Dave Morgan twisted his lips seriously. He needed a shave, and, judging from his bloodshot eyes, he needed sleep.
‘All right,’ he said slowly. ‘I reckon I could get along, John. I just wanted to see about a loan. How about buyin’ the Flyin’ M?’
Harper shook his head quickly.
‘No, Dave. Say, why don’t you get Peter to take a second mortgage? He’s pretty well fixed.’
Dave smiled crookedly, shaking his head. ‘Not Pete. If I was anybody, except his cousin. He thinks I’ve got damn poor judgment in business.’
‘You haven’t done so well, Dave.’
‘Oh, that’s all right; I’m not kickin’. I get more fun out of my money than Pete does. He’s been goin’ around like a bear with a sore head ever since them nesters moved in on him. They’ve got him bluffed.’
‘The nester’s son had a fight over at the Oasis to-day,’ said the banker. ‘I happened to be out in front about the time it was over. I don’t know who got whipped, but I saw young Lane get on his horse and ride out of town. In a few moments Ben Leach followed him, I think. Several of the boys stood around the hitch-rack for a few minutes, and then they all rode away.’
‘Wasn’t a gun-fight, was it?’
‘No, there wasn’t any shooting.’