Noll Terry, what else
do you know about it?"

The young man came briskly forward now, all trembling with eagerness.

"I don't know anything at all about it," retorted Noll coolly, "and I
don't believe it either."

"But you said----"

"Oh, Tip, what an idiot you are to think you can deny your identity to
us," jeered Noll, while Hal laughed merrily.

"Say, if you're trying to have sport with me," snarled Tip, "I'll----"

"Is it your idea of sport to shy rocks at us?" demanded Private Hal.

"I didn't shy anything at you," asserted Tip sullenly.

"Why, for that matter," Hal went on jeeringly, "I don't suppose you'll
even admit that you're here, at all?"

"Don't get too festive, just because you've got the government's blue
clothes on," Tip retorted sullenly. "A plain, ordinary soldier ain't
such a much."

"Opinions may differ about that, of course," Hal admitted. "But being a
soldier was too much of a job for you to get a chance at, wasn't it,
Tip?"

"I'm just as well suited as it is," rejoined Tip, flushing a bit, none
the less.

"You haven't told us what you're doing out in this country," Noll
suggested.

"And I don't know that it's any of your business, either," Branders went
on. "Ain't nothing to be ashamed of, though. You know I used to travel a
bit with the political crowd at home."

"With the heelers of the city," Noll amended.

Tip scowled, but continued:

"Well, I got into a bit of a row, that's all. So I lit out until things
could blow over a bit."

"And took some of your mother's cash before you left, I heard," nodded
Private Noll Terry.

"She gave it to me," cried Tip fiercely. "Now, see here, don't you
fellows say nothing about seeing me out in this part of the country. I'm
out here trying to run down a good, new start in life. You just keep
your tongues behind your teeth as far as my affairs are concerned."

"What kind of a new start can you make out in these hills?" queried Hal.

"That's what I'm here to find out. My cash has about run out, so I'm
walking. I'm bound for a ranch about forty miles west of here, where I
expect to land a job. So don't you go to talking too much about me, and
trying to spoil me."

"Why did you try to knock me over with a small-sized boulder?" Hal
insisted.

"Because I wanted to play a joke on you," retorted Tip, with a grin.

"That's a lie, but let it go at that," rejoined Hal Overton. "It would
be too much, anyway, wouldn't it, Tip, to expect the tr