“You sure don’t,” agreed Sandy. “But, as you sez, you can’t never tell. Now, you buyin’ ha’f Zip’s claim makes––” His words died down to a thoughtful murmur. Bill’s look was somehow discouraging as he pointed at the medicine.
“What you got?” he demanded abruptly.
“Why, most everything,” said Minky. “Ther’, you see that longish bottle? That’s a dandy cough cure. Guess you ain’t needin’ that? No? Ah!” as Bill shook his head, “I didn’t guess you’d a cough. Corns? Now, this yer packet is an elegant fixin’ fer corns, soft an’ hard. It jest kills ’em stone dead, sure. It’s bully stuff, but ’tain’t good fer eatin’. You ain’t got corns?” he inquired, as Bill again shook his head. “Ah, seems a pity.” He turned again to the shelf, determined, if possible, to suit his customer, and lifted down a number of packets and sealed bottles. “Now, here,” he cried, holding up a dainty box tied up with a delicate-colored ribbon. For a moment his audience believed it to be candy, but he quickly undeceived them. “Now this yer is dandy truck, though I don’t guess ther’s a heap o’ use fer it on Suffering Creek. It’s fer softening alkali water. When the drummer told me that, I guessed to him ther wa’an’t a heap o’ water drunk in this camp. But he said it wa’an’t fer drinkin’ water; it was fer baths. I kind o’ told him that wouldn’t help the sale any, so he said it could be used fer washin’. Seein’ he couldn’t sell me any that way neither, he got riled an’ give me a present of it, an’ said he guessed Sufferin’ Creek did use water fer washing gold. Y’see, its price is a dollar an’ a ha’f, but, seein’ it’s kind o’ dead stock, you ken have it a present.”
Bill took it.
“It’s mine,” he said. And Sandy watched him with some concern.
“You––you ain’t takin’ a bath?” he inquired nervously.
“Don’t talk foolish,” cried Bill, and turned again to his scrutiny of the shelf. “What else you got? Any stummick physic?”
“Sure.” Minky held up a small bottle of tabloids. “Camel-hell,” he said, with the assurance of a man who knows the worth of the article he is offering for sale. “Now this yer is Camel-hell––C-a-l-o-m-e-l. And I’d sure say the name is appropriate. That doggone ‘drummer’ feller said ther’ was enough in one o’ them bottles to kep the stummicks of a whole blamed menagerie right fer six months. It’s real dandy––”
He broke off suddenly, and his look of enthusiasm was abruptly replaced by one of anxious interest that bordered closely on apprehension. His audience realized the change, and both men glanced swiftly in the direction whence the storekeeper’s gaze had become so suddenly concentrated. Instantly they became aware that two strangers had quietly entered the store, and had taken their places at one of the tables under the open window.
Bill thought he recognized one of the men, but was not sure where he had seen him. Sandy saw nothing remarkable in their presence, and at once turned back to the counter.