."

Bill shook his head and growled as he scraped the mud from his face and
neck. Andy, gravely solicitous, helped to remove the mud and
affectionately wiped his fingers in Bill's hair.

"Here--what in hell you doin'!" snorted Bill.

"That's right! I was forgittin'! Honest, Bill!"

"I'll honest you! I'll give you somethin' to forgit." But Andy did not
wait.

A little later Bill appeared at the kitchen door and plaintively asked Ma
Bailey if she had any sticking-plaster.

"Sakes alive! Now what you done to yourself, William?"

"Nothin' this time, Miss Bailey. I--I done tore a book--and jest want to
fix it."

When Bill returned to the bunk-house with the "sticking-plaster," Pete
and Andy both said they were sorry for the occurrence, but Bill was
mighty suspicious of their sincerity. They were silent while Bill
laboriously patched up the book and settled himself to take up the reins
where he had dropped them. The heroine had just taken her seat beside
the driver--when-- "It's a darned shame!" said a voice, Pete's voice.

"It sure is--and Bill jest learnin' to read. He might 'a' spelled out a
whole page afore mornin'."

"I wa'n't meanin' Bill," asserted Pete.

"Oh, you won't bother Bill none. He can't hear you. His off ear is full
of mud. Go on and say anything you like about him."

Bill slowly laid down his book, stepped to his bunk, and drew his
six-shooter from its holster. He marched back to the table and laid the
gun quite handy to him, and resumed his chair.

Bill Haskins was long-suffering--but both Andy and Pete realized that it
was high time to turn their bright particular talents in some other
direction. So they undressed and turned in. They had been asleep an
hour or two before Bill closed his book regretfully, picked up his gun,
and walked to his bunk. He stood for a moment gazing at Andy, and then
turned to gaze at Pete. Then he shook his head--and a slow smile lighted
his weathered face. For despite defunct mountain lions, bent nails, and
other sundries, Bill Haskins liked Andy and Pete--and he knew if it came
to a test of friendship that either of them would stand by him to the
last dollar, or the last shot even, as he would have gladly done to help
them.

CHAPTER XLVI

THE RIDIN' KID FROM POWDER RIVER

The first thing Pete did when he arrived in Tucson was to purchase a
suit as near like that which he had seen Andover wear as possible.
Pete's Stetson was discard