“Wa’al, I’ll tell ye,” spoke Mr. Savage, drawing up his horse, an example followed by Mr. Harrison. “Some time ago a feller gave me a bad quarter—Dan knows about it,” and he nodded at the boy. “It was a feller that took a lot of Dan’s time talkin’ when he’d oughter be shellin’ corn, an’ I charged him fer it.”
“That man?” asked Dan excitedly, nudging Mr. Harrison.
“That’s th’ feller.”
Mr. Savage seemed to have forgotten some of his vindictiveness against Dan, because of getting a good quarter for a bad one.
“Where did you see him?” asked Mr. Harrison, trying to speak calmly, for he felt they were now on the track of the robber. “Where was he?”
“I’ll tell ye how it was. I was over t’ Denville this mornin’ doin’ a leetle business, an’ I stopped off at th’ hotel t’ see a man. Soon’s I went in th’ hall I seen this feller in th’ barroom.”
“Did he know you?” asked Mr. Harrison eagerly.
“Not at fust. I didn’t like t’ go in a barroom, seein’ as how I’m strict temp’rence, but I figured I oughter have my rightful money, so I went in. I went up to t’ that feller, an’ I says says I, ‘Here’s ye’r counterfeit money back, an’ I want a good piece fer it, or I’ll have ye arrested.’ My, but he was took back! Then he begun t’ laugh, an’ pretend it were all a mistake. He said that was a lucky pocket piece of his’n, an’ he regretted at losin’ it. I said he could have it back an’ welcome, an’ he took it, an’ give me back fifty cents. Said th’ other quarter were fer interest. He wanted me t’ have a drink, but I took a cigar instid.”
“Is he going to stay there?” asked Mr. Harrison.
“It looked so. Said he was thinkin’ about openin’ a store in town.”