“I know. Wait a minute, fellers, and I’ll be with yuh.”
He takes the old man and goes off down toward the jail, and when he comes back they all gets in that wagon and rattles off down the road. The old man must a been rattled, ’cause it happens a long ways this side of the pack-trail end. That’s where I leaves Muley and Telescope.
Mike and Calamity stands there on the porch as the wagon leaves, and I hears Mike yell at Bill:
“Hey, Bill! Be sure and get back before sunrise on account of them salutes.”
“What salutes is them?” asks Calamity.
“Bill’s got ’em down in the jail. He’s got five ten-gallon kerosene cans full of water down there, and in each can is six sticks of dynamite, wrapped in canvas and covered with axle-grease. They’re all ready to touch off. Some salute, eh? Now, if Bill’s late we won’t have our sunrise salute.”
They goes back inside. I looks at my watch, and sees that it’s danged near morning, and at the same time I gets a happy idea. I ambles back to the autymobile, and finds Chuck setting on the seat, holding his head in his hands.
“Henry,” says he, “how came I here, and why am I so dry?”
“I brought yuh here, Chuck, and I hid the jug under the wagon.”
I gives him a shock and he gets enthusiastic.