guess it was too
sudden, hearing you on the wire when she thought you was dead. You
better wait and call up after awhile when her mind's more settled.
She's had an awful hard time. I'm real glad you're all right, Johnny,
but I've got to take care of Mary V now."

Johnny's eyes were very wide open when he came out of the telephone
booth in the hotel lobby. That Mary V should faint when she heard his
voice sounded rather incredible, but it seemed to confirm the strange
intent looks and the flustered manners of every one around that hotel.
People seemed to be flocking in from the street and from other parts of
the hotel, and that they were gathering to gaze upon him, Johnny Jewel,
came with a shock.

Three reporters came at him so impetuously that the foremost man
skidded on the polished floor and all but fell. Bland was plucking at
his elbow and whispering, "You let me handle the publicity, bo!" The
clerk was staring at him, both palms planted firmly on the desk, and
men were pushing up and craning for a look at him. Johnny whirled
suddenly and retreated to the telephone booth, shutting the door
tightly behind him. It was the first time in his life that he had run
from any one.

To gain time, he called up the Rolling R Ranch again and managed to get
Bedelia, the cook, on the 'phone. Bedelia was perfectly willing to
tell all she knew, and she appeared to know a great deal. Johnny held
the receiver to his ear until his elbow cramped, and said "uh-huh" once
in a while, and wondered how much Bedelia was exaggerating the truth.
As a matter of fact Bedelia was giving him a conservative history of
the past three days and, indirectly, she was explaining the crowd in
the lobby behind him.

Telephone booths are not any too comfortable on a hot day, and Johnny
emerged rather limp and sober.

He edged in to where Bland was gesticulating in the center of a group
that seemed to be drinking in his words eagerly.

"I'm going on to the ranch, Bland," he said shortly. "Jar loose here
and come help get the machine ready."

"In a minute, bo. As I was saying--"

"Ah--I hear you had quite an adventure, Mr. Jewel, down among the
Indians with your airplane. Now, just where--"

"I'm in a hurry," Johnny hedged. "I don't know anything about any
adventure. We had a little carburetor trouble, and had to wait for gas
before we could get back. That's all." He grabbed Bland firmly by one
arm and hustled him outside, where men