n his best silk handkerchief. "I want ter
keep it clean!" he muttered.

CHAPTER XII

NOT STRICTLY ACCORDING TO PROGRAM

As they emerged from the dining-room the next morning they were greeted
by a short but sturdily built man whose deeply-set blue eyes lighted up
as he slapped Douglass familiarly on the shoulder. It was Dave Strang,
foreman of the Lazy K outfit on Cibolla Creek.

"Why, yuh old son of a gun, wheah d'yuah drap from?" asked Red, with a
portentous wink. Douglass had just informed him of Barton s message and
his remark was for the benefit of the loungers about the stove, among
whom he had reason to believe were some of Coogan's familiars. He deemed
it best to have them under the impression that the encounter was one of
pure chance; being an enthusiastic devotee at the shrine of "stud
poker," he believed in keeping inviolate the suit and value of his
buried card.

"Oh, just been atrailing and got plumb wore out fer a look at suthin'
besides sagebrush," answered Strang, easily; he had a few cards up his
sleeve, himself. "What brings yuh fellows inter thu tem'tations of thu
meetropoliss? Don't yuh know thet this is thu home of the devourin' lion
an' thu laih o' thu feroshus tigeh? Come an' look at yeh innercent selfs
in thu bottom of a glass!"

As they lined up at the bar Strang said quickly, in an undertone. "Six
of us heah by dark. What's thu game?"

"Come up to my room in an hour or two and I'll put you next," said
Douglass, cautiously; "some of this gang is keeping tab on us." Then he
turned to the crowd politely: "Will you gentlemen join us? This is on
me, Dave; no foolishness!"

After a few desultory commonplaces, during which Strang intimated that
he would be in town only a few hours, Douglass said, casually, "Drop in
and see us before you go out, Dave. Been a long time since we had a
talk." Strang looked doubtful.

"I only aim to stay till thu mail comes in an' I got a heap ter do.
Mebby I kin spah a few minnits." Then he treated the crowd in turn with
a nonchalant, "Well, so 'long!" hitched up his belt and strolled out.

Up at the post office he met them a few minutes later. "I'll be on deck
in your room in an hour. I'll go there first, ahead of you."

They found him there at the appointed time and he was soon in possession
of all the facts. Douglass's plan was quickly stated:

"We'll let them arrest us without any suspicious resistance. Of course
they'll make us give up our guns