“Why, cert’in; ain’t I said so?”
“And Bruce?”
“Yes; we’ll look fer him, too. I see you don’t understand my position?”
“No, I don’t,” she confessed frankly.
“Well, as I said, I was friendly toward you from the first, but couldn’t do anything because of the other boys. I had to seem rough to ye, on account of that.”
“You were the boss—the leader?”
“No, you’re mistaken; Toby Sam was the real boss.” He held out the meat.
“Eat it, and you’ll feel better; and when we go on you’ll be in better shape to do the ridin’ we’ve got to do if we strike them friends of yours, if they’re livin’.”
She took the meat, and began to eat it.
“That’s right,” said he, smiling encouragement. “Now, as I said, I couldn’t do anything so long as t’others was with me. But sense I’m alone I can do as I please. You’ll find I’m not sich a bad man as you’ve prob’bly been thinkin’.”