"Damn right. Maybe go by here, take look. Halo nika money. You pay now?"
"Where did the other one go?"
"Halo chako. Him wait. By and by come together. Go to tenas house ipsoot in woods." Charlie made a gesture toward the southwest. "Four-five mile."
As near as Tesno could make it out, one of the men—no doubt the one who had shown himself—had waited while the other rode up the road like any honest traveler, passing the boiler to see how much damage had been done. This could have happened soon after the smash-up, likely as not while that sleepy kid was on guard. Then the pair had joined up again and ridden to a cabin hidden in the woods four or five miles away.
"They're at the cabin, tenas house, now?"
"I listen," Charlie said. "They make sleep noises. I smell whisky."
"Can you take me there? Right now?"
Charlie grunted. "You pay now. Two dollar. We go tenas house, you pay more."
Tesno drew two silver dollars from his pocket and passed them over. "Two more when you take me to the cabin."
Charlie studied the coins in his palm. "Nika till. I sleep now. Eat. Drink some whisky. Pretty soon daylight. We go then."