He read aloud several lines and in reaching for a light for his cigarette noticed the new six-shooter.

His mind leaped from Horace to Hopalong, and he smiled grimly at the latter's promise to call.
Glancing up, his eyes fell on a poster which conveyed the information in Spanish and in English that there was offered +--------------------------------------+ | | FIVE HUNDRED PESOS | | REWARD For Hopalong Cassidy, of the Ranch | | Known as the Bar-20, Texas, U.S.A.| | +--------------------------------------+ and which gave a good description of that gentleman.
Sighing for the five hundred, he again took up his book and was lost in its pages when he heard a knock, rather low and timid.

Wearily laying aside his reading, he strode to the door, expecting to hear a lengthy complaint from one of his townsmen.

As he threw the door wide open the light streamed out and lighted up a revolver and behind it the beaming face of a cowboy, who grinned.
"Well, I'll be damned!" ejaculated the sheriff, starting back in amazement.
"Don't say that, sheriff; you've got lots of time to reform," replied a humorous voice.

"How's th' wings ?" "Almost well: you were considerate," responded the sheriff.