CHAPTER X.
TROUBLE COMES.
By quarrelling with his wife and kicking the pups Penton managed to entertain himself, apart from the keg, for over a month. Then he went and did it again. He took some money to a place called Burnside to cash cattle tickets for a drover who did business at the Banfield branch. When he got back he was in a boisterous state of intoxication.
"Hello, old kid!" he said to Henty, whom he met at the door of the bank.
Henty backed up and went in the office again, to consult with the teller.
"This is getting monotonous," said Nelson. "What would you do about it, A. P.?"
"Report the son-of-a-gun," said Henty, florid of countenance.
"Sure," said Filter; "he'll be holding us up some of these days at the point of a gun."
Evan thought over Filter's remark, for he had been tempted to entertain similar notions himself. What might not happen if Penton got in a drunken craze? The teller worried more and more as he speculated on the possible outcome of events.
Mrs. Penton got the manager to bed and then came out to the office.