"Why, hello! somebody here?" exclaimed Bart, feigning surprise and then
fright, and he made a movement as if to run for it.
"Don't you bolt," ordered Buck Tolliver, advancing--"come back here,
kid."
Bart slowly retraced his steps. Then he manifested new alarm as a second
figure stepped out from the brush.
Recalling what the Millville postmaster had told him, the young express
agent was quickly aware that this second individual was Buck's brother,
Hank.
Buck was the spokesman and leader. He came up near to Bart and looked
him over critically.
"What you doing here?" he demanded, with a suspicious frown.
"Nothing," said Bart, with a grin.
"Where do you come from?"
"Me--nowhere!" chuckled Bart, winking deliberately and then, walking
over to the horse, he fondled his long ears, with the remark: "If I had
a dandy rig like you've got here, I bet I'd go somewheres, though!"
"Where would you go?" inquired Buck Tolliver curiously.
"I'd go to California--that's the place to do something, and make a
name, and amount to something."
Bart's off-handed ingenuousness had completely disarmed the men. He
pretended to be busy petting the horse, but saw Buck Tolliver slip back
to his brother, and a few quick questions and answers passed between
them.
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