III.

"Both gone!" exclaimed Colonel Two, hurrying into the saloon, at noon.

"_Both_ gone?" echoed two or three men.

"Yes," said the colonel; "and the queerest thing is, they left
ev'rything behind--every darned thing! I never _did_ see such a stampede
afore--I didn't! Nobody's got any idee of whar they be, nor what it's
'bout neither."

"Don't be _too_ sartain, colonel!" piped Weasel, a self-contained mite
of a fellow, who was still at work upon his glass, filled at the last
general treat, although every one else had finished so long ago that
they were growing thirsty again--"don't be _too_ sartain. Them
detectives bunked at my shanty last night."

"The deuce they did!" cried the colonel. "Good the rest of us didn't
know it."

"Well," said Weasel, moving his glass in graceful circles, to be sure
that all the sugar dissolved, "I dunno. It's a respectable business, an'
I wanted to have a good look at 'em."

"What's that got to do with Jim and Tarpaulin?" demanded the colonel,
fiercely.

"Wait, and I'll tell you," replied Weasel, provokingly, taking a