It was on the second day thereafter that Gus Briskow appeared at
the hotel. He came unexpectedly, and he still wore his rough ranch
clothes. After an hour or more spent with his wife and daughter,
he went down to Gray's room and thanked him for the assistance he
had rendered the two women.

Followed a few moments of desultory conversation, then he put an
abrupt question: "Mr. Gray, you're a rich man, ain't you?"

"I--am so considered."

"Um-m! Dunno's I'm glad or sorry."

"Indeed! What difference can it make to you?"

"A lot. It's like this: my boy Buddy has took a turrible shine to
you, an' he can't talk about nothin' else. I was sort of hopin'--"

"Yes?"

"Buddy's ignerunt. He can read an' write an' figger some, but he's
got about the same company manners as a steer, an' he's skeered of
crowds. When he sees strangers he's liable to charge 'em or else
throw up his head an' his tail an' run plumb over a cliff. He'd
ought to go to school, but he says he's too big, an' he'd have to
set with a lot of little children. Him an' Allie's alike, that
way--it r'ars 'em up on their hind feet to be laughed at."

"Get a tutor for them."