“I’m gettin’ tired of it,” declared Leach. “I can’t talk to the sheriff, deputy nor anybody connected with the ed office without gettin’ insulted.”
“Nobody asked yuh to talk to ’em,” retorted Silent hotly. “They’ll get along without yuh.”
“Well, there’s one satisfaction,” said Leach. “We’ll soon be rid of the present incumbents.”
“What’s incumbents?” queried Silent.
Leach growled something about ignorant people and walked across the street toward the saloon. Silent watched him moodily before turning to Grant and Slim Hunter.
“When did Ike Welden come back to Marlin City?”
“He rode up with me,” said Slim. “We just got here a while ago. I found him in the Short Horn saloon, half-drunk, and talkin’ about the big fire in Marlin City. They could see it from there. I told him I was comin’ up here to see what it was all about; so he came along.”
“They could see it from Silverton, couldn’t they?” asked Silent.
“Yeah, you bet they could,” replied Slim.
“How come yuh didn’t get here sooner?”