It ain' goin' seem lak de same place--and Ah shoah do hopes yo' all writes frequent lettahs to yo' mothah, boy!" Bud promised that he would, and managed to break away from Ezra without betraying himself.

How, he wondered, did everyone seem to know that he was going for good, this time?
He had believed that no one knew of it save himself, his father and his mother; yet everyone else behaved as if they never expected to see him again.

It was disconcerting, and Bud hastily untied the two led horses and mounted Smoky, the mouse-colored horse he himself had broken two years before.
His father came slowly up to him, straight-backed and with the gait of the man who has ridden astride a horse more than he has walked on his own feet.

He put up his hand, gloved for riding, and Bud changed the lead-ropes from his right hand to his left, and shook hands rather formally.
"Ye've good weather for travelling," said Bob Birnie tentatively.

"I have not said it before, lad, but when ye own yourself a fool to take this way of making your fortune, ten thousand dollars will still be ready to start ye right.