“Yeah, I can tell yuh how to get there. It’s only two miles. Do you know Big Medicine Hawkworth?”
“Never heard of him until last night,” replied Hashknife. “They tell us the water is good for rheumatism.”
“Yeah? Well, I suppose it is. Big Medicine is a queer sort of a jigger. He don’t hardly leave the ranch. Ain’t been out of Hawk Hole for twenty-five years, they tell me. Mebbe he’ll let yuh bathe in his hot water, and mebbe he won’t.
“He owns most of Hawk Hole, yuh see. Owns about all the water, and nobody can range cattle here, except him. Had kind of a little kingdom of his own, until the Greenhorn Mines opened up and made an excuse for this town.
“Some of the boys say that the Hawkworth ranch is haunted. The old house creaks all over, and there’s black cats by the dozen, so they tell me. I dunno anythin’ about it. I do know that he’s got three cowpunchers that’ll fight anythin’. That was one of ’em at the bar when we come in. Name’s Ike Marsh.”
“Ain’t there any other cattle ranches in here?” asked Hashknife.
“Not in the Hole. East of here is the K-10 outfit. They’re runnin’ cattle in the hills. ‘Baldy’ Kern owns it. Baldy has six punchers with his outfit, and they ain’t shrinkin’ vi’lets, but he keeps his stock out of the Hole. Hawkworth don’t seem to be tryin’ to get rich. Ever’ so often he runs a few head of stock out to Caliente, sells ’em to a buyer there, and that’s all.
“I reckon he’s satisfied to set at home and kinda let the world alone. ’Tsall right, if yuh like it thataway. Ho hum-m-m-m”—he yawned widely—“I reckon I’ll find Cloudy and start for home. Long ways to Caliente. If yuh want to go to Hawkworth’s ranch, ride out the same way yuh came in last night. About a quarter of a mile out of town, take the road to the left.”
The sheriff drifted away, and Hashknife and Sleepy went outside. An old, dilapidated buckboard, drawn by two gray horses, came into the street and drew up in front of a store. In it were Lucy and Wanna. Torres and Garcia were just coming out of the store as they drove up to the hitch-rack, and Torres hurried out to tie the horses for them.