“No harm in that,” Brackett answered. “Nobody know his name, you say?”
“Total stranger, Ed. There might be some mark or somethin’ on his stuff.”
This brief minute of importance appealed to Ed, and the three men began searching for some mark of identification. The missing saddlebag escaped Brackett’s attention.
The search was a barren one, bed-roll, saddle and slicker being without any tell-tale mark. The stallion’s brand, a circle-dagger, had been over-burned years ago.
“Didn’t he have nothin’ up to the hotel with him?” Ed asked. “Man would have an extra shirt and socks.”
“Wasn’t a thing up there, Ed,” Johnny said truthfully. “Guess we can give up lookin’ here.”
When they had left the stable Johnny asked the Basque:
“Did you git what I found?”
“No. Me, I get not’ing.”
Johnny smiled.