That’s a sample of our conversation on the way home. Being partners for so long, we hates to say hateful things to each other, but in a case like this the truth does seep out. We gets real personal before we gets to Piperock, and finds Zeb Abernathy and “Scenery” Sims setting in front of our office, waiting for us.
Zeb looks just like you’d bet he would after hearing his name, but no name on earth could give an impression of Scenery. When I look at him I think thusly:
“The person what built you, Scenery, must ’a’ run mighty short of material. They looks yuh over and says—‘It ain’t much of a man, but I’ll put a squeak in it so growed-up folks won’t step on it accidental-like.’”
They looks up at us as we rides in. Zeb almost unjoins his neck trying to expectorate across the street, crosses his legs and squints—
“Any news, Magpie?”
“Hello, Zeb,” says Magpie. “Nothing new. Heard anything?”
“Bank got robbed today,” squeaks Scenery. “Dog-gone thing got absolutely robbed. I been telling everybody that we ain’t got no protection around here. Whole sheriff’s office couldn’t find a ace in a new pack of cards. Ain’t yuh going to do nothing?”
“I know something I’d like to do,” states Magpie, looking down at Scenery. “You keep your squeak in your chest and let Zeb tells us about it. What happened, Zeb?”
“While you fellers are picking flowers over in the hills a feller rides into town, throws down on the cashier with a gun and lopes off with the treasure. He told the cashier to give you his regards. What yuh going to do, Magpie?”
“Cry a little,” says Magpie, tired-like. “I don’t reckon there is much else to do. Some of you folks gets the idea that just because I wears a star all I got to do is yell, ‘Come here, ye outlaws!’ and they’ll come a-running.”