Betty's attitude toward him during the noon meal puzzled him much.
Some subtle change had come over her. Several times he surprised her
looking at him, and at these times he was certain there was approval in
her glances, though perhaps the approval was mingled with something
else--speculation, he thought.
But whatever it was, he had not seen it before. Had he known that Dade
had told her about the incident of the Red Dog Saloon he would have
understood, for she was wondering--as Dade had wondered--why he had
pretended to make friends with Taggart, why he had asked the Arrow man
to visit the Lazy Y that afternoon.
After dinner Calumet went out again to his work, apparently carefree
and unconcerned, if we are to omit those thoughts in which Dade and
Betty figured, Dade watched him with much curiosity, for the incident
of the day before was still vivid in his mind, and if there had been.
mystery in Calumet's action in inviting Taggart to the Lazy Y there had
been no mystery in the words he had spoken outside the Red Dog Saloon
immediately afterward: "It's my game, do you hear?"
But along toward the middle of the afternoon Dade became so interested
that he forgot all about Taggart, and was only reminded of him when
looking up momentarily he saw Calumet sitting on a pile of timber near
the ranchhouse, leaning lazily forward, his elbows resting on his
knees, his chin on his hands, gazing speculatively into the afternoon
haze.
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