Why, it was I who introduced him to you; do you remember ?" He smiled again that mirthless, self-mocking smile, as he added without giving her time to speak, "If you will excuse me for a moment, I will rid your camp of the unwelcome presence of that beast yonder." Then he went toward his horse, as though turning for relief to the work that had become so familiar to him.
She watched him while he released the steer, and drove the animal away over the ridge, where he permitted it to escape into the wild haunts where it lived with its outlaw companions.
When he rode back to the little camp Stanford had returned.
For an hour they talked together as old friends.

But Helen, while she offered now and then a word or a remark, or asked a question, and laughed or smiled with them, left the talk mostly to the two men.
Stanford, when the first shock of learning of Helen's narrow escape was over, was gaily enthusiastic and warm in his admiration for his old friend, who had, for no apparent reason but the wish to assert his own manhood, turned his back upon the ease and luxury of his wealth to live a life of adventurous hardship.

And Patches, as he insisted they should call him, with many a laughing jest and droll comment told them of his new life and work.

He was only serious when he made them promise to keep his identity a secret until he himself was ready to reveal his real name.
"And what do you propose to do when your game of Patches is played out ?" Stanford asked curiously.
For an instant they saw him smiling mockingly at himself; then he answered lightly, "Try some other fool experiment, I reckon." Stanford chuckled; the reply was so like the cowboy Patches, and so unlike his old friend Larry Knight.
"As for that, Stan," Patches continued, "I don't see that the game will ever be played out, as you say.

Certainly I can never now go back altogether to what I was.