WILD BILL VISITS US 



"Now, boys, I don't want you to go to any 

 trouble on my account, for I'm used to taking 

 things as they come, an' my horse is, too. I'm 

 afraid it'll be hard on your broncos to turn 'em 

 out in the cold." 



"Not a bit of it," replied Jack. "The weather's 

 not bad now, an' they're tough, anyway. You see, 

 we don't have the honor of entertainin' the Hon- 

 orable William Hickock, Esq., every day, an' we 

 want to treat him so well that he'll come again." 

 *Well, I'll sure do it," replied the scout; then 

 taking a look at our camp and surrounding 

 grounds, he added: "Boys, you've certainly 

 picked out an' built a good camp an' planned 

 everything handy for your winter's work. I 

 think I can see ol* Tom's handiwork all through 

 this layout." 



"You're right," said Jack; "if it wasn't for oV 

 Tom's brains I don't know what we'd do." 



Going into the stable again, Jack brought out 

 Black Prince to show him to Bill. 



"This is the horse that we captured from them 

 jayhawkers back t'other side of Council Grove," 

 he said as he led the black out for the scout's 

 inspection. 



"He's a fine-lookin' fellow, Jack. Is he any 

 good ? " 



"You bet. One of the best horses for all-'round 

 service I ever saw," replied the enthusiastic Irish- 

 man. 



177 



