Mr. Comstock was small, but he had a fierce look, with his white mustache and goatee, and bold features; only when his wife spoke was he ever known to tremble and throw out the white flag of surrender.
“Here, what’s all this mean?” he called out, sternly, as he came up. “Who brought these cattle back again? I want to thank him for it, no matter who says I hadn’t ought to,” with a quick, nervous glance behind him, though just at the moment the advancing figure of the woman was concealed by a group of interested cow-punchers.
And as he kept on advancing toward those who were seated in their saddles, the manager of the Bar-S Ranch suddenly looked into the face of Adrian Sherwood!
[CHAPTER XVI.—A THREATENING STORM.]
The fierce looking small man with the shock of white hair, and the air of a Buffalo Bill, stood there as though riveted to the spot, and stared at the smiling face of Adrian.
As a result of figuring things out the boy had come to the conclusion that his relative must be a victim of circumstances, and too much wife; therefore he was in a frame of mind not to judge him too harshly until he could get a grasp on the real situation.
And that was one reason why he smiled, and extended his hand. Besides, he had not forgotten
that in times past he had been very fond of his mother’s only brother; and that indeed once the other had actually saved his life, when a crazed broncho had attacked the small lad in the corral, and would likely have trampled him underfoot only for the coming of Uncle Fred, who had seized upon the beast with his bare hands, and wrestled with him, until a puncher arrived and shot the animal dead.
“Hello! Uncle Fred! How are you?” called out Adrian, cheerily. “I just happened along in time to take back some of your stock that the rustlers had stampeded. You’re glad to see me, of course you are, even if the surprise is so great that you haven’t found a chance to say so yet.”
Then Uncle Fred beamed upon him, and rushing forward seized the outstretched hand eagerly. For the moment all else was forgotten save that he saw his nephew in the flesh before him, and the old affection again assumed sway.