He was glad of that, because he already had enough to pay old Sudden and have the price of a car left over.

With the Thunder Bird clear, and a couple of thousand dollars to the good--why, he would not change places with the owner of the Rolling R himself! He could go back any time and vindicate himself to the whole outfit.

He could pick Mary V up and carry her off now, without feeling that he was taking any risk with her future.

Poor little girl, she would be wondering what had become of him; he'd write, or send a wire, if Cliff would ever open his heart enough to take a fellow with him to where there was a post-office or something.
He was beginning to feel a deep need of some word from Mary V, was Johnny.

He was beginning to worry, to grow restive down here in the wilderness, seeing nothing, doing nothing save kill time between those short, surreptitious flights across to the notched ridge and back again.