Was he to take Betty's departure before his arrival as an indication that she had fled from him?
He had seen her when she had pressed her face to the window some time before, and it now appeared to him that she had deliberately left the room to avoid meeting him.

He frowned and walked to the table, looking down at the food.

She had thought of him, at any rate.
He sat at the table and took several bites of food before he spoke again.
"Betty see the pup ?" he asked.
"Yep." "Like him ?" "Yep." He hesitated, while Bob looked at him, intent for more questions.

He had liked Calumet from the first, despite the killing of Lonesome.

He could not forget the gruff words of consolation that had been spoken by Calumet on that occasion--they had been sincere, at any rate--his boy's heart knew that.