in the Court House. We'll call
Dalton's bluff for once--and at once."

Phil rushed into the Bank and was back in three minutes with the money
in his possession.

"Now boys!" shouted Jim, "down to Dalton's office and then to the
Kenora."

Off they went, shouting and singing as before, not particular as to
what it was all about, but simply keen on making an uproar--and as big
a one as possible--now that the opportunity presented itself.

James Dalton--sole proprietor of the Dalton Realty Company--was
standing at the door of his office, watching the actions of the
oncoming crowd. The moment he saw Jim, however, he hurried inside.

The mob stopped at the door. Jim jumped to the ground.

"Come on in, Phil! Stay there, boys--just for a minute or two. There
are drinks for the crowd at the end of this trip."

By this time, Dalton was sitting behind his desk, his thumb in the
armhole of his vest, nervously chewing at the end of an unlighted
cigar.

"I bought the Brantlock Ranch from you the other day, Rattler."

"That's right,--go to it!" ventured Dalton as a try-out. "I kind of
half expected something like this."

"Are you going to deny it?"

"If you mean, am I going to deny that I gave a gink, half dippy with
booze, an Agreement for Sale in temporary exchange for a bunch of
horses that he couldn't look after and was liable to have pinched on
him; if you mean am I going to deny that I did it to save him losin'
what he couldn't keep an eye on himself,--then I ain't."

Dalton leaned back, still pale from excitement but not at all
unsatisfied with his vocal delivery.

Jim looked over to Phil in sheer astonishment at the man's audacity.
Phil smiled in return.

"What do you think of that now;--the Rattler turned 'good Samaritan'?

"And you did it just out of the goodness of your kind, unselfish,
little, palpitating heart, Dalton?"

"I ain't throwin' any bouquets at myself," remarked Dalton.

"And where are the horses you were so kind as to look after for me?"

"I made a better sale of them hat-racks than you ever could 'a' done.
I got eight hundred bucks for the bunch. And I'm ready to give you a
cheque for that amount, less ten percent for puttin' the deal
through;--seven hundred and twenty bucks, the minute you hand over the
phoney agreement which I was dam-fool enough to give you at the time
to satisfy your would-be lawyer's intooition and to keep you from
yappin' all over the country."

Jim went up to th