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Page 103
"Wouldn't you mind leavin' us together a bit," he requested. In
answer to Polly's frightened glance, he continued: "There hain't
goin' to be no trouble, only me an' him's got a little business
to talk over. Ain't we, Bud? Eh?"
Slim led Polly toward the corral, glancing at Bud over his
shoulder with a reassuring smile. "Just you step out yonder a
bit and wait," he said to Polly.
"Now, you won't--"
"Can't you trust me any more?" he asked sincerely.
Grasping him by the hand, she looked him fairly and fearlessly in
the eye, saying: "I do trust you. I trust you both."
As the girl strode out of ear-shot, Slim, absent-mindedly, kept
shaking the hand she had held. Awakening suddenly to the fact
that his hand was empty, he looked at it curiously, and sighed.
Turning quickly, he slapped his hat on his head, hitched up his
chaps, and stepped up to Bud, who stood with a sneer on his lips.
"So you're the man that Polly loves," he said. "She's a good
girl, and she loves a thief."
Bud turned on him fiercely, drawing his gun. "Take care!" he
warned.
"You won't shoot. If you meant to shoot, you'd 'a' done it long
ago, when you pulled your gun," exclaimed Slim coolly.
"I might do it now." Bud held his gun against Slim's breast.
Slim threw up his hands to show he was not afraid of the boy.
"Go ahead. Squeeze your hardware. I reckon I'm big enough to
kill," he said.
Then he took Bud's hand and gently slid the revolver back into
the holster. The action broke down Bud's bravado. All barriers
fell before the simple action.
"It's all up with me," he said brokenly.
Slim sympathized with the boy in his trouble.
"Buck, he told me. Buck, he 'lowed you had your share of that
money," he explained.
The boy drew the money from his pocket and handed it to Slim,
remarking: "Here it is--all of it, I never touched it--I was
goin'--" Bud was about to lie again, but he realized the futility
of more falsehoods. "Take it," he added.
Slim counted the money and slipped it in his pocket.
"Bud," he said to that young man. "Me an' you have been pretty
good friends, we have. I learned you how to ride--to throw a
rope, an' Bud--Bud--what did you take it for? I know you didn't
murder Terrill for it, but what did you keep the money for?" He
asked the question with anger and annoyance.
Slim had seated himself by the fire. He spoke to the boy as he
would to a comrade.
"Can't you see?" the boy asked. "Polly. I wanted to make a home
for her--and now she'll know me for what I am, a thief--a thief."
Bud buried his face in his hands, the tears trickling through his
fingers, although he fought strongly against showing his
weakness.
Slim rose and stepped to his side, laying his hand on the boy's
shoulder. "Mebbe she won't have to know. Buck, he's dead, and
only you and I know."
Bud looked at the speaker in amazement. A lovable smile crept
over Slim's face. "I'm goin'," he said, "to slip you a new deck,
an' give you a fresh deal. That was part my money that was
stole. I never came back at the county fer it. Buck, he's paid
half. I'll let 'em all think it was the whole. I'll put in a
thousan' I have at home, that I was savin' to buy in with the
Triangle B, in case I don't git elected nex' time. So, Bud, I'm
going to lend a thousan' o' this to you, just to give you a
chance at that little home."
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