ther advance. That
warning premonition had not been a footless thing, after all, for this
self-certain, vaguely amused person who stood steadily contemplating
him was not the Denny Bolton he had known twenty-four hours
before--not from any angle or viewpoint.

Behind the simulated cheer of his greeting there was something else
which Old Jerry found disturbingly new and hard to place. In his
perplexity the wordless accusation that morning had been correct at
that. And Young Denny was smiling widely at him now--smiling openly.
The old man shuffled his feet and shifted his gaze from the open wound
upon the boy's face as though he feared his suspicion might be read in
his eyes. Then he answered Denny's question.

"I--I cal'late I be late--maybe a little," he admitted.

Denny nodded briskly.

"More than a little," he corrected. "I expected you to be along even
earlier today! An hour or two, at least."

Even while he was speaking Young Denny turned back to the packing of
the big bag on the table. Old Jerry stood there, still shifting from
one foot to the other, considering in growing wonder that silent
preparation, and waiting patiently for a further explanation of what
it meant. At last, when he could no longer endure the suspense, he
broke that silence himself.

"Packin' up for a little trip, be you?" he ventured mildly.

There was no progress made or satisfaction gained from Young Denny's
short nod. Again the little man bore it as long as he was able.

"Figurin' on bein' gone quite a spell?" he ventured again.

And again the big-shouldered figure nodded a silent affirmative. Old
Jerry drew himself up with an air of injured dignity at that
inhospitable slight; he even took one step backward toward the door;
but that one step, in the face of his consuming curiosity, was as far
as he could force himself to go.

"I--I kinda thought you might be leavin'. Why, I--kinda suspicioned it
this morning when I seen you ridin' townward with the Jedge."

The boy stuffed the last article into the bulging bag and turned. Old
Jerry almost believed that the lack of comprehension in Young Denny's
eyes was real until he caught again that hint of amusement behind it.
But when Denny started toward him suddenly, without so much as a word,
the old man retreated just as suddenly, almost apprehensively, before
him.

"You say you was expectin' me," he faltered unsteadily, "but--but if
there wa'n't anything special you wanted to see me