He himself watched the eastern horizon, incessantly and unconsciously,
hours before the wagon was due, and, when it came in sight at last, ran
his flag up along its mast joyously.
It was a great pleasure to him to sit and talk with his partner, and he
looked forward to his visits eagerly. To Jim he could utter himself
freely. They had known each other so long, and he believed he understood
his partner to the centre of his heart.
He usually had supper ready--often he had help from the girls or Mrs.
Burke, and while a dozen hands volunteered at the team and with the
mail-bag, Rivers was free to hurry to his table, whereat he fared like a
pasha attended by the flower of his harem. The girls pretended it was
all on account of his office as mail-carrier, but they deceived no one,
much less an experienced beau like Rivers. He accepted it all with
shameless egotism.
To Bailey's mind Jim was too well attended. He seemed to see less and
less of his partner as the season wore on. They seldom sat down to talk
in the good old fashion, wearing out half the night smoking, listening
to the slumber-song of the night plain, for Rivers got into the habit of
walking home with some of the girls after the mail was distributed,
leaving his partner to do the trading.
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