"No, they don't, neither; I watched 'em leave an' they rode straight
out of town, an' went the other way, same as they allus do." Dave was
getting irritated. "Look here, you; are you joking or drunk, or both, or
is that animule of yourn really missing?"

"Huh!" snorted Hopalong, trying some new prunes. "'Ese prunes er purty
good," he mumbled, in grave congratulation. "I don' get prunes like 'ese
very of'n."

"I reckon you don't! They ought to be good! Cost me thirty cents a
half-pound," Dave retorted with asperity, anxiously shifting his feet.
It didn't take much of a loss to wipe out a day's profits with him.

"An' I don't reckon you paid none too much for 'em, at that," Mr.
Cassidy responded, nodding his head in comprehension. "Ain't no worms in
'em, is there?"

"Shore there is!" exploded Dave. "Plumb full of 'em!"

"You don't say! Hardly know whether to take a chance with the worms or
try the apricots. Ain't no worms in them, anyhow. But when am I going to
get my cayuse? I've got a long way to go, an' delay is costly--how much
did you say these yaller fellers cost?" he asked significantly, trying
another handful of apricots.

"On the dead level, cross my heart an' hope to die, but I ain't seen
yore cayuse since you left here," earnestly replied Dave. "If you don't
know where it is, then somebody went an' lifted it. It looks like it's
up to you to do some hunting, 'stead of cultivating a belly-ache at _my_
expense. _I_ ain't trying to keep you, God knows!"