“Drunk.”
“That’s easy. But why is he drinkin’?”
“I dunno,” heavily. “Mebbe scared. Keep close to gun.”
“Scared, eh? What’s he—oh, yeah.”
It suddenly dawned on the sheriff that Prentice was afraid of Len Ayres. Prentice’s evidence had been instrumental in sending Len to prison, and a short time later he had married Mrs. Ayres. And now he was drinking himself blind through a fear that Len would do him bodily injury.
“Well, yuh can’t beat that,” he said aloud. “Yellow pup.”
“I dunno,” said the squaw, which absolved her of everything.
The sheriff went back and dropped in at the Oasis, where he met Harry Cole. Charley Prentice being uppermost in his mind, he told Cole that he had discovered why Prentice was drinking so heavily. Cole was interested.
“Prentice is yellow,” declared the sheriff. “I don’t think Len would ever hurt him, do you?”
“I doubt it,” said the gambler thoughtfully. “You think Prentice is yellow, Ben?”