“Spare a few horses?” Mr. Trummer ejaculated. “What kind of a game is this, Bardwell?” “I’m sorry,” Mr. Manley muttered, and turned away. “I kind of thought--” “Spare a few _horses_! By cripes, you got nerve! An’ what about me? Think I’ll stay here? We’ll ride together, like we done before, Bardwell! You can have all the horses yuh want; but yuh got to take me with ’em! We’ll get them rustlers, an’ every one of yore cows! Spare a few _horses_! Huh! I’ll spare more than that! You hear me?” Mr. Manley grinned. He clapped his friend on the back, and then laughed. “For a minute yuh had me scared, Jake. But I might o’ known--I might o’ known. We ride together, then. Tell yore cook to throw some victuals together. Boys, I’m sure glad you showed up! We’ll clean up Denver Smith an’ his gang--an’ dry-clean ’em at that! Saddle what broncs Jake wants to give you, an’ we’ll eat an’ get!” CHAPTER XXI The Chase The meal was soon concluded, and Roy and Teddy told of their adventures on the river. Inwardly Mr. Manley was much concerned over their mishaps, but he only nodded and smiled. He wanted to let his boys know that he expected nothing less from them. At the same time his face flushed with a glow of pride when Roy told, modestly enough, of his fight with the eagle. He looked at the knife with which his son had slain the bird, and silently put the weapon in his pocket. By this the boy knew he was really affected by the story. The knife would remain a relic, a proof of his son’s bravery. With the exception of Roy, Pop was the only one who realized this. The others thought he had absent-mindedly put it in his own pocket instead of returning it to Roy. For a while Roy hesitated to tell his father of the payroll robbery and Teddy knew he was holding off purposely, so he said nothing. But when they were walking toward the corral, Roy decided it would be best for his father to know the whole story, even if it did add to his worry, so he told him. Mr. Manley took it silently, only shaking his head sorrowfully. The loss of the money affected him not so much as realizing that The Pup was a thief. He had never liked the man, but a horse-thief and payroll bandit--that was different from “plain orneriness.” “Guess I made a mistake in Marino,” he declared. “Got in the house an’ stole my four hundred, did he! Well, maybe it was partly my fault for lettin’ it lay around like that, so open. But none of the boys I ever had would steal a cent. Gus, now--” he stopped, and bit his lip. Gus was a topic that bothered him. “You don’t think Gus--” “No, Dad, Gus had nothing to do with it,” Teddy said positively. “I’m sure of that, Dad!”