"You t-taking a bath or s-something?"
Tesno picked up the gunbelt that lay on top of his clothes. Feeling ridiculous, he swung it aside and began to struggle into his underwear. "What if I am?" he said irritably.
"D-didn't mean to intrude on your p-privacy."
Tesno continued to get dressed. The young man eased down from his saddle and dropped the reins. He produced a pint flask from a hip pocket and took a drink. He offered the flask to Tesno, who shook his head.
"T-too early in the d-day," the young man admitted. "I only take the stuff account of this d-damn stuttering. Like medicine."
Tesno flicked him with amused appraisal. "It helps?"
"S-some. Only if I get too much, I s-stutter worse than ever. Only I d-don't give a d-d-damn." He returned the bottle to his pocket and extended his hand. "Name's William Silverknife. Folks call me Whisky Willie."
Tesno sat down to pull on his boots. He reached up awkwardly and shook hands. He said, "I can see why."
"Hell, I t-take it like medicine. I only been what you'd call drunk once in my life. Stole a loco-m-motive on the Coeur d'Alene spur and run it plumb off the end of the track."
"Seems like I heard about that. But the way I got the story, it was some crazy Indian."