Jules Kolto, a happy smile on his face, took the place Roy had indicated. He had forgotten entirely about his wound, and with good reason. This was his sister—the girl he had stolen for—the girl he had traveled many weary, long miles for, only to have the money, for which he had sacrificed so much, taken from him and himself left to wander three days without food, until he had found Mr. Manley. This was the girl—here, sitting beside him! No wonder he held his head high, no wonder his eyes sparkled!
Gus, pulling his chair close to his wife, obeyed the instruction of the boss to “dive in.” But his eating ability was somewhat hampered by the fact that he used only one hand. The other was elsewhere engaged—as was his wife’s.
All these friends we shall meet again in the next volume, to be called “The X Bar X Boys on Big Bison Trail.”
Of course Teddy and Roy will be there—in fact, very much in evidence. But now watch them at the table, surrounded by the boys who had been their companions in many adventures. Teddy is holding up a drum-stick from which the meat has been cleanly picked and waving it around his head.
“As our friend Shakespeare said,” he exclaimed, “the world is a stage—an’ I’m glad I got a ring-side seat!”
“I’ve got,” came from Bug Eye. “The plural takes the possessive case.”
“Sink him! He’s got that Fishmobile of his on the brain, an’ he’s seein’ double!” Pop Burns called out. “Roy, you get him to race his Fishmobile against Star—an’ I’ll bet your bronc wins; hey?”
Roy looked around at him and grinned. Then he took a deep breath, reached for a chicken wing, and said:
“I’ll tell a maverick!”
THE END