Raven paused and thought. “I don’t want trouble with Spade,” he said at last. “He’s a tough egg, ain’t he?”
“You bet he is,” Little Joe said.
Raven began to unload some tiny milk churns on to the platform. “I’ll get Lefty to take care of him,” he said. “We ain’t had any shootin’ in the town yet, have we?”
Little Joe looked worried. “Gee!” he said. “We don’t want to shoot Spade.”
“Nice to hear your views,” Raven said, recoupling the line of trucks; “I’ll make a note of that.”
Little Joe shifted uneasily. “You’re the boss,” he said hastily.
“Sure.” Raven turned the switch and the trains began to move slowly along the track.
Little Joe waited for a little while, and as Raven continued to ignore him he went out, closing the door softly behind him.
Raven turned his head and looked at the closed door. A cold, far−away look came into his eyes. “So we don’t want to shoot Spade?” he said softly. “These guys are gettin’ soft.”