“He came in shortly after dark,” Aunt Martha told her. “Jep was talking to him, outside. He left a note for you. He told Jep that he was going over to Lazette for a couple of weeks, my dear.”
Randerson saw Ruth’s frown. He also saw Aunt Martha looking intently through her glasses at the bruises on his face.
“Why, boy,” she exclaimed, “what has happened to you?”
Randerson reddened. It was going to be harder for him to lie to Aunt Martha than to Ruth. But Ruth saved him the trouble.
“Randerson was thrown twice, riding out to get me,” she explained.
“Throwed twice, eh?” said Uncle Jepson to Randerson, when a few minutes later he followed the range boss out on the porch. He grinned at Randerson suspiciously. “Throwed twice, eh?” he repeated. “Masten’s face looks like some one had danced a jig on it. Huh! I cal’late that if you was throwed twice, Masten’s horse must have drug him!”
“You ain’t tellin’ her!” suggested Randerson.
“You tell her anything you want to tell her, my boy,” whispered Uncle Jepson. “An’ if I don’t miss my reckonin’, she’ll listen to you, some day.”