself."

"Johnny's got th' most appallin' feel for grub of anybody I knows,"
added Red. "I wonder what's keepin' him--he's usually hangin' around here
bawlin' for his grub like a spoiled calf, long afore cookie's got th'
fire goin'."

"Mebby he rustled some grub out with him--I saw him tip-toein' out of th'
gallery this mornin' when I c