She shut her teeth on a little wave of emotion. Then, "I'm awful sorry for him," she said.
He nodded appreciation of her feeling. "I know, but you don't need to worry any. He'll not worry about himself. He's sufficient, and he'll get along."
They put their horses to the trail again.
Crawford met them some miles nearer town. He had been unable to wait for their arrival. Neither he nor the children could restrain their emotion at sight of each other. Dave felt they might like to be alone and he left the party, to ride across to the tendejon with Bonita's bulldog revolver.
That young woman met him in front of the house. She was eager for news.
Sanders told her what had taken place. They spoke in her tongue.
"And Juan—is it all right about him?" she asked.
"Juan has wiped the slate clean. Mr. Crawford wants to know when Bonita is to be married. He has a wedding present for her."
She was all happy smiles when he left her.
Late that afternoon Bob Hart reached town. He and Dave were alone in the Jackpot offices when the latter forced himself to open a subject that had always been closed between them. Sanders came to it reluctantly. No man had ever found a truer friend than he in Bob Hart. The thing he was going to do seemed almost like a stab in the back.
"How about you and Joyce, Bob?" he asked abruptly.