Chesty and Bow-Wow joined Ned to have a "night cap" and say good-bye, intending to start early next morning. "No, boys, I ’ve had enough," said Ned. "I ’ve took a job with Cheyenne, an’ you boys better hang ’round. Find Dutch in th’ mornin’ an’ tell him. An’ I ’m a-goin’ to turn in, too. I ’m cussed sleepy." The other two sat staring across the table at one another. The news seemed too good to be true. "Ha! Ha!" barked Bow-Wow, "I never did like them d—n Bitters, not nohow." Chesty nodded his head. "Me, too," he agreed. "Son, there ’s a big time due in these parts: I feel it in my bones." Seized with a common impulse they sprang to their feet and began a war-dance around the stove, chanting some Indian gibberish that was a series of grunts, snarls, and yells. Their profane demands for information meeting with no response, the others one by one joined them, until a howling, bobbing ring of men circled the stove, and, growling and barking at their heels, the dog danced with them. Slick looked on with an indulgent grin and the row did not cease until Sandy stuck his head in at the hall door. "Deil tak’ ye!" he shouted. "Canna ye let a body sleep?" A minute later the room had settled down into its customary decorum and Bruce, with a wary look about, now and then, was preparing to resume his rudely interrupted doze. CHAPTER IV THE FOREMAN OF THE DOUBLE Y Buck cinched up his saddle on Allday and led him out of the stable. "Ned, this is shore one scrumptious hotel," he observed as he swung into his seat. "It certainly is. Nothin’ to beat it in Montany, I reckon," was Ned’s hearty endorsement. Buck shook his head as they passed through the gate together. "Most too good," he suggested. "I dunno," Ned doubted, "th’ branch from Wayback ’s shore to come down th’ Jones’ Luck, an’ then Sandy ’ll rake in." They had just turned into the trail when a rider passed them at speed, causing Ned’s cayuse to shy and buck half way to the Jill. The evener-tempered Allday only pointed his ears and pulled on the bit. "Reckon you could catch that feller, eh? Well, you could n’t," was Buck’s careless insult. "If Hoppy could see that horse he ’d give all he ’s got for him—bar Mary."