“Better not go in to breakfast just yet,” said Slim.
“Why not?” asked Carberry.
“There may be trouble,” replied the cowboy detective. “Just wait a bit.”
Jim Ferris looked around at Chuck, who was lounging nearby with his rifle in his hands.
“He’s right,” he advised the storekeeper. “I’ll be satisfied with cheese and crackers. Come on.”
They turned and hurried back to the store and Slim stepped into the small lobby of the hotel. Sounds from the dining room indicated that breakfast was in progress.
Slim took off his hat and pinned the small shield that had been hidden there on his vest. Then he walked into the dining room. There were four men at the long table, the hotel owner at the head with Hal Titzell at his right. On the other side were Leo Kovec and Maxie Denkman and Maxie, with his wounded arm, was making a poor job of eating the hot cereal.
Titzell looked up as Slim entered.
“Hello, there. What’s the news from the wide open spaces?”
“Plenty,” said Slim easily. Then Titzell’s eyes caught the gleam of the small shield on Slim’s vest and the smile vanished. In its place came an expression of repressed fury and alarm.