act was so
natural a one that Griffith, already convinced, was convinced again--the
more so because Long preserved a discreet silence as to the misadventure
with the sorrel horse.

Mr. Long reported profanely that the men on the other side had also been
disposed to arrest him, and had been dissuaded with difficulty.

"So I guess I must look some like Bransford, though I would never 'a'
guessed it. Reckon nobody knows what they really look like. Chances are
a feller wouldn't know himself if he met him in the road. That squares
you, kid. No hard feelings?"

"Not a bit. I certainly thought you were Bransford, at first," said
Griffith.

"Well, the black-eyed one--Stone--he's coming round on the west side
now, cutting sign. You be all ready to start for Escondido as soon as he
gets here, Gurd. Say, you don't want to wait for the sheriff if he's up
on Rainbow. You wire a lot of your friends to come on the train at nine
o'clock to-night. Sheriff can come when he gets back. There ain't but a
few horses at Escondido. You get Pappy Sanders to send your gang out in
a wagon--such as can't find horses."

"Better take in both of ours, Gurd," said Griffith. He knew Long was all
right, as has been said, but he was also newly persuaded of his own
fallibility. He had been mistaken about Long being Bransford; therefore
he might be mistaken about Long being Long. In this spirit of humility
he made the suggestion recorded above, and was grieved that Long
indorsed it.

"And I want you to do two errands for me, kid. You give this to Pappy
Sanders--the storekeeper, you know"--here he produced the little
eohippus from his pocket--"and tell him to send it to a jeweler for me
and get a hole bored in it so it'll balance. Want to use it for a
watch-charm when I get a watch. And if we pull off this Bransford affair
I'll have me a watch. Now don't you lose that! It's turquoise--worth a
heap o' money. Besides, he's a lucky little horse."

"I'll put him in my pocketbook," said Gurdon.

"Better give him to Pappy first off, else you're liable to forget about
him, he's so small. Then you tell Pappy to send me out some grub. I
won't make out no bill. He's grubstakin' the mine; he'll know what to
send. You just tell him I'm about out of patience. Tell him I want about
everything there is, and want it quick; and a jar for sour dough--I
broke mine. And get some newspapers." He hesitated perceptibly. "See
here, boys, I hate to mention this; but old P