noon
Hoddy looked at me for a long ten seconds . His expression started by being exasperated and ended by betraying grudging admiration . The next morning , which was Saturday , I put Thrombley in charge of the routine work of the Embassy , but first instructed him to answer all inquiries about me with the statement , literally true , that I was too immersed in work of clearing up matters left unfinished after the death of the former Ambassador for any social activities . Then I called the Hickock ranch in the west end of Sam Houston Continent , mentioning an invitation the Colonel and his daughter had extended me , and told them I would be out to see them before noon that same day . With Hoddy Ringo driving the car , I arrived about 1000 , and was welcomed by Gail and her father , who had flown out the evening before , after the barbecue . Hoddy , accompanied by a Ranger and one of Hickock 's ranch hands , all three disguised in shabby and grease-stained cast-offs borrowed at the ranch , and driving a dilapidated aircar from the ranch junkyard , were sent to visit the slum village of Bonneyville . They spent all day there , posing as a trio of range tramps out of favor with the law .