“. . . for me!”

But while Trinidad and Sonora were going out through one door the Deputy was entering through another.  He was greatly agitated and carried in his hand the letter which The Pony Express had entrusted to his keeping for Ashby.

“Why, Ashby’s skipped!” he announced uneasily.  “Got off just after three this morning—­posse and all.”

A question was in Nick’s eyes as he turned upon the speaker with the interjection: 

“What!” And then as the Deputy made a dash for the bar-room, he added with a swift change of manner:  “Help yourself, Dep.”

But if Nick was slow to realise the situation, not so the Sheriff, who instantly awoke to the fact that the Wells Fargo Agent was on Johnson’s trail.  His lips drew quickly back in a half-grin.

“Ashby’s after Johnson,” presently he said with a savage little laugh.  “Nick, he was watchin’ that greaser . . .  Took him ten minutes to saddle up—­Johnson has ten minutes’ start”—­He broke off abruptly and ended impatiently with:  “Oh, Lord, they’ll never get him!  He’s a wonder on the road—­you’ve got to take your hat off to the damn cuss!” And with a dig at the other’s ribs that was half-playful, half-serious, he was off in pursuit of Ashby.

A moment later the miners began to pile in for school, whooping and yelling, their feet covered with snow.  Sonora led with an armful of wood, which he deposited on the floor beside the stove; then came Handsome Charlie and Happy Halliday, together with Old Steady and Bill Crow, who immediately dropped on all fours and began to play leap-frog.

“Boys gatherin’ for school,” observed Trinidad, hurriedly opening the door; and while the men proceeded to flock in, he got into his jacket which lay on a chair beside the teacher’s desk.

“Here, Trin, here’s the book!” cried out Happy Halliday; and the book, which was securely tied in a red cotton handkerchief, went flying through the air.

In those few words the signal was given; the fun was on in earnest.  Instantly the miners—­veritable school-boys they were, so genuine was their merriment—­braced themselves for a catch of the book, which had landed safely in Trinidad’s hands.  Now it was aimed at Sonora, who caught it on the fly; from Sonora it travelled to Old Steady, who sent it whizzing over to Handsome.  Now the Deputy made ready to receive it; but instead it landed once more in Sonora’s hands amidst cheers of “Come on, Sonora!  Whoopee!  Whoop!”

“Sh-sh-sh, boys!” warned the Deputy as Sonora was about to send the book on another expedition through the air; “here comes the noo scholar from Watson’s.”

An ominous hush fell upon the room.  One could have heard a pin drop as the school settled itself down with anticipatory grins that said, “What won’t we do to Bucking Billy!” Therefore, there was not an eye that was not upon the new pupil when with dinner-pail swinging on one arm and the other holding tightly onto a small slate, he slowly advanced towards them.