While the simple preparations were being made she heard Charley’s exultant whoops and soon she rode with him toward the upper end of the small valley, listening to his worshiping chatter about his heroes. Now he had a new one, the man who could pull poker hands out of a fellow’s nose, eyes, and ears. "He’d ’a’ got that Hennery feller, too," he averred, "only you beat him out. Gee, Miss Saunders! Wish I’d ’a’ been there! I ain’t never shot nobody yet--but you just wait, that’s all! I heard Tex say he’d ’a’ shot up th’ whole d--d town if they’d tried to bother you--an’ Hoppy said he could ’a’ done it, _easy_! Hoppy knows, too. Why don’t you like Tex, Miss Saunders? I think he’s aces-up!" "Why, I do, Charley. Whatever made you ask me that?" "Well, if you do, Tex don’t think so," he grumbled. "You know that pile of rock, up on th’ hill where th’ Gunsight trail winds like a letter S?" She nodded. She could see it plainly from her window. "Well, I was layin’ up there, keepin’ watch for that Williams’ gang, an’ he never even reckoned anybody was near him!" he boasted. "Takes a good man to find me when I don’t want him to, I tell you. Injuns can’t, an’ they’re cussed cute, Hoppy says." "Who was it who didn’t see you?" "Tex," chuckled the boy. "He come walkin’ along like there wasn’t nobody around, an’ he sorta slammed hisself down on th’ rock next to th’ top one. You an’ Tommy an’ Jerry was ridin’ back from th’ main valley. We could just see you, me an’ him, only he didn’t know _I_ was there. After awhile we could see plain. Jerry rode off to look at somethin’, an kinda fell back, leavin’ you an’ Tommy goin’ on without him. I was watchin’ Tex, because he had a funny look on his face. He just looked steady, an’ when he saw you two ridin’ along together, he threw out his arms an’ said somethin’ about bein’ like Jerry. Somethin’ about falling back an’ seein’ you an’ Tommy ridin’ through life together--as if anybody would ride as long as that! Tell you what: These grown-ups say some cussed foolish things. There was tears in his eyes--him, a grown-up, gun-fightin’ son-of-a-gun! Huh! An’ they used to tease me when _I_ cried! What you think about that?" He looked eagerly at her for the answer and then snorted in frank disgust. "Cuss it--an’ yo’re snifflin’, too! I’ll be a son-of-a-gun!" "You mustn’t tell anyone about it, Charley!" she pleaded. "They won’t understand!"