Phil, he's my pardner, you know." "And a fine pardner, too, I'll bet," returned the stranger, as if not wishing to acquire further information about the men of Tailholt Mountain.
"You bet he is," came the instant response.

"Only Jim Reid, he don't like him very well." "That's too bad, isn't it ?" "Yes.

You see, Jim Reid is Kitty's daddy.

They live over there." He pointed across the meadow to where, a mile away, a light twinkled in the window of the Pot-Hook-S ranch house.

"Kitty Reid's a mighty nice girl, I tell you, but Jim, he says that there needn't no cow-puncher come around tryin' to get her, 'cause she's been away to school, you know, an' I think Phil--" "Whoa! Hold on a minute, sonny," interrupted Patches hastily.
"What's the matter ?" questioned Little Billy.
"Why, it strikes me that a boy with a pardner like 'Wild Horse Phil' ought to be mighty careful about how he talked over that pardner's private affairs with a stranger.