"I was easily taken in," admitted Mortimer De Royster. "I am ashamed of myself." "Do you carry a valuable stock?" asked Roy, wondering if it were not dangerous to have so much jewelry about one. "Quite valuable, yes, but all traveling jewelry salesmen belong to a league, and if thieves get away with anything belonging to any member, we have the services of a good detective agency to run the criminals down. The professional thieves know this, and, as capture is almost certain in the end, we have little fear of being robbed. These swindlers took my personal property, and nothing belonging to the firm, I'm glad to say." "Perhaps you will get it back," suggested Roy. "No, I'm afraid not. But I say, my dear chap, where are you going? You don't look as if you had traveled much." "I haven't. I am going to New York on business for my father." "To New York? Good! Then I shall have company on the way. That is unless you don't like to be seen with one who lets himself be robbed so easily." "That would not make any difference to me." "Thank you. Perhaps I may be able to be of some service to you in New York. I know the town fairly well." "That will be very kind of you. I know nothing about it, and I'm afraid I'll be rather green when I get there. I have lived on a ranch all my life." "On a ranch? Fancy now! Really, don't you know, I often used to think I would like to be a cowboy," drawled the dude. Roy looked at the slim figure, and delicate features of Mr. De Royster, and thought that he would hardly be strong enough for the rough life on the plains. But he was too polite to mention this. "Yes," went on the well-dressed youth, "if I had not gone into the jewelry business I might now be a 'cow-puncher,'--I believe that is what you call those gentlemen who take charge of wild steers?" and he looked at his companion inquiringly. "Yes, some folks call 'em that." "It must be a very nice sort of life. Now this sort of thing is rather tame, don't you know." "Well, you had it exciting enough a while ago." "So I did," admitted Mr. De Royster with a smile. "But that doesn't happen every day. I wish I could do you some favor, in return for what you did for me." "I didn't do much. I wish I could have gotten them in time to have saved your watch and chain. But they stampeded before I could rope them." "Stampeded?" "Yes, I mean they started to run." "Oh, yes. And--er--rope--" "Oh, I forgot you didn't understand my lingo. I meant catch them. Whenever we want to catch anything on the ranch, we rope it. Throw a lariat over it, you know." "Oh, yes, a lasso. I should like to have seen you lasso those chaps. Have you a lasso with you?" "I have one in my large valise." "Where are you going to stop in New York?" "I don't know yet. I'm going to look around for a good place to get my grub, and a bunk after I get there." "Your grub and bunk?" Mr. De Royster seemed puzzled. "Well, I mean my meals and a place to sleep."