“Well, anyhow, buck up, Steve! I’ve got to get down to work now. Good-bye, and good luck!”
“Wait just a minute!” Loring called after him.
McKay turned, and Stephen held out his newly received pay check.
“Will you be kind enough to give this to Hankins up at the saloon, when you get time? I owe it to him, and to his partner.”
“You certainly did do things up in great shape last night, Steve,” said McKay, as he took the check, after Stephen had endorsed it with a shaking hand. “Got cheated, I suppose?”
“Rather,” answered Loring.
“It is strange,” thought McKay to himself, as he walked away, “with fellows like these saloon keepers. You could give them everything that you have, and no matter what happened they would keep it safely for you. But play cards and they’ll stick it into you for keeps.”
Re-entering his tent, Stephen began to put his few belongings into a saddle-bag. His packing was not a long operation. He looked rather wistfully about the little tent, which had grown to seem to him almost a home. Then, slinging the bag over his shoulder, he started for the corral.