what was mine was his, and a man has a right to take his own wherever he
finds it."

"But the gal?" asked a chorus of voices.

"That girl wasn't in any way bound to me, and you can't expect a pretty
creature like her to care for such a beauty as I am, when there's a
fellow like Handsome Harry around. It don't stand to reason."

"Come, fellows," said Poker Bill, "if Bob's satisfied I reckon we ought
to be. Time to get into our biled shirts for the house warmin', anyway."

"Sorry to disappoint you, boys, but there won't be a house warming. I
built it for them and they're gone. It'll stay locked till they come
again. This old cabin is good enough for me."

So they left him. Bob relit his pipe and settled back on his bench. Once
he roused a moment to mutter. "But they'd ought to know me better. They
needn't have run away from their best friend."

Soon after dark a pinto paced home through the quiet, mourning camp with
a very weary bulldog at her heels. Beckey slid from her side saddle and
crept to Bob's open door. By the light of a full moon she could see the
big lax figure in an attitude of utter despair.

"Bob!"

"You! Girl, I thought you'd gone."

"I went because - because I thought you'd come after me. I'd tried