"For a walk, under th' moonlight!" answered Doane. "Yo're goin', too an' we're goin' with our mouths shut. Not a word about th' hosses or th' kerosene. You remember what Cassidy said about goin' agin' Kane's northeast corner? Come on--an' see th' bonfire!" "Shure, an' who's fool enough to have anny bonfires now?" "Murphy, I said _with our mouths shut_. Come on, up near th' jail!" The cook scratched his head and favored his companion with a sidewise glance, which revealed nothing because of the darkness of the room. "Th' jail?" he muttered. "He's crazy, he is. Th' jail won't make no bonfire. It's mud. But as long as he has th' 'baccy, I'll go wid him. _Whist!_" he exclaimed as another _thap!_ sounded on the wall. "An' what's that?" "This room's haunted," explained Ed. "Lead th' way, thin; or let me," said Murphy in great haste. "I'll watch yore mud bonfire." After leaving the hotel Johnny kept it between himself and Kane's building, rode to the arroyo which Roberts had found so useful and followed it until out of sight of anyone in town. When he left it he turned east, crossed the main trail and dismounted east of the place where he and Red had kept watch on the gambling-house roof. Working his way on foot to his sharpshooting friends he lay down at Red's side and commented casually on several subjects, finally nudging the Bar-20 rifleman. "I'm growin' tired of this spot an' this game," he grumbled. "They know where we are now, an' that roof's plumb tame." Red stirred restlessly. "You must 'a' read my mind," he observed. "You've had a spell off--stay here while I take a rest." "Stay nothin'!" retorted Johnny. "This ain't our fight, anyhow." "Somebody's got to stay," objected Red. "Let Waffles, then," rejoined Johnny. "You don't care if we look around?" "I'd just as soon stay here as go any place else," said the ex-foreman of the O-Bar-O. "Where you fellers aimin' to go?" "Over west to cover Hoppy," answered Johnny, remembering that this much was generally known. "He aims to make a dash for th' hotel, an' he's so stubborn nobody can stop him. He says th' fight's been goin' on too long; an' you know how he can use six-guns. To use 'em right he'll have to get plumb close." "Cussed fool!" snorted Red, arising to his knees. "How can he end it by makin' a dash, an' usin' his short guns? Mebby he's aimin' to put his rope on it an' pull it over, shootin' as they pop out from under!" he sarcastically suggested. "Mebby; better ask him," replied Johnny. "_I_ did. Mebby you can get it out of him. When he wants to keep his mouth shut, he shore can keep it shut tight. There's no use wastin' our breath on it. He's got some fool scheme in his head an' he's set solid. All we can do is to try to save his fool skin. Waffles can hold down this place till we come back. Come on, Red." Red grumbled and stretched. "All right. See you later mebby, Waffles."