It hurt his self-esteem to believe that--wherefore he prospected his memory for some other theory to take its place.
"Well! If that's why they did it--it sure worked like a charm," he summed up his cogitations disgustedly.

"I'll say I swallowed the bait whole!" And he added grimly: "I wish I knew who put them wise." Youth began to make its demands.

He started a fire, boiled coffee, fried bacon, made fresh bread, and ate a belated supper.

Sudden had told him to do as he pleased.

"Well," Johnny muttered, "I will take him at his word." He did not know just what he would please to do, but he realized that fasting would not help him any; nor would sleeplessness.