But I pushed him back when he started to rush into the hotel. “I guess that man wouldn’t hand you his roll if you ran in there and snapped your fingers under his nose, Judge Kingsley. You recognize him, eh? That’s enough for now. I’ll tell you that your friend, there, is known in this section as ‘Peacock’ Pratt, and he’s a good man for us to stay away from for the present.”
“How do you know so much about these men—how do you know where to come to find them—dragging me across the continent?” demanded the old man. His fury at sight of that smug blackleg had to blow off and I was the nearest object.
“I’ll have to confess that I didn’t know for sure I was to see this man here to-night. I had my line out and a good bait on, but I didn’t believe I’d get a bite so soon. You must keep cool, Judge Kingsley—keep cool and out of sight. Simply seeing that man isn’t getting your money. We’ve got considerable of a job ahead of us.”
The judge was all of a tremble while we stood there at the edge of the shadow and watched the room and the drinkers. At last, with a flourish of his hand, Pratt gave orders to the bartender to fill all glasses. We heard his hoarse voice above all others. He tossed a bill on the bar and he and Dragg left in company and climbed the stairs leading up from the hotel office.
“Judge Kingsley,” I said, “I left the other place and came over here hoping I could sneak close enough to a certain chap to overhear what he proposes to do about a little matter that I suggested to him a few hours ago. I see that he has found somebody to talk to. We’ve got a handy sort of house for eavesdropping, but I want you to remember that the other fellow can hear us, too. Come along with me and keep your head. A lot depends!” The “Pallace” was evidently more of a free and easy tavern than the “Imperial.” There was no register on the planks which served for an office desk. The proprietor looked up at us and leisurely lighted his pipe before answering my questions regarding accommodations.
“Four dollars apiece—two in a room. Pay now. Includes breakfast, and there’s a cold, stand-up supper out in the dining-room.”
“We bought box lunches from the brakeman on the train; we don’t want supper,” I explained.
“Price just the same. Supper is there, and I ain’t to blame if you don’t want to eat it,” stated the proprietor. “You needn’t look for any place to write your names,” he added, noting that my eyes seemed to be searching for something that should be on the desk. “We don’t keep books. And half the men who come along here can’t write, anyway.”
I laid the money in his grimy hand and he fished two cards from his vest pocket and scrawled “Brakfust” on each with a lead-pencil.
“Give ’em up to the table-girl in the morning. Now, gents, all the rooms up-stairs are just alike and there ain’t no locks on the doors. Go up and help yourselves to any room that ain’t being used. I hope you don’t snore, either of you. It’s apt to start gun-play from them that’s trying to get to sleep in other rooms, and the walls we’ve got up-stairs don’t stop bullets. Sleep hearty!”