The three riders were going on, hour after hour, their speed entirely controlled by what they knew of horseflesh, and when they espied the wagon Arch suggested another change of mounts, which was instantly overruled by Hopalong.
'Some of them Mesquite hombres will be rememberin' them cayuses,' he said. 'We're doin' good enough as we are.'
When they reached the wagon and drew rein to breathe their mounts, Joe Reilly grinned a welcome. 'Thought you was goin' to Gunsight!' he jeered.
Arch laughed triumphantly. 'I've done been there, but got afraid you fellers might get lost. Meet Hopalong Cassidy an' Red Conners, friends of th' foreman.'
'Why'n blazes didn't you bring my hoss with you, you locoed cow?' blazed Sam Gardner from the wagon seat. 'You never got to Gunsight. You must 'a' hit a cushion an' bounced back.'
'Forgot all about yore piebald,' retorted Arch. 'But if you must have a cayuse you can ask my old man for one when you get to Highbank. I'd do it for you, only me an' him ain't on th' best of terms right now.' He turned to his two new friends. 'All you got to do now is foller th' wagon tracks to town.'
'So-long,' said the two, and whirled away.
They spent the night not many miles north of Big Creek and were riding again at dawn. As they drew nearer to their objective the frisking wind sent clouds of dust whirling around them to their discomfort.
'That must be th' town,' grunted Red through his kerchief as his eyes, squinting between nearly closed lids caught sight of Mesquite through a momentary opening in the dust-filled air to the southeast.
'Hope so,' growled his companion. 'Cussed glad of it. This is goin' to be a whizzer. Look at th' tops of them sand hills yonder—streamin' into th' air like smoke from a roarin' prairie fire. Here's where we separate. I'm takin' to th' first shack I find. Don't forget our names, an' that we're strangers, for awhile, anyhow.'
Red nodded. 'Bill Long an' Red Thompson,' he muttered as they parted.
Not long thereafter. Hopalong dismounted in the rear of Kane's and put his horse in the nearer of the two stables, doing what he could for the animal's comfort, and then stepped to the door. He paused, glanced back at the 'P. W.' brand on the horse and smiled. 'Red's is a Horseshoe cayuse. That's what I call luck!' and plunged into the sand blasts. Bumping into the wall of Kane's big building he followed it, turned the corner, and groped his way through the front door.
At the sudden gust the bartender looked around and growled. 'Close that door!
The newcomer slammed it shut and leaned against the wall, rubbing at his eyelids and face, and shed sand at every movement.
The bartender slid a glass of water across the bar. 'Here; wash it out. You'll only make 'em worse, rubbin',' he said as the other began rubbing his lips and spitting energetically.
Bill Long obeyed, nodded his thanks and glanced furtively at the door, and became less alert. 'Much obliged. I didn't get all there was flyin', but I got a-plenty.'
The dispenser of drinks smiled. 'Lucky gettin' in out of it when you did.'
'Yes,' replied Bill, nervously. 'Yes; plumb lucky. This will raise th' devil with th' scenery.'
'Won't be a trail left,' suggested the bartender, watching closely.
Bill glanced up quickly, sighed with satisfaction and then glanced hurriedly around the room. 'Whose place is this?' he whispered out of the corner of his mouth.
'Pecos Kane's,' grunted the bartender, greatly pleased about something. His pleasure was increased by the quick look of relief which flashed across the other's face, and he chuckled. 'Yo're all right in here.'
'Yes,' said Bill, and motioned toward a bottle. Gulping the drink he paid for it and then leaned over the counter. 'Say, friend,' he whispered anxiously, 'if anybody comes around askin' for Bill Long, you ain't seen him, savvy?'
'Never even heard of th' gent,' smiled the other.
'Here's where you should ought to lose yo're name,' he suggested.
Bill winked at him and slouched away to become mixed up in the crowd. The checkerboard rear wall obtruded itself upon his vision and he went back and found a seat not far from it and from Kit Thorpe, bodyguard of the invisible proprietor, who sat against the door leading through the partition. Thorpe coldly acknowledged the stranger's nod and continued to keep keen watch over the crowd and the distant front door.
The day was very dull, the sun's rays baffled by the swirling sand, and the hanging kerosene lamps were lit, and as an occasional thundering gust struck the building and created air disturbances inside of it the lamps moved slightly to and fro and added a little more soot to the coating on their chimneys. Bill's natural glance at the unusual design of the rear wall caught something not usual about it and caused an unusual activity to arise in his mind. He knew that his eyes were sore and inflamed, but that did not entirely account for the persistent illusion which they saw when his roving glance, occasionally returning to the wall, swept quickly over it. There were several places where the black was a little blacker, and these spots moved on their edges, contracting and lengthening as the lamps swung gently. Pulling the brim of his hat over his eyes, he faced away from the wall and closed his burning eyelids, but his racing thoughts were keen to solve any riddle which would help to pass the monotonous time. Another veiled glance as he shifted to a more comfortable position gave him the explanation he sought. Those few black squares had been cut out, and the moving strips of black which had puzzled him were the shadows of the edges, moving across a black board which, set back the thickness of the partition, closed them.
'Peekholes,' he thought, and then wondered anew. Why the lower row, then, so low that a man would have to kneel to look through the openings?'Peekholes,' persisted hide-bound Experience, grabbing at the obvious. 'Perhaps,' doubted Suspicion; 'but then, why that lower row?' Suddenly his gunman's mind exulted. 'Peekholes above, an' loopholes below.' A good gunman would not try to look through such small openings, nearly closed by the barrel of a rifle. But why a rifle, for a
He stirred, blinked at the gambling crowd and closed his eyes again. The sudden, gusty opening of the front door sent jets of soot spouting from the lamp chimneys and bits of rubbish skittering across the floor; and it also sent his hand to a gun-butt. He grunted as Red Thompson entered, folded his arms anew and dozed again, as a cynical smile flickered to Thorpe's face and quickly died. Bill shifted slightly. 'Any place as careful in thinkin' out things as
Kit Thorpe had not missed the stranger's alert interest and motion at the opening of the door, but for awhile he did not move. Finally, however, he yawned, stretched, moved restlessly on his chair and then noisily arose and disappeared behind the partition, closing the checkered door after him. It was not his intention to sit so close to anyone who gave signs which indicated that he might be engaged in a shooting match at any moment. It would be better to keep watch from the side, well out of the line of fire.
Bill Long did not make the mistake of looking at the holes again, but dozed fitfully, starting at each gust which was strong enough to suggest the opening of the door. 'I got to find th' way, an' that's all there is to it,' he muttered. 'How am I goin' to be welcome around here?'
THE squeaking of the door wakened Johnny and his gun swung toward the sound as a familiar face emerged from the dusk of the hall and smiled a little.
'Reckon it ain't no shootin' matter,' said the sheriff, slowly entering. He walked over to a chair and sat down, 'Just a little call in th' line of duty,' he explained.
'Sorry there wasn't a bell hangin' on th' door, or a club, or somethin',' replied Johnny ironically. 'Then you could 'a' waited till I asked you to come in.'
'That wouldn't 'a' been in th' line of duty,' chuckled Corwin, his eyes darting from one piece of wearing
