The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-17

N1Y4k23s~u SlOn. his foreman, urea
~K6 of the atmosphere he had
kasYsLysss .VW1 created on the ranch and
driven to desperation, had
seized the first chance that came to get rid of
him temporarily, and the blues with him.
No one knew the cause for Hoppy's unusual
state of mind although there were many con-
lectures. Even Red Connors was forced to
guess and when Red had to do that he was
warranted in believing the matter serious.
Johnny Nelson made no secret of his opin-
ION and derived from it great amount of
satisfaction, which he admitted with grin to
his foreman.
"Buck," he said, sloppy told me he went
broke playin' poker over i'm Grant with Dave
Wilkes and them Lawrence brothers, an that
shore explains it. He's got pack sores from
carryin' his lickin'. 1t was due to come to
him, an Dave was just tn boy to deliver it.
That's tn whole trouble, an l know it, an
Pm glad they trimmed him."
{ Wrong, son, dead wrong" Buck replied.
,"He takes his beatin's with grin, an money
never did worry him none. No poker game
could leave welt like that on him. He's
been dom somethin' he don't want us to
know-made fool of hisself some way. I've
knowed him too long an well to believe gam
bin had any hand in it. But this little trip
he's takin' will fix him up all right-an'
couldn't send better man."
"Well, it's lucky for him you picked him to
Co." rejoined Johnny, who thought more of
the woeful absentee than he did of his own
skin. "'Cause was goin' to lick him, shore,
if it went on much longer. Me an Red an
Billy was goin' to beat him up good till he
forgot his dead injuries an took some interest
in his friends"
Buck laughed: "Well, tn three of you
might "a done it, though I'm some doubtful.
Now look here you've been a-hangin'
round tn bunk-house too much lately.
From now on you've got to earn yore grub.
Get out on that west line an hustle"
"You know I've had a toothache!" snorted
Johnny, Indignantly, his face as sober as that
of a judge.
"YouH have stomach-ache for grub if you
don't earn yore right to eat, purity soon," re-
torted Buck. "You amt never had tooth
ache in yore whole life, an you don't know
what one is. G'wan, now, or I'll give you a
backache that'l ache!"'
"Huh! Devil of a way to treat a sick
mani" and Johnny departed exultantly,
whstling with much noise and no music.
But he was sorry for one thing-he wished
he had seen Hopalong meet his Waterloo.
While the outfit blessed the range deal
which took him out of their small circle for a
time, Hopalong rode farther and farther into
the northwest and was frequently lost in alb
straction which, judged by its effect upon
him, must have been serious. Three weeks
before while at Grant he had borrowed a
horse from Dave Wilkes and given hot chase
to the man who had stolen his own animal;
and, catching him, had been talked out of ex-
ercising summary. vengeance and justice and
allowed the self-confessed thief to 90. But
not content with such startling breach OF
range tradition and ethics, he had actually
been persuaded into swapping the borrowed
animal for his own, which the thief had found
jaded and not equal to the speed desired. In
stead of sending hot lead after the eloquent
stranger he had sat idly on his recovered
mount and watched the other burn up the
plain in his haste to go hence.
The borrowed horse was a good one, sue
cessful contender in all distances from one to
five miles and had earned its owner and back
ers much money-and he had parted with it
as easily as he would have borrowed five dol
lars from Red. The story, he had reflected
since, was as old as lying-a broken-legged
horse, dying wife forty miles away, and a
horse all saddled which needed only to be
mounted and ridden.
These thoughts kept him company for a
day and when he dismounted before Steven
sons Hotel in Hoyt's Corners he summed up
his feelings for the enlightenment of his horse.
On it, bronch, I'd give ten dollars right
now to know if was a jackass or not" he
growied: But he was an awful slick talker
ifhe lied"
Mr.. Cassidy was not known bv sight to the
citizens of Hoyt's Corners. however well
versed they may have been in his numerous
exploits of wisdom and folly. Therefore the
habitu6s Of Stevenson's Hotel did not recog-
Mise him in the gloomy and morose individual
who dropped his saddle on the floor with a
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