dy, vault into the
saddle of Harlan's horse and gallop for safety. Hopalong's shots went
wide and the last view any one had of Slivers in that part of the
country was when he dropped into an arroyo to follow it for safety.
Laramie Joe fled before Red Connors and Red's rage was so great that it
spoiled his accuracy, and he had the sorrow of seeing the pursued grow
faint in the mist and fog. Pursuit was tried until the pursuers realized
that their mounts were too worn out to stand a show against the fresh
animals ridden by the survivors of the Oasis crowd.

Red circled and joined Hopalong. "Blasted coyotes," he growled. "Killed
Jackson an' Edwards, an' wanted the Kid! He's shore showed 'em what
fighting is, all right. But I wonder what got into 'em all at once to
give 'em nerve enough to start things?"

"Edwards paid his way, all right," replied Hopalong. "If I do as well
when my time comes I won't do no kicking."

"Yore time ain't coming that way," responded Red, grinning. "You'll die
a natural death in bed, unless you gets to cussing me."

"Shore there ain't no more, Buck?" Hopalong called.

"Yes. There was only five, I reckon, an' they was purty well shot up
when we took a hand. You know, Johnny was in it all the time," replied
the foreman, smiling. "This town's had the cleaning up it's needed for
some time," he added.

They were at Jackson's store now, and hurriedly dismounted and ran in
to see Johnny. They found him lying across some boxes, which brought him
almost to the level of a window sill. He was too weak to stand, while
near him in similar condition lay Barr, too weak from loss of blood to
do more than look his welcome.

"How are you, Kid?" cried Buck anxiously, bending over him, while others
looked to Barr's injuries.

"Tired, Buck, awful tired; an' all shot up," Johnny slowly replied.
"When I saw you fellers--streak past this windy--I sort of went
flat--something seemed to break inside me," he said, faintly and with an
effort, and the foreman ordered him not to talk. Deft fingers, schooled
by practice in rough and ready surgery, were busy over him and in half
an hour he lay on Jackson's cot, covered with bandages.

"Why, hullo, Lacey!" exclaimed Hopalong, leaping forward to shake hands
with the man Red and Billy had gone to help. "Purty well scratched up,
but lively yet, hey?"

"I'm able to hobble over here an' shake han's with these
scrappers--they're shore wonders," Lacey replied. "Fought like