“Howdy yourself!” growled Douglas. “What are you doing here?”
“Jest a-ramblin’ round, stranger. Might ast ye the same. What was ye shootin’?”
“Snake.” Douglas gave him a hard look.
“Yeh? Huh! Awful waste o’ powder. Us fellers use sticks onto them things. Thought mebbe ye got what ye’re into here for.”
A cunning wink followed his last utterance.
“Meaning?”
The yellow teeth bared themselves in a wide, silent laugh. But the beady eyes held no mirth.
“Think I dunno ye? Huh! I ain’t no fool. Ye ain’t here jest to look at rocks an’ things. Trouble is, ye dunno this kentry an’ how to work it. None o’ ye do. Everybody into the place knowed days ago ye was here, an’ ye’ll never git yer man ’less’n ye do business. I’m the feller to do business with.”
Again the cunning wink.
“Meaning?” repeated Douglas.