"
Endicott laughed: "When I learned there was such a place as Timber
City, I intended to leave her there and return alone--only I was not
going to wait 'til morning to do it. But she wouldn't hear of it, so
we compromised--and she came with me."
Tex smiled: "It's a great thing to learn how to compromise." He stared
for a few moments toward the west, where the setting sun left the sky
ablaze with fiery light. Then, still smiling, he advanced toward them
with both hands extended: "I wish you luck," he said, softly. "I cared
for you a mighty lot, Miss Alice, but I'm a good loser. I reckon,
maybe it's better things worked out the way they did." Endicott
pressed the outstretched hand with a mighty grip and turned swiftly
away to fumble at his latigo strap. And there were tears in the girl's
eyes as her fingers lingered for a moment in the Texan's grasp: "Oh,
I--I'm sorry. I----"
"You don't need to be," the man whispered. "You chose the best of the
two." He indicated Endicott with a slight jerk of the head. "You've
got a real man there--an' they're oncommon hard to find. An' now, if
you've got some grub along suppose we tie into it. I'm hungry enough
to gnaw horn!"
As Alice proceeded to set out the food, the Texan's eyes for the first
time strayed to the horses.
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