Buck laughed and clapped his hands on Hopalong's shoulders. "I appoint you foreman, an' you can't get out of it, nohow! Lemme shake hands with th' new foreman of th' Bar-20--I'm one of th' boys now, an' glad to get rid of th' responsibility for a while. Good luck, son!" "No you ain't going to get rid of 'em," laughed Hopalong, but serious withal. "Yo're th' foreman of this ranch till you leave us--ain't he, boys?" he appealed. Buck put his hands to his ears and yelled for less noise. "All right, I'll play at breaking you in--'though th' Lord knows I can't show you nothing you don't know now. My first order under these conditions is that you ride south, Hopalong, an' tell th' news to Meeker, an' to his girl. An' tell 'em separate, too. An' don't forget I want to see you hobbled before I leave next month--tell her to make it soon!" Hopalong reddened and grinned under the rapid-fire advice and chaffing of his friends and tried to retort. Johnny sprang forward. "Come on, fellers! Put him on his cayuse an' start him south! We've got to have _some_ hand in his courting, anyhow!" "Right!" "Good idea!" "Look out! _Grab_ him, Red!" "Up with him!" "We ought to escort him on his first love trail," yelled Skinny above the uproar. "Come on! _Saddles_, boys!" "Like h--l!" cried Hopalong, spurring forward his nettlesome mount. "You've got to grow wings to catch me an' Red Eagle! _Go, bronc!_" and he shot forward like an arrow from a bow, cheers and good wishes thundering after him. * * * * * Buck moved about restlessly in his sleep and then awakened suddenly and lay quiet as a hand touched his shoulder. "What is it? Who are you?" he demanded, ominously. "I reckoned you'd like to know that yo're going to be best man in two weeks, Buck," said a happy voice. "She said a month, but I told her you was going away before then, an' you _might_, you know. I shore feel joyous!" The huge hand of the elder man closed over his in a grip which made him wince. "Good boy, an' good luck, Hoppy! It was due you an' I knowed you'd win. Good luck, an' happiness, son!"