[#] A sticky soil common in these parts.
"But this ain't like chewin' gum, heh?" said the sheriff, following the drift of the Indian's pidgin English.
"Nosiree," said the Indian, "no hold together, come away plop, thick."
"It's a durned fine picture he's drawin'," said Slim. "I can kind o' see it, though. 'Plop,' he says. I can kind o' hear that plop."
Along the hill above us, sure enough, we could see a long gash running a great part of the hill near the summit, in the black frontage of it.
"Well," said the sheriff, "I should n't like to be under a mud-slide. But you 'd think that them two ribs here would hold the face o' this hill together, would n't you?"
He looked up at the sky; sunset seemed a thought quicker than usual, and there were great, heavy clouds crawling up again, as last night, from behind the mountains.
Apache Kid had said not a word so far, but now he spoke.
"I 've seen a few mud-slides in my time, Sheriff," he said: "but this one would be a colossal affair. Might I ask you a question before I offer advice?"
"Sure," said the sheriff, wonderingly.