Lieutenant Withem made the party feel at home at once.
"Just in time to have chuck with us. You see we have our chuck wagon
here. Of course we don't carry it wherever we go. We usually have
some central point where we make headquarters. But we have to keep
changing these headquarters for reasons you understand."
All hands sat down to the evening meal after the men had washed up, in
most instances without removing their hats. This attracted the
attention of the fat boy.
"Say, do you fellows sleep in your hats as well as wash and eat in
them?" he demanded.
"Do you sleep in your skin?" retorted Dippy.
"Yes, unless it has been all skinned off from me. When I was fighting
Indians up in the Grand Canyon---"
"Chop it!" commanded a Ranger. "Men have been known to meet their death
for less in this country."
"Can't I say what I've got to say?" demanded the fat boy indignantly.
"Are you going to brag about yourself?" demanded Polly.
"I'm telling you, and---"
"Well, don't tell us. We don't want to have to take you out and tie
you to a tree. Say, will you get wise to the dude with the red
necktie?" scoffed the Ranger, pointing to Ned, who, in the place of the
bandanna handkerchief, had put on a flowing tie of brilliant red,
tying it about his neck, with the ends carelessly thrown over the left
shoulder.
"Don't you like it?" asked Ned, flushing.
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