De Spain regarded his companion unamiably. “What do they expect I’ll be doing while they are getting me?”
Lefever raised a hand deprecatingly. “Don’t be overconfident, Henry; that’s your danger. I know you can take care of yourself. All I want to do is to get the folks here acquainted with your ability, without taking unnecessary chances. You see, people are not now asking questions of one another; they are asking them of themselves. Who and what is this newcomer––an accident or a genuine arrival? A common squib or a real explosion? Don’t get excited,” he added, in an effort to soothe de Spain’s obvious irritation. “You have the idea, Henry. It’s time to show yourself.”
“I can’t very well do business here without showing myself,” retorted de Spain.
“But it is a thing to be managed,” persisted 92 Lefever. “Now, suppose––since the topic is up––we ‘show’ in Main Street for a while.”
“Suppose we do,” echoed de Spain ungraciously.
“That will crack the début ice. We will call at Harry Tenison’s hotel, and then go to his new rooms––go right to society headquarters first––that’s my theory of doing it. If anybody has any shooting in mind, Tenison’s is a quiet and orderly place. And if a man declines to eat anybody up at Tenison’s, we put him down, Henry, as not ravenously hungry.”
“One man I would like to see is that sheriff, Druel, who let Sassoon get out.”
“Ready to interview him now?”
“I’ve got some telegrams to answer.”
“Those will keep. The Morgans are in town. We’ll start out and find somebody.”