Polly was still in doubt. Slim's actions were so strange. It was not like this big-hearted, brave Sheriff to accuse a man of stealing without being sure of his charges. Then Slim's accusing himself of lying was entirely at variance with his character. "I'm sorry," she said. "Please forgive me. It was all my fault. I didn't know that you--" Slim held up his hand to silence her. "Wouldn't you mind leavin' us together a bit," he requested. In answer to Polly's frightened glance, he continued: "There hain't goin' to be no trouble, only me an' him's got a little business to talk over. Ain't we, Bud? Eh?" Slim led Polly toward the corral, glancing at Bud over his shoulder with a reassuring smile. "Just you step out yonder a bit and wait," he said to Polly. "Now, you won't--" "Can't you trust me any more?" he asked sincerely. Grasping him by the hand, she looked him fairly and fearlessly in the eye, saying: "I do trust you. I trust you both." As the girl strode out of ear-shot, Slim, absent-mindedly, kept shaking the hand she had held. Awakening suddenly to the fact that his hand was empty, he looked at it curiously, and sighed. Turning quickly, he slapped his hat on his head, hitched up his chaps, and stepped up to Bud, who stood with a sneer on his lips. "So you're the man that Polly loves," he said. "She's a good girl, and she loves a thief." Bud turned on him fiercely, drawing his gun. "Take care!" he warned. "You won't shoot. If you meant to shoot, you'd 'a' done it long ago, when you pulled your gun," exclaimed Slim coolly. "I might do it now." Bud held his gun against Slim's breast. Slim threw up his hands to show he was not afraid of the boy. "Go ahead. Squeeze your hardware. I reckon I'm big enough to kill," he said. Then he took Bud's hand and gently slid the revolver back into the holster. The action broke down Bud's bravado. All barriers fell before the simple action. "It's all up with me," he said brokenly. Slim sympathized with the boy in his trouble. "Buck, he told me. Buck, he 'lowed you had your share of that money," he explained. The boy drew the money from his pocket and handed it to Slim, remarking: "Here it is--all of it, I never touched it--I was goin'--" Bud was about to lie again, but he realized the futility of more falsehoods. "Take it," he added. Slim counted the money and slipped it in his pocket. "Bud," he said to that young man. "Me an' you have been pretty good friends, we have. I learned you how to ride--to throw a rope, an' Bud--Bud--what did you take it for? I know you didn't murder Terrill for it, but what did you keep the money for?" He asked the question with anger and annoyance. Slim had seated himself by the fire. He spoke to the boy as he would to a comrade. "Can't you see?" the boy asked. "Polly. I wanted to make a home for her--and now she'll know me for what I am, a thief--a thief."