Rowdy knew from experience that it was useless trying to keep anything from
Pink that Pink wanted to know; besides, there was a certain comfort in
telling his troubles to so stanch a friend. "Harry got his work in there,
too," he said bitterly. "He beat me to her and queered me for good, by the
looks."

"Huh!" said Pink. "I wouldn't waste much time worrying over her, if she's
that easy turned."

"She's all right," defended Rowdy quickly. "I don't know as I blame her; she
takes the stand any sister would take. She wants to know all about the
trouble--hear both sides, she said, so she could judge which was to blame. I
guess she's got her heart set on being peacemaker. I know one thing:
she--likes me, all right."

"I don't see how he queered yuh any, then," puzzled Pink. "She sure couldn't
take his part after you'd told her all he done."

Rowdy turned on him savagely. "You little fool, do you think I told her?
Right there's the trouble. He told his story; and when she asked for mine, I
couldn't say anything. She's his sister."

"You--didn't--tell!" Pink leaned against the stable and stared. "Rowdy
Vaughan, there's times when even your friend can't disguise the fact that
yuh act plumb batty. Yuh let Harry do yuh dirt that any other man'd 'a'
killed him on bare suspicion uh doing; and yuh never told her when she asked
yuh to! How yuh lent him money, and let him steal some right out uh your
pocket--"

"I couldn't prove that," Rowdy objected.