CHAPTER IV 

 BACK TO THE BUFFALO RANGE 



A S we started back up-town Bill exclaimed 

 -^ ^ gleefully: 



*'Well, boys, what do you think? When I 

 offered them fellows the money you paid me for 

 the outfit they would not take a dollar of it, but 

 told me to keep it for an advance payment — a 

 sort of retaining fee — for my services next sea- 

 son. They're coming out again next spring with 

 a bigger party and made me promise to meet 

 them here and go with them." 



After Bill left us Tom said: "Bill never did 

 know the value of money. He could just as well 

 as not have had the whole outfit that he sold us 

 or, if he didn't want to keep it, could have sold 

 it for twice what we paid him for it. But he's a 

 free-hearted, generous fellow and never thought 

 of it. He's brave as a lion; never was known to 

 do a mean or cowardly trick; a dead shot. I am 

 afraid, though, that he will die with his boots on, 

 and die young, too." 



When we got back to the stable we found Jim 

 Brown, the proprietor, there, and Tom told him 

 that we had bought the wagon, mules, broncos, 

 and so forth, and would pay his charges before 



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