The compliment pleased Benson, and he smiled.
“I got away, as I said; then I met you.”
“Jest so. Well, I heard a rumble and noise in the trail, and saw the stage down there, with the horses snarled. Looked like nobody was in it, er that they was all dead; so I slid down to investigate. When I poked my nose in at the stage door thar was a woman layin’ on the cushions. I reckon she thought I was the devil, fer which I ain’t blamin’ her; I never did count much with women, ner in a beauty show. She let out a yell, jumped out of the stage, and fair flew; and she come in this direction.
“About that time I thought I heard men frum the cañon, and I kited; fer I didn’t want to meet ’em. I run over in this direction, and then I heard you. Thinkin’ it was maybe somebody that had follered me, I got behind that bush. It was my intention, if the man was alone, as I thought, to hold him up and rob him. But it was you.”
“So we understand each other.”
“Yes; now we understand each other.”
“Got any plans now?”
“I told you I was goin’ into the town, then to the Utes.”
“Better keep out of the town right now. As for the Utes, I want to talk with you about them.”