“Might as well,” grinned Hashknife. “It sure shows that Joe is a beginner at the game. A regular hold-up man don’t tag his work thataway.”
Merrick looked seriously at Hashknife. “You talk as though you were familiar with hold-up men, Hartley.”
“No; I just use common sense, Merrick.”
“Uh-huh. Well, it’s a good thing to use. A lot of us don’t do it.”
“No, that’s true,” admitted Hashknife seriously.
Merrick scratched his chin and turned back to the bar. He wasn’t exactly sure whether this tall, level-eyed cowboy was making fun of him or not. He had the feeling that he was, but there was nothing to justify this feeling. Both of the strange cowboys were very serious of face, and Sleepy’s blue eyes looked entirely innocent. But Merrick did not know that Sleepy’s innocent blue eyes were his greatest asset.
“I wonder if the sheriff’s office had anythin’ to go on this mornin’,” said Merrick.
“Couple of horses,” replied Sleepy. “Now let me buy a drink, will yuh?”
“I’ve got to go kinda easy,” said Curt Bellew. “I git down here and lap up liquor, and have to eat cloves all the way back to the ranch.”
“And then prove why yuh ate cloves,” grinned Honey.