“You' man?” inquired the Indian lad.
“Yes,” she said, “my man,” pride ringing in her voice.
“Huh! Him Big Chief?”
“Oh, no! Yes.” She corrected herself hastily. “Big Chief. Ranch, you know—Big Horn Ranch.”
“Huh!” He closed his eyes and sank back again upon the ground.
“You're faint with hunger, poor boy,” said Mandy. She hastily cut a large slice of bread, buttered it, laid upon it some bacon and handed it to him.
“Here, take this in the meantime,” she said. “I'll have your tea in a jiffy.”
The boy took the bread, and, faint though he was with hunger, sternly repressing all sign of haste, he ate it with grave deliberation.
In a few minutes more the tea was ready and Mandy brought him a cup.
“Good!” he said, drinking it slowly.