have charge o' the race are wise, all right. It looks as though I was
goin' to be out fifty hard-earned dollars, but it will keep the rest o'
yuh boys from losin' any o' your money, anyhow."

"Seems t' me it's up to us t' give this here shell game away," remarked
Buck; "it riles me plumb fierce t' think of anybody puttin' over a game
like that an' gettin' away with it."

"The best thing to do, I should think," remarked Bert, "would be to let
this Summers, or Johnson, or whatever his name is, run, and get somebody
to beat him. That would be doing things artistically, as you might say."

"What do yuh mean?" queried Sandy, speaking for his surprised companions,
"yuh think we ought t' get a 'ringer' on our own account to beat this
professional sharp?"

"Not at all," said Bert with a grin. "I don't want to seem to boast, but
I've done a little running myself at times, and I think if I entered
against this 'profesh' I might be able to give him a run for his money."

The cowboys looked somewhat incredulous, and Chip said, "I seen this
feller run, m' lad, and he sure is fast, I got to admit that much. Have
yuh ever done much runnin'?"

"Quite some," replied Bert with a curious little smile. "The next time
you talk to Trent or Henderson ask them about it, if you don't believe
me."

He strolled off, and after he had gone the men held a consultation. Chip
was openly skeptical regarding Bert's offer to run. "He's a fine lad an'