Bob held out till he counted fifteen poles. Then as Sammy said nothing further but kept his lips moving as he counted each pole, Bob thought it was best to take no chances. He reluctantly went over, reached up and got Sammy's cap and threw it in his lap.
"There's your old cap," he remarked. "Now give me back mine."
"Sure thing," said Sammy, with a grin of satisfaction at having carried his point. "Here's your cap, Bob; and you'd better put it on. I'd hate to have you catch cold on my account."
"Honest to goodness, Sammy," inquired Frank, who had been a grinning spectator of the little byplay between his chums, "would you have dropped the cap anyway?"
"Of course not," laughed Sammy. "That was just a little bluff and Bob fell for it."
The rest of the journey passed without special incident, and all the party were delighted when just before dark they found themselves once more in Fairview. After all, this was home, where most of their happiest hours had been spent, and though they liked to get away from it at times for a change of scene they were always glad to get back again to the old home town.
Sammy and Frank got a loving welcome from their folks and each home became at once a beehive where every one was kept busy preparing for the trip. There was a lot to do and not much time to do it in.
Frank, and even Sammy, had still cherished a sneaking hope that their parents might look on the gun question a little more favorably than Bob's parents had, but they soon found out that they were mistaken. Both families cried out in horror at the idea, and it began to look as though the Indians and outlaws were safe as far as the boys were concerned.
"There's no use," said Sammy, shaking his head mournfully when he met his chums the next morning. "Our only chance will be to pick up some guns after we get out there."
"Well, perhaps after all there'll be more fun getting them that way than if our folks bought them for us," put in Bob, who usually saw the bright side of things.