CHAPTER II 

 WE GET OUR DISCHARGES 



^HE next day Tom came to me looking rather 

 A serious, and I saw that he had something on 

 his mind, and when he had gotten me alone he ex- 

 plained what this was. 



"I've been thinking it over, Peck," he said, 

 "and I've pretty near made up my mind that we'd 

 better drop Jack and either pick up another man 

 or else you and me go it without a third man. I 

 am afraid that Jack's fondness for liquor will get 

 him into trouble and so make trouble for us. I 

 hate to go back on him, for he's a rattlin' good 

 fellow when he is out of the reach of whiskey, 

 but, when he can get it, he's a regular drunkard." 



"That's so, Tom," I answered; "but when we 

 get started back to the plains we'll soon have him 

 where he can't get whiskey, and then he'll be all 

 right. I think we can manage him by making 

 him turn over all his money except a few dollars 

 to you or to me, and when his money is gone we'll 

 see that he gets no more. If we can get him to 

 promise that after he gets through he will let 

 liquor alone, he will do it. Jack prides himself on 

 being a man of his word." 



