142
XV. Collecting a Bad Debt 156
XVI. The Exodus 168
XVII. Counting Their Chickens 176
XVIII. The Millionaires 182
XIX. A Shock for Mr. Canby 196
XX. Wallie Qualifies as a First-Class Hero 207
XXI. "Worman! Worman!" 221
XXII. "Knocking 'Em for a Curve!" 231
XXIII. Rifts 247
XXIV. Hicks the Avenger 261
XXV. "And Just Then----" 301

THE DUDE WRANGLER

CHAPTER I

THE GIRL FROM WYOMING

Conscious that something had disturbed him, Wallie Macpherson raised
himself on his elbow in bed to listen. For a full minute he heard
nothing unusual: the Atlantic breaking against the sea-wall at the foot
of the sloping lawn of The Colonial, the clock striking the hour in the
tower of the Court House, and the ripping, tearing, slashing noises like
those of a sash-and-blind factory, produced through the long, thin nose
of old Mr. Penrose, two doors down the hotel corridor, all sounds to
which he was too accustomed to be awakened by them.

While Wallie remained in this posture conjecturing, the door between the
room next to him and that of Mr. Penrose was struck smartly several
times, and with a vigour to denote that there was temper behind the
blows which fell upon it. He had not known that the room was occupied;
being considered undesirable on account of the audible slumbers of the
old gentleman it was often vacant.

The raps finally awakened even Mr. Penrose, who demanded sharply:

"What are you doing?"

"Hammering with the heel of my slipper," a feminine voice answered.

"What do you want?"

"A chance to sleep."

"Who's stopping you?" crabbedly.

"You're snoring." Indignation gave an edge to the accusation.

"You're impertinent!"

"You're a nuisance!" the voice retorted. Wallie covered his mouth with
his hand and hunched his shoulders.

There was a moment's silence while Mr. Penrose seemed to be thinking of
a suitable answer. Then:

"It's my privilege to snore if I want to. This is my room--I pay for
it!"

"Then this side of the door is mine and I can pound on it, for the same
reason."

Mr. Penrose sneered in the darkness: "I suppose you're some sour o