“I could hear ’em half way to Tolopah.”  “Then tell them we’ll start.  At what time do you think Pete will reach the pool?”

“About midnight.”

“Good.  Be ready to move by ten o’clock.”

“And tell my outfit to make less noise,” added Mr. Snider.

Until they could hear the other cowboys greeting Nails the two men were silent, and then Mr. Wilder declared: 

“I had no idea Megget had twenty men with him.  It’s a good thing we found out.

“Let’s see, there are nine of you from the Three Stars; nine of my boys and myself.  That makes nineteen.”

“And the four of us, that makes twenty-three,” added Horace, deeming the moment auspicious for settling the question that was uppermost in the minds of all the lads.

“Your arithmetic is better than your facts,” laughed his father.

“Oh, can’t we go, please?  If Megget should see Larry and Tom, he might run and——­”

“On the contrary, I’m afraid he might try to wipe out the disgrace they put upon him.  No, my son, it’s going to be a hard trip.  If you were along I should be worrying about you all the time.  Besides,” he added, noting the keen disappointment his refusal brought, “I shall need you here so you can ride down to the pool every day and see that the cattle and horses are all right.”

“That’s well enough for the others.  They would be in the way, but I wouldn’t,” protested Bill.  “I’m old enough and strong enough to go, and the experience would do me good.  If you take it, it will make just twenty on both sides.”

“What do you think, Jim, shall we take Bill or not?”

As the boys awaited the answer of their friend, it was so still the fall of a pin could have been heard.

But their suspense did not last long.

With a drawl that was tantalizingly deliberate the owner of the Three Stars Ranch replied: 

“I reckon we might as well.  Bill’s got a level head on his shoulders, and some day he’ll be boss of the Half-Moon.  If anything like this happens then he’ll know how to act.  Yes, I think we’d better take him.”

Aware that it would be useless to try to persuade Mr. Wilder to change his mind in respect to taking them, Tom, Larry and Horace made the most of the fact that they were to inspect the herd daily.  But it was poor recompense, and in a few minutes they went on to see how near Ned was ready to start, stopping to sample Hop Joy’s cooking on the way.

“You goee?” asked the Chinaman as the trio entered his kitchen.

“Going to eat,” grinned Horace, helping himself to a doughnut and just managing to dodge a potato that Hop Joy tossed at him.

“Shoo! shoo!  Lun out!  Me bigee hully.  No plague! no plague!”

“Poor fellow!  It must be some job to get enough food ready for twelve men.  Come on, let’s leave him alone,” said Larry.  “I’d like to go down to the bunk-house.”