eckon we irrigates on yu this time, don't we?"

"Th' more th' Kid talks, th' more money he needs," remarked Lanky,
placing his glass on the bar. "He had to blow me an' Skinny twice last
night."

"I got two more after yu left," added Skinny "He shore oughter practice
keeping still."

At one o'clock sharp Hopalong walked up to the clerk of the hotel and
grinned. The clerk looked up:

"Hullo, Cassidy?" He exclaimed, genially. "What was all that fuss
about this mornin' when I was away? I haven't seen you for a long time,
have I? How are you?"

"That fuss was a fool joke of Buck's, an' I wish they had been throwed
out," Hopalong replied. "What I want to know is if Miss Deane is in her
room. Yu see, I have a date with her."

The clerk grinned:

"So she's roped you, too, has she?"

"What do yu mean?" Asked Hopalong in surprise. "Well, well," laughed the
clerk. "You punchers are easy. Any third-rate actress that looks good to
eat can rope you fellows, all right. Now look here, Laura, you keep shy
of her corral, or you'll be broke so quick you won't believe you ever
had a cent: that's straight. This is the third year that she's been here
and I know what I'm talking about. How did you come to meet her?"

Hopalong explained the meeting and his friend laughed again:

"Why, she knows this country like a book. She can't get lost anywhere
around here. But she's blame clever at catching punchers."

"Well, I reckon I'd better take her, go broke or not," replied Hopalong.
"Is she in her room?"

"She is, but she is not alone," responded the clerk. "There is a
dude puncher up there with her and she left word here that she was
indisposed, which means that you are outlawed."

"Who is he?" Asked Hopalong, having his suspicions. "That friend of
yours: Ewalt. He sported a wad this morning when she passed him, and she
let him make her acquaintance. He's another easy mark. He'll be busted
wide open to-night."

"I reckon I'll see Tex," suggested Hopalong, starting for the stairs.

"Come back, you chump!" cried the clerk. "I don't want any shooting
here. What do you care about it? Let her have him, for it's an easy way
out of it for you. Let him think he's cut you out, for he'll spend all
the more freely. Get your crowd and enlighten them--it'll be better than
a circus. This may sound like a steer, but it's straight."

Hopalong thought for a minute and then leaned on the cigar case:

"I reckon I'll take about a dozen of yore