Uncle Bill drew his team to a halt by the kitchen door. A saddled horse stood there—a Seventy Seven mare. Rock got out of the buggy. Perhaps he had disposed of one enemy only to encounter another. He did not want a feud with Elmer Duffy. But who could fathom another man’s moods and tenses? And Rock was not organized for war. Still, a man must do the best he could, always.
“I’ll drive this team down to the barn and tie ’em to the fence,” Uncle Bill said. “I don’t see no ranch hands around to take hold of ’em.”
“What do you think this is? A livery stable?” Rock scoffed. Uncle Bill grinned amiably and drove on.
Rock stood, uncertain. He suspected that was Elmer’s mount, and he hadn’t come there to exchange either civilities or animosities with Elmer. He was tempted to go on to the porch and the bunk house. He could hear voices in the kitchen. But he was instinctively direct. He hated subterfuge. If Elmer Duffy was there, what did it matter? He granted the man common sense equal to his own.
He stepped, hobbled rather, to the kitchen door, for he had a very sore leg, where Buck Walters’ frenzied horse had fallen across him. A stray bullet had furrowed a streak under one armpit. He had been fortunate, but these minor injuries crippled him and made his step uncertain. His actions were slow.
As once before he had approached Elmer Duffy unseen, from the rear, so it happened now. Elmer was talking. Rock didn’t catch the words—had no wish to—but the note in his voice was pleading. And Nona’s expression was of annoyance, even of worry. But her eyes lit up at sight of Rock. And that swift change on her face warned Duffy. He swung on his heel, just as Rock called: “Hello, people.”
A scowl formed on Duffy’s homely, angular face. He didn’t speak. His countenance spoke for him. A storm gathered in that look, Rock felt. What he could, he did, to ward that off.
“Like the cat, I came back,” he said easily. “Somewhat the worse for wear. Say, Elmer, you should have been in on the big doings up in the Sweet Grass with us. Did it ever strike you that Buck Walters was making some queer moves around here lately?”
Duffy looked puzzled. After a moment he asked briefly:
“How?”