From no desire to imply unfairness, but rather because of his bitterness against failure of any kind and his loyalty to Waffles, came his next words: "Mebby they skinned yu." Like a flash Waffles sprang before him, his hand held up, palm out.

"He don't mean nothin'-- he's only a ignorant kid!" he cried.
Buck smiled and wrested the Colt from Johnny's ever-ready hand.

"Here's another," he said.

Red laughed softly and rolled Johnny on the floor.
"Yu jackass," he whispered, "don't yu know better'n to make a gun-play when we needs them all ?" "What are we goin' to do ?" Asked Tex, glancing at the bulging pockets of Hopalong's chaps.
"We're goin' to punch cows again, that's what we're to do," answered Bigfoot dismally.
"An' whose are we goin' to punch?
We can't go back to the old man," grumbled Tex.
Salvation looked askance at Buck and then at the others.

"Mebby," he began, "Mebby we kin git a job on th' Bar-20." Then turning to Buck again he bluntly asked, "Are yu short of punchers ?" "Well, I might use some," answered the foreman, hesitating.