"He's been botherin' her likely, the skunk! You'd ought to crawl his hump first chance yuh get." "Maybe I will." "Looky here. I ain't quite through. What did you'n her fight about?" "Nothin', ma'am. Honest. I'm there in bed, an' all of a sudden she busts out cryin' an' says she loves me, an' then she goes into the kitchen an' pretty soon she goes out--an' she never does come back. Then in comes Mis' Mace an' she acts mighty unpleasant, an' Dorothy acts the same, an' I believe I'd ruther been at the hotel, considerin'." "I s'pose yuh just lay there like a bump on a log after Kate told yuh she loved yuh." "Well, ma'am, I--I--what could I do, ma'am? I couldn't get up." "Yuh might 'a' spoken." "I couldn't think o' nothin' to say, ma'am," pleaded Loudon. "Well, yuh poor tongue-tied galoot! Yuh don't deserve no luck, yuh don't! Well, I've said my say. I've done all I could. Yuh got to do the rest yore own self. But if yuh don't go an' do it like a man, then I'm disappointed in yuh." "Did Kate tell Mis' Mace an' yore daughter what she told you?" "No, she didn't. She only told me." "Then they took an awful lot for granted. They acted like Kate an' me was in love with each other." "Well, my land! They could see Kate cared for yuh. Anybody with half an eye could see that. Naturally they didn't s'pose yuh was actin' like a complete idjit. What yuh goin' to do?" "I dunno." "Yuh dunno! Yuh dunno! An' Kate all but goes on her knees to tell yuh how sorry she is for what she done! Not only that, but she says she loves yuh besides! An' all yuh can say is yuh dunno. My land! I can't say what I think o' yuh." "But I dunno, I tell yuh, Mis' Burr. I wish I'd stayed in Fort Creek County. This here town o' Paradise Bend is shore a hot-house o' matchmakers. First Scotty--then you--then Mis' Mace. Fine lot o' Cupids, you are. Can't let a fellah alone. Any one would think I couldn't manage my own affairs." "Yuh can't. In a case like this yuh need help." "I'm gettin' it." "Which I hope it does yuh some good. Now I ain't a-goin' to say another word. I've told yuh just exactly what yuh needed to be told. Do what yuh think best. How's the ankle gettin' along?" "Can't bear my full weight on it yet." "No, nor yuh won't for a few days. In a week yuh can go out to the ranch if yuh like. Scotty wants to see yuh but he said special yuh wasn't to think o' comin' till yuh was all right. Oh, shore, yuh'd like to lope right off an' have the ankle go back on yuh an' be no good at all while the rest o' the boys are out in the hills. Don't worry, I'll tend to yore interests--an' Scotty's. I'll see that yuh don't go." "I wasn't thinkin' o' goin', ma'am," hastily disclaimed Loudon. "Are Telescope an' the outfit havin' any luck?"