Hank’s hands went out in a gesture of helplessness. Tad nodded understandingly.
“Shorty’s jest plumb fool enough tuh win out, too,” he mused aloud.
“Pete ’lowed that the swimmin’ was a cinch,” admitted Hank. “But then, mebbeso he was jest lyin’ tuh make me and Ma feel easy. Say, what’s come over Joe Kipp? He acts plumb queer. Yuh don’t reckon the ol’ feller’s losin’ his mind, do yuh?”
“Noooo. Don’t know as I’d go so fur as tuh say Kipp was gittin’ weedy. Fact is, I think he’s jest kinda pullin’ hisse’f together. Yeah. Supposin’ we eases ourselves over to the house, Hank? My belly’s so empty that the chaw uh terbaccer I swallered tuh keep from goin’ tuh sleep, is rattlin’ around in my stummick like a bronc in a corral.”
On the way to the cabin, Hank told Tad how Shorty had excused his partner’s absence.
“The wust of it is, Tad, she believes it. Said I was a kinderd spirit and a whisky soak when I tries tuh explain that Shorty was jest funnin’. I thought fer a minute that she was goin’ tuh haze me into the blacksmith shop again, dang it.”
Hank grinned twistedly.
“I’ll wring that danged li’l’ rooster’s neck when I ketches him,” grinned Tad.
“He ’lowed he was breakin’ even fer that windy yuh told Ma about a hoss throwin’ him and givin’ him the black eye.”
During breakfast, Tad caught Ma Basset’s gaze fixed on him, and he felt his ears growing red. No doubt the woman thought that bringing Kipp back with him was some sort of drunken whim. Moreover, Kipp’s odd behavior did much to convince Ma that the sheriff was also under the influence of liquor. Tad breathed a sigh of relief when they were safely back at the corral and Kipp had caught a fresh horse.