There's been a lot of excitement already for the old man.

He only sees folks he's used to having around." With that he dismounted and went into the house, leaving Senator Warfield without an excuse for following.

Swan and Hawkins came up and waited with him, and Jim opened the door of the bunk-house and looked out at them without showing enough interest to come forward and speak to them.
In a few minutes Lone returned, to find Senator Warfield trying to glean information from Swan, who seemed willing enough to give it if only he could find enough English words to form a complete sentence.
Swan, then, had availed himself of Lone's belittlement of him and was living down to it.

But Lone gave him scant attention just then.
"She hasn't come back.

Brit's worked himself up into a fever, and I didn't dare tell him she wasn't with me.