Hopalong Cassidy. Clarence E. Mulford

chased that Greaser off'n th' ranch," Skinny offered, grinning.

      "Good for him!" cried Hopalong.

      "Johnny's all right—here comes Buck," Red said, coming out of the house. "Johnny's with him, too. Hullo, Kid!"

      "Hullo, Brick-top!" retorted Johnny, who did not like his nickname. No one treated him as anything but a boy and he resented it at times.

      "Did he chase you far?" Hopalong queried.

      "I'd like to see anybody chase me!"

      Buck smiled. "How are things down here?"

      Hopalong related what had occurred and the foreman nodded. "I'm going down to see Meeker—he's th' only man who can tell me what we're to look for. I don't want to keep so many men down here. Frenchy has got all he can handle, an' I want somebody up in Two. So long."

      "Let me an' Red go with you, Buck," cried Hopalong.

      "Me, too!" exclaimed Johnny, excitedly.

      "You stay home, an' don't worry about me," replied the foreman, riding off.

      "I don't like to see him go alone," Hopalong muttered. "He may get a raw deal down there. But if he does we'll wipe 'em off'n th' earth."

      "Mamma! Look there!" softly cried Johnny, staring towards the other side of the plateau, where Mary Meeker rode past. Red and Skinny were astonished and Johnny and Hopalong pretended to be; but all removed their sombreros while she remained in sight. Johnny was watching Hopalong's face, but when Red glanced around he was staring over the hill.

      "Gosh, ain't she a ripper!" he exclaimed softly.

      "She is," admitted Skinny. "She shore is."

      Hopalong rubbed his nose reflectively and turned to Red. "Did you ever notice how pretty a freckle is?"

      Red stared, for he had only toleration for the fair sex, and his friend continued:

      "Take a purty girl an' stick a freckle on her nose an' it sort of takes yore breath."

      Red grinned. "I ain't never took a purty girl an' stuck a freckle on her nose, so I can't say."

      Hopalong flushed at the laughter and Skinny cried, joyously: "She's got two of us already! Meeker's got us licked if he'll let her show herself once in a while. Oh, these young fellers! Nothing can rope 'em so quick as a female, an' th' purtier she is th' quicker she can do it."

      A warning light came into Hopalong's eyes. "Nobody in this outfit'll go back on Buck for all th' purty women in th' world!"

      "Good boy!" thought Johnny.

      "We've got to watch th' Kid, just th' same," laughed Skinny.

      "I'll knock yore head off!" cried Johnny. "You're sore 'cause you know you ain't got no chance with women while me an' Hoppy are around!"

      Red looked critically at Hopalong and snickered. "If we've got to look like him to catch th' women, thank God we don't want 'em!"