“Ha, ha—ho, ho! That Major’s a smart chap, all right,” laughed Cranny. “Sized up the kid already! Willie a bright lad! Ho, ho! Anyway, it’s bully news. I’ll stay here for about three days longer.”
“And didn’t you really make a landing at Border City? I had an idea you would come back and tell me all about things.”
“We sailed right over top o’ the big Noah’s ark, but I wasn’t going to do anything that might spoil those great three days,” said Cranny. “Besides, we saw a lot of little specks on the ground, and made up our minds that the smallest was Willie.”
“You’re a grand guardian,” laughed Dave.
Within a short time, the steady, rhythmic sound of hoof-beats floated into the room—the others were returning. It didn’t take them long to stable their bronchos and race inside.
“Great Scott! Major Carroll ’phoned you—says William is with him?” cried Tom, in astonishment. “The nerve of him!—I mean William, of course.”
“I’m tired of Willie as a subject of steady conversation,” growled Cranny.
“Forget him for a few days—do, please,” suggested Tim.
“I’ll make it three,” said Cran.
The only other event of interest that day was a short visit from big Sam Skillet, foreman of Circle T Ranch.