Buck returned his look with a sudden eagerness.
“You heard?” he asked sharply.
“I’ve heard—Mercy is back.”
Buck watched him turn away to continue his survey of the horses.
“So have you—I s’pose,” the older man went on a moment later, indicating the horses.
“Yep. Guess they’ll need to do a long journey soon. Mebbe—to-night.”
“Cæsar?” said the Padre.
“Both,” returned Buck, with an emphasis, the meaning of which could not well be missed.
The Padre’s eyes were smiling. He glanced round the tumbled-down old barn. They had contrived to house their horses very comfortably, and Buck kept them wonderfully cared for. These things appealed to him in a way that made him regret many things.
“Who’s riding—my plug?” the Padre asked deliberately.