"Did you expect me to make that grand-stand play on the parada a claim on yore kindness? I didn't do a thing for you that day any man wouldn't have done. I happened to be the lucky fellow that got the chance. That's all. Come to that, it was up to you to do the recognizing if any was done. I had it worked out that you didn't know me, but once or twice from things you said I almost thought you did."
"I meant to tell you sometime, but—well, I wanted to see how long you could keep from telling me. Now you've done it again."
"I'd like to ride with you the rest of yore life," he said unexpectedly.
They trembled on the edge of self-revelation. It was the girl who rescued them from the expression of their emotions.
"I'll speak to Clary about it. Maybe he'll take you on as a groom," she said with surface lightness.
As soon as they reached home Beatrice led the way into the library. Bromfield was sitting there with her father. They were talking over plans for the annual election of officers of the Bird Cage Mining Company. Whitford was the largest stockholder and Bromfield owned the next biggest block. They controlled it between them.
"Dad, Rob Roy bolted and Mr. Lindsay stopped him before I was thrown."
Whitford rose, the color ebbing from his cheeks. "I've always told you that brute was dangerous. I'll offer him for sale to-day."
"And I've discovered that we know the man who saved me from the wild steer in Arizona. It was Mr. Lindsay."
"Lindsay!" Whitford turned to him. "Is that right?"