human
Couple of days,
gpt
Hear you been trailin' my herd, he said.
human
Locate 'em?
gpt
They're hobbled, and' waitin' for yore boys to drive 'em home. Wish you'd tell yore outfit an' th' others not to shoot at th' feller that heads for Kane's northeast corner tonight, but to cut loose at th' loopholes instead. I'm honin' to get back home, an' so I'm aimin' to bust up this little party tonight. To do that I got to get close.
human
That's plumb reckless, replied the trail-boss.
gpt
We got this all wrapped up now, an' it'll tie its own knots in a day or two. What's th' use of takin' a chance like that?
human
To show that bunch just who they throwed in jail! Somebody else might feel like tryin' it some day, an' I'm aimin' to make that 'some day' a long way off.
gpt
Can't say I'm blamin' you for that. Whereabouts did you leave th' herd?
human
Where nobody but me an' my friends, on this side of th' fence, knows about, answered Hopalong.
gpt
I'll tell you when I see you again--ain't got time now.