The pale eyes went blank.
“I ain’t steering you into nothing whatsomever, Mister,” he said. “You asked for information. I give it to you. But I don’t mind telling you that anybody that can stay in a rocking chair can sit that buckskin.”
“That’s fine. I’ll go out tomorrow.”
Milk River put his cue down, frowning.
“Come to think of it, Peery’s going down to the lower camp tomorrow. I tell you—if you got nothing else to do, we’ll mosey out there right now. It’s Sunday, and we’ll be sure of catching him.”
“Good,” I said, and stood up.
“You boys going home?” Milk River asked his companions.
“Yeah,” Smith spoke casually. “We gotta roll out early in the mornin’, so I s’pose we’d ought to be shakin’ along out there. I’ll see if Slim an’ Red are ready.”
They weren’t. Vogel’s disagreeable voice came through the open door.
“I’m camped right here! I got this reptile on th’ run, an’ it’s only a matter o’ time ’fore he’ll have t’ take a chance on pullin’ ’em off’n th’ bottom t’ save his hide. An’ that’s exac’ly what I’m awaitin’ for! Th’ first time he gets fancy, I’m goin’ t’ open him up from his Adam’s apple plumb down to his ankles!”
Smith returned to us.
“Slim an’ Red are gonna play ’em a while. They’ll git a lift out when they git enough.”
Milk River, Smith, Dunne, Small and I went out of the Border Palace.