“Prob’ly be a few hundred men killed around here before it’s over,” said Chuck. “Things like that kinda run in bunches. Eppy-demic, they call it.”
Hashknife managed to get Dell Blackwell away from the rest of the crowd, and while Sleepy was trying to lead them in song, Hashknife asked Dell about the quarrel between Butch Reimer and Kid Glover.
“Quarrel?” Dell was slightly owl-eyed.
“Yeah—the reason Glover left the ranch.”
“Uh-huh.”
Blackwell scratched his nose thoughtfully.
“Reimer swore he’d kill Glover, yuh know,” explained Hashknife. “And Glover high-tailed it out of the country.”
“He did, eh?” Blackwell grinned foolishly. “First time I ever heard of it, Hartley. What did they quarrel over?”
“Butch didn’t say.”
“And he swore he’d kill Glover, eh? Sa-a-a-ay! Lemme tell yuh somethin’, cowboy; Glover ain’t scared of no man. I ain’t got no use for him m’self; but I’m here to tell yuh, he’s no runner. If Butch ever scared Kid Glover, he—a-a-aw, he never did!”