important engagement that I ought to keep, you see. That’s why I couldn’t think of staying here.”
“Huh! seems to me it’s mighty funny you didn’t think of that same before you ever started out on the trail,” Billie grunted, eying the other half suspiciously; while to himself he was saying: “Wonder now what does ail the fellow? Ever since he set eyes on Mr. Comstock he acts different from what he did. Say, wonder if he could have done the gent an injury, and recognized him when he came here? I reckon I had ought to keep an eye on Mister Thomas; who knows what he might be up to? But I won’t let him know he’s under suspicion. I’ll just pretend to let it pass along, and watch him out of the corner of my left optic.”
Following out this policy Billie engaged the other in conversation. If he expected that the said Mr. Thomas would let fall any sort of hint that would tell him why he had really changed his mind so suddenly, Billie must have been disappointed, for the other made no mention of his own affairs, seeming to be more interested in the possibility of trouble, should the dreaded Walkers come down upon Bar-S Ranch, meaning to take by open force what they had failed to secure through the stampede.
“If they do tackle your crowd there’s apt to be a fight on, I take it,” he remarked, “and more’n likely now somebody might get hurt. Guess it was the worst thing I ever set out to do when that notion of
getting a job at the Bar-S popped into my silly head. Jumpin’ right out of the frying-pan into the fire, so to speak. But how’d I ever dream I’d run acrost—but I was going to say that when it comes time to feed p’raps you’ll remember I’m out here in the bunk house, and fetch me just a few bites. I’m half sick, and my leg hurts like anything, which is why I hadn’t ought to go in, to eat with the rest. But I just know I’ll feed worse if I ain’t had a few bites. You won’t forget, will you, Mister Billie?”
Of course the fat boy promised to remember; but he thought it more than suspicious that Thomas made such a silly excuse for keeping away from the rest. He hugged the idea to his heart that the man had another reason, and a good one too, for avoiding Uncle Fred; because, you see Billie did not know that they had already met, and been “introduced” by Adrian, with no unpleasant discovery and explosion as a result.
Being very frank himself it was just like Billie to say something along these lines to the other, which he did in this way:
“Strikes me, Mr. Thomas, that you don’t hanker much about striking up an acquaintance with Adrian’s Uncle Fred. I only hope now that you haven’t done anything to injure him in the past.”
At that the man looked carefully about him, and then coming up to Billie laid a hand confidentially on his arm, as he went on to say softly:
“I understand what you’re thinking about, sir, and I hasten to assure you that your suspicions are all unfounded. I never injured Mr. Comstock, and I sure didn’t rob him of anything in all my life. Fact is, the boot is on the other leg, if you come right down to hard facts. But I’m not complaining, not one whit. He’s as welcome as the daylight. Let’s talk of other things, my young friend. And please turn that repeating gun the other way. It makes me nervous to see it pointing right at me. There, that’s better; but I think I’d better go in and lie down, I’m feeling that bad.”