the report of a firearm.

“In endeavoring to ascertain the location of the miscreant I became entangled with my specimen, and luckily we fell into a depression behind an outcropping of granite formation. Luckily the depression was filled with a thick growth of mimosaceous shrub, which screened us from view.

“I feel sure that the target was located upon or near that granite outcropping, because in a few minutes I could hear the marksman carrying on a conversation like this, omitting the vulgarity, of course:

“‘Pshaw! Missed entirely!’

“And then he seemed heartily ashamed of himself, as he said:

“‘Too bad! I should have had higher aspirations.’

“The last may not be correct, but at any rate he mentioned something about holding higher, which amounts to the same.”

“Yes,” says I; “he was careless, Ajax. I feel sorry for him.”

“Perhaps I should have extended my sympathy,” says Ajax. “But—er—really I was in no position to think of the niceties of social custom.”

“What was you doing all this time?” asks Magpie from the doorway.

“I—er—I was trying to preserve my hold upon the Ovius.”

I seen Magpie walk out about fifty feet, throw his hat on the ground and hop up and down on it. This Ovius is getting under his hide.

“I will persevere,” says Ajax determined-like. “I must persevere.”

“All right, Percy,” says I. “Don’t let us stop you.”

Me and Magpie talked things over, but we can’t figure it out.

“That’s the —— of it, Ike,” says Magpie. “If Ajax was a human being he could tell us what he’s after, but education has plumb ruined him for conversation. I reckon we’ve got to give him plenty of rope, and he’ll hang up some place.”

“He’s used up enough rope to hang all the rustlers in Montana,” says I. “He had one specimen, Magpie, but somebody shot at him——”

“Rotten shooting!” snorts Magpie. “There is such things as mob law, and if he don’t give us a chance to see what he’s after I’m 

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