“Go to it, Waring.”
His host waved him the freedom of the diningroom, and Ridgway fell to. Never before had food tasted so good. He had been too sleepy to eat last night, but now he made amends. The steak, the muffins, the coffee, were all beyond praise, and when he came to the buckwheat hot cakes, sandwiched with butter and drenched with real maple syrup, his satisfied soul rose up and called Hop Lee blessed. When he had finished, Sam capped the climax by shoving toward him his case of Havanas.
Ridgway’s eyes glistened. “I haven’t smoked for days,” he explained, and after the smoke had begun to rise, he added: “Ask what you will, even to the half of my kingdom, it’s yours.”
“Or half of the Consolidated’s,” amended his friend with twinkling eyes.
“Even so, Sam,” returned the other equably. “And now, tell me how you managed to round us all up safely.”
“You’ve heard, then, that we got the whole party in time?”
“Yes, I’ve been talking with one of your enthusiastic riders that went out with you after us. He’s been flimflammed into believing you the greatest man in the United States. Tell me how you do it.”
“Nick’s a good boy, but I reckon he didn’t tell you quite all that.”
“Didn’t he? You should have heard him reel off your praises by the yard. I got the whole story of how you headed the relief-party after you had reached the ranch more dead than alive.”
“Then, if you’ve got it, I don’t need to tell you. I WAS a bit worried about the old man. He was pretty far gone when we reached him, but he pulled through all right. He’s still sleeping like a top.”