“You want to get away from here, of course!” Bill said, when they were all on deck, Bob, the Colon pilot, and Andy, the engineer, watching in the background, much interested.
“Nobody——” began Jack.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Mr. Gray stated quietly. “You might find somebody who would help you along. Certainly, in such a case, you want to——”
“Indeed, I do!” declared Jack—and the voluntary change from indecision to assertion showed that the experiment was succeeding.
“Then I’ll see that you get to my ranch, in Colorado,” Bill said, and they all showed some surprise at the sudden movement Jack made.
“Colorado!” he almost yelled. “I was there once—a long time—I can’t remember—it was before I got down and out——”
“You’ll remember it all when you see Colorado, with its ranges and its painted rocks and its wonderful, soft sunshine, and its fine people,” Mr. Gray broke in, quickly taking advantage of this recollection, and using it to stimulate memories. “When you get there you will remember some of your old friends and you will find a lot to enjoy!”
Jack nodded, and his face took on a reflective look. Bill, and the chums, watching Mr. Gray as well as Jack, saw a slight shake of the scholar’s head and decided not to interrupt the flow of old Jack’s thought. They wanted Jack to think of the past.
Finally he asked Bill several questions about old range locations and Bill answered as well as he could, about a rather strange, and to him unfamiliar, part of the state.
Then, gently, by suggesting ideas to Jack, Mr. Gray got him to tell some incidents of range life that he recollected, and then went on from that, letting Jack talk as much as he would, to get from him the story of the past. It seemed to become even more clear as he talked.