It all but frightened Carolyn June and the widow.
Old Heck saw the worship in the eyes of the cowboys.
"Things sure are in a devil of a mix-up!" he growled to himself.
Skinny was so dejected Carolyn June felt half-guilty and tried to cheer him up. She began talking, in a low voice, directly to the melancholy-looking cowboy.
"To-day—or some time—when the others are away," she said caressingly, "you and I will dance all the dances by ourselves!"
His heart leaped joyously. He was sorry, now, that he had not put on the white shirt. He resolved, after a while, to sneak out to the bunk-house and change.
The confidential talk between Carolyn June and Skinny galled Chuck. He decided to break it up.
"What was your idea in riding the Gold Dust maverick last night?" he said abruptly to the Ramblin' Kid.
There was a general pause for the answer. Carolyn June stopped in the middle of a sentence and looked curiously at the Ramblin' Kid. He took his time to reply.
"Because I wanted to!" was the slow unsatisfactory retort.