“Anyway,” declared Langley, “that’s my personal opinion. I may be wrong, of course. But why would you bet on a thing like that, Hartley?”
“I’d bet that the moon was made of cheese if somebody would give me odds like that. And I really think he’ll come back, Langley.”
“Well,” dubiously, “you may be right. He’d be a fool to come back, I think, don’t you?”
“Looks thataway to me,” agreed Butch. “I wouldn’t.”
Langley had some purchases to make, so he excused himself and went down to Parker’s store, leaving Butch and Hashknife together.
“Jim just told me that Angel is punchin’ cows for him,” said Butch.
Hashknife smiled. “I wondered where he’d gone.”
“The old man busted him, Hartley. By golly, the old man sure went out of this country well heeled. He can afford to lose his ranch. I’ll be danged if I think he’ll ever come back. I’d hate to even take Langley’s ten-to-one bet on a thing like that.”
“Well, I’ll take it, Reimer. And if Kid Glover ever shows up at yore place, I wish you’d let me know. I want that gray horse, and I won’t go hard with the Kid. He merely traded with me, and I’ll consider that he’s over bein’ color-blind.”
Butch smiled grimly.