too many feet," he seriously remarked to his
friend.

"Swing th' girl yu loves th' best!--he ain't lonesome, look at that--"

Two shots rang out in quick succession and Harris stumbled, wheeled and
pitched forward on his face as Hopalong's sombrero spun across his
body. For a second there was an intense silence, heavy, strained
and sickening. Then a roar broke forth and the crowd of frenzied
merry-makers, headed by Hopalong, poured out into the street and spread
out to search the town. As daylight dawned the searchers began to
straggle back with the same report of failure. Buck and Red met on the
street near the door and each looked questioningly at the other. Each
shook his head and looked around, their fingers toying absentmindedly at
their belts. Finally Buck cleared his throat and remarked casually,

"Mebby he's following 'em."

Red nodded and they went over toward their horses. As they were
hesitating which route to take, Billy Jordan came up.

"Mebby yu'd like to see yore pardner--he's out by Buzzard's Spring. We'll
take care of him," jerking his thumb over his shoulder toward the saloon
where Harris's body lay. "And we'll all git th' others later. They
cain't git away for long."

Buck and Red nodded and headed for Buzzard's Spring. As they neared the
water hole they saw Hopalong sitting on a rock, his head resting in one
hand while the other hung loosely from his knee. He did not notice
them when they arrived, and with a ready tact they sat quietly on their
horses and looked in every direction except toward him. The sun became
a ball of molten fire and the sand flies annoyed them incessantly, but
still they sat and waited, silent and apologetic.

Hopalong finally arose, reached for his sombrero, and, finding it gone,
swore long and earnestly at the scene its loss brought before him. He
walked over to his horse and, leaping into the saddle, turned and faced
his friends. "Yu old sons-of-guns," he said. They looked sheepish and
nodded negatively in answer to the look of inquiry in his eyes. "They
ain't got 'em yet," remarked Red slowly. Hopalong straightened up, his
eyes narrowed and his face became hard and resolute as he led the way
back toward the town.

Buck rode up beside him and, wiping his face with his shirt sleeve,
began to speak to Red. "We might look up th' Joneses, Red. They had been
dodgin' th' sheriff purty lively lately, an' they was huntin' Hopalong.
Ever since we had to kill their brother