It puzzled him.
For some mysterious reason these men disapproved of any one who was intimately acquainted with Pete Reeve, it seemed.

He looked blandly upon the tall man.
"I never seen Pete Reeve," said Bull apologetically.
"Ah?
Yet you're follerin' him hotfoot ?" "I was aiming to see him, you know," answered Bull.
The tall man regarded him with eyes that began to twinkle beneath his frown.

Then he jerked his head aside and cast at his audience a prodigious wink.

The cloudy eyes of Bull had assured him that he had to do with a simpleton, and he was inviting the others in on the game.
"You never seen him ?" he asked gruffly, turning back to Bull.

"You expect me to believe talk like that?
Young man, d'you know who I am ?" "I dunno," murmured Bull, overawed and drawing back a pace.
The action drew a chuckle from the crowd.