"Must be purty good shot now?"
"I hain't shot a pistol off fer four year," said the lad again shortly, and Steve stared.
"Whut devilmint are you in up here now?" asked Jason calmly and with no apparent notice of the start Steve gave.
"Who's been a-tellin' you lies about me?" asked Steve with angry suspicion.
"I hain't heerd a word," said Jason coolly. "I bet you burned that toll-gate the morning I left here. Thar's devilmint goin' on everywhar, an' if there's any around you I know you can't keep out o' it."
Steve laughed with relief.
"You can't git away with devilmint here like you can in the mountains, an' I'm 'tendin' to my own business."
Jason made no comment and Steve went on:
"I've paid fer this hoss an' buggy an' I got things hung up at home an' a leetle money in the bank, an' yo' ma says she wouldn't go back to the mountains fer nothin'."
"How's Mavis?" asked Jason abruptly.