He rubbed the hound’s ears and the animal whined with delight.
“Yuh better tie him up,” said Collins gravely. “I shore don’t want to get shot for stealin’ a dog.”
They went out in the patio, where Cultus drew on his chaps, put his cartridge belt around his waist and buckled on his spurs, while the dog fawned around him. Jane was standing in the doorway, and her father introduced them.
She thought he was the homeliest man she had ever seen, but his smile changed her opinion at once.
“Chongo acts as though he had known you before,” she said.
“Dogs,” said Cultus with a smile, “take folks at their face value. Luckily for me they don’t look for beauty standards.”
His smile was so infectious that Jane smiled with him.
“Beauty is only skin deep, you know,” she said.
“I must ’a’ got skinned early in life, ma’am,” he laughed. “Anyway, I’m pleased to have met all of you folks, and I thank yuh for a mighty good meal. Mebby I’ll see yuh again before I leave the valley.”
They watched him ride off down the road toward Medicine Tree, bobbing along on the little roan. Jim Kelton shook his head.