“Well, we——” Kohler floundered.
“Would Big Medicine care about the border?” asked Hashknife.
Doctor Meline swore viciously and turned away. Lopez was coming in with dishes of food and placing them on a long table.
Baldy walked over and sat down at the table. Meline followed and sat down beside Baldy.
“There’s a lot of truth in what he says,” declared the doctor. “We have made a serious mistake, Baldy. For the price of one cargo we have jeopardized our future. We can’t afford to be found here.”
“Well, hell, we can’t go back.”
“I can at least,” said the doctor nervously. “No one knows that I am with you, that I ever came to Hawk Hole.”
“Gettin’ cold feet, eh?” sneered Baldy. “Hey! Steve! Bring us some tequila. My friend has a chill. C’mon and set down, the rest of yuh. What the hell are yuh all lookin’ so blue about? By God, I didn’t know I was workin’ with a lot of sheep.”
“I’m not afraid,” declared Jack Meline, “but I’d give quite a lot to be out of this damn country and on my way back to Frisco. It surely don’t look good to me.”
“Soak up some tequila and the world will look brighter.”