Part 4 (1/2)

Steve, at this stroke, gave up, and clapped him on the shoulder with a joyous chuckle. ”You old son-of-a!” he cried affectionately.

”Drinks are due now,” said the Virginian. ”My treat, Steve. But I reckon your suspense will have to linger a while yet.”

Thus they dropped into direct talk from that speech of the fourth dimension where they had been using me for their telephone.

”Any cyards going to-night?” inquired the Virginian.

”Stud and draw,” Steve told him. ”Strangers playing.”

”I think I'd like to get into a game for a while,” said the Southerner.

”Strangers, yu' say?”

And then, before quitting the store, he made his toilet for this little hand at poker. It was a simple preparation. He took his pistol from its holster, examined it, then shoved it between his overalls and his s.h.i.+rt in front, and pulled his waistcoat over it. He might have been combing his hair for all the attention any one paid to this, except myself. Then the two friends went out, and I bethought me of that epithet which Steve again had used to the Virginian as he clapped him on the shoulder.

Clearly this wild country spoke a language other than mine--the word here was a term of endearment. Such was my conclusion.

The drummers had finished their dealings with the proprietor, and they were gossiping together in a knot by the door as the Virginian pa.s.sed out.

”See you later, old man!” This was the American drummer accosting his prospective bed-fellow.

”Oh, yes,” returned the bed-fellow, and was gone.

The American drummer winked triumphantly at his brethren. ”He's all right,” he observed, jerking a thumb after the Virginian. ”He's easy.

You got to know him to work him. That's all.”

”Und vat is your point?” inquired the German drummer.

”Point is--he'll not take any goods off you or me; but he's going to talk up the killer to any consumptive he runs across. I ain't done with him yet. Say,” (he now addressed the proprietor), ”what's her name?”

”Whose name?”

”Woman runs the eating-house.”

”Glen. Mrs. Glen.”

”Ain't she new?”

”Been settled here about a month. Husband's a freight conductor.”

”Thought I'd not seen her before. She's a good-looker.”

”Hm! Yes. The kind of good looks I'd sooner see in another man's wife than mine.”

”So that's the gait, is it?”

”Hm! well, it don't seem to be. She come here with that reputation. But there's been general disappointment.”

”Then she ain't lacked suitors any?”