Selden's craggy brows came down, and the scrutiny that he gave the young man was not without an element of admiration. No anger showed in his voice as he said:
"Just so! Just so! I wanted to tell ye that I been down to the recorder's office and up to see Nancy Fleet, my wife's sister. Seems that you're right about this prop'ty standin' in your name an' all; but I thought, so long's we was ridin' along this way, I'd drop off an' have a word with ye."
"I'm waiting to hear it."
"No use gettin' riled, now, because—"
"If you had accepted my hand you'd not find me adopting the tone that I have."
"Just so!" Selden drawled. "Well, then, I'll accept her now—if I ain't too bold."
"You will not," clicked Oliver. "Will you please state your business and ride on?"
"Friendly cuss, ain't he, Dad?" remarked one of the Selden boys—which one Oliver did not know.
"You close yer face!" admonished Selden smoothly, in his deep bass. "Well, Mr. Drew, if ye want to stay here an' starve to death, that's none o' my concern. And if ye got money to live on comin' from somewheres else, that's none o' my concern either. But when ye stop the run o' water from a spring that I'm dependin' on to water my critters in dry months, it is my concern—an' that's why I dropped off for a word with ye."
"How do you know I have done that?" Oliver asked.