of satisfaction covering the face of Baum appealed to them as the
most ludicrous sight their eyes had seen for months, and they leaned back and roared with
laughter, thus calling forth sundry looks of disapproval from the
innocent causes of their merriment. But they were too well known in
Albuquerque to allow the disapproval to approach a serious end, and
finally, as the humorous side of the situation dawned on the crowd,
they joined in the laugh and all went merrily.


At the psychologic moment some one shouted for a dance and the
suggestion met with uproarious approval. At that moment Harris, the
sheriff, came in and volunteered to supply the necessary music if the
crowd would pay the fine against a straying fiddler he had corraled
the day before. A hat was quickly passed and a sum was realized which
would pay several fines to come and Harris departed for the music.

A chair was placed on the bar for the musician and, to the tune of
"Old Dan Tucker" and an assortment of similar airs, the board floor
shook and trembled. It was a comical sight and Hopalong, the only
wallflower besides Baum and the sheriff, laughed until he became weak.
Cow punchers play as they work, hard and earnestly, and there was
plenty of action. Sombreros flapped like huge wings and the baggy
chaps looked like small, distorted balloons.

The Virginia reel was a marvel of supple, exaggerated grace and the
quadrille looked like a free-for-all for unbroken colts. The honor of
prompter was conferred upon the sheriff, and he gravely called the
changes as they were usually called in that section of the country:

"Oh, th' ladies trail in