Midnight
And Phil seeing this wondered , but held his peace . Frequently Kitty Reid , sometimes alone , often with the other members of the Reid household , came across the big meadow to spend an evening at the neighboring ranch . Sometimes Phil and Patches , stopping at the Pot-Hook-S home ranch , at the close of the day , for a drink at the windmill pump , would linger a while for a chat with Kitty , who would come from the house to greet them . And now and then Kitty , out for a ride on Midnight , would chance to meet the two Cross-Triangle men on the range , and so would accompany them for an hour or more . And thus the acquaintance between Patches and the girl grew into friendship ; for Kitty loved to talk with this man of the things that play so large a part in that life which so appealed to her ; and , with Phil 's ever-ready and hearty endorsement of Patches , she felt safe in permitting the friendship to develop . And Patches , quietly observing , with now and then a conversational experiment -- at which game he was an adepts -- came to understand , almost as well as if he had been told , Phil 's love for Kitty and her attitude toward the cowboy -- her one-time schoolmate and sweetheart . Many times when the three were together , and the talk , guided by Kitty , led far from Phil 's world , the cowboy would sit a silent listener , until Patches would skillfully turn the current back to the land of Granite Mountain and the life in which Phil had so vital a part .