Dave and the committee looked up as the door flew back and slammed against the wall, to see Johnny enter, a little too erect, stepping a little too precisely and wide, his mind obviously concentrated on his legs. His face was owlishly serious and he nodded to each in turn with great gravity. Describing a wide curve he stepped carefully to the bar, where he stopped, sighed, and braced himself. "Dave," he said, waving an arm, "th' best in th' house for us. Didn't know what to do with m'self; but now we can have some 'citement. Here's how. Here's to pore Ol' Squint." "Here's to pore Ol' Squint," repeated Dave. "I allus liked Squint." "Everybody liked Squint," responded Johnny. "Everybody, 'cept--'cept what's his name? Pore Squint, kidnapped; an' the Doc, kidnapped; nobody's safe no more. _You_ might get kidnapped--_you_--an' _you_--an' _you_--an' Dave! No, not Dave!" he burst into laughter. "Not _Dave_! He! He! Less'n it was Ol' Buffalo an' his waggin!" Smitty rocked to and fro: "He! He! He!" he roared. "Ol' Buffalo an' his four-hoss team! Freight for Juniper!" Carson slapped Johnny on the shoulder. "Nobody's safe but Dave!" he shouted. "Ol' Buffalo would have to _roll_ him in, like a bar'l." "Don't you care, Dave," said Fraser. "I'm yore friend, an' nobody's goin' to kidnap you, waggin or no waggin. Not while Bill Fraser's around. No, sir. Give us another. Big Tom's blowin' his boys." "Couldn't get along without Dave, not nohow," said Johnny. "Here's to Dave--everybody's fr'en'. Just th' same I ain't forgettin' pore Squint. I'd like to know who kidnapped him--just so I could get my rope on him. That's all. Jus' that. Got notion to go find him. Come on, le's _all_ go!" "Forty feet of rope an' a sycamore tree," burbled Smitty. "Forty feet of----" "We're goin' to find him," boasted Dahlgren. "Goin' to righ' now. Le's have one more drink, Dave. Just one more, an' then we go git him." "That's th' way!" cried Johnny, "Come on--one more, Dave, ol' kidnapper. Then forty feet of sycamore rope. Want to come, Dave? Come on! Come on with us!" "I better stay here," said Dave, earnestly. "I better be right here when you bring him in. _Somebody_ ought to be." "That's Ol' Dave, all righ'," cried Smitty. "Good Ol' Dave." "Give us a bottle, Dave," said Johnny. "Give us _two_ bottles. Nothin's too good for my fren's." "If pore Squint was only here," burbled Smitty, eyeing the bottles. "Pore Squint. We'll bring that coyote in for you, Dave. We'll drag him to town." "Him an' Ol' Arnold," supplemented Carson. "_Both_ of 'em!" "That's it!" cried Johnny. "That's where we'll go--come on, fellers! Goo'-by, Dave; goo'-by!"