“Eh!  Was someone calling me?”

“Yeh, I was speakin’ of rats——­”

“My hearing’s getting bad.  I was fishing around for my saddle blanket.  Those barn dogs never put anything where it belongs.”

“That’s right.  I said let’s go get a drink.  C’n you hear that?” Tex noted that the man’s face was white and that he was eyeing him intently, as he approached through the litter.

“Just had one, thanks.  Was on my way down to the flats to see the fun, and thought I’d see if my blanket had dried out all right.”

“Yes?  Didn’t you hear me when I hollered at you in the saloon a minute ago?”

“No.  Didn’t know any one was in there.”

“You’re in a hell of a fix with your eyesight an’ hearin’ all shot to pieces, ain’t you?  But I reckon they’re goin’ to be the best part of you if you don’t come along with me.  Cinnabar Joe’s be’n doped.”

“Cinnabar Joe!” The doctor’s surprise was genuine.

“Yes.  Cinnabar Joe.  An’ you better get on the job an’ bring him to, or they’ll be tossin’ dry ones in on top of you about tomorrow.  Sold any drugs that w’d do a man that way, lately?”

The doctor knitted his brow.  “Why let’s see.  I don’t remember——­”

“Your mem’ry ain’t no better’n what your eyesight an’ hearin’ is, is it?  I reckon mebbe a little jolt might get it to workin’.”  As Tex talked even on, his fist shot out and landed squarely upon the other’s nose and the doctor found himself stretched at full length among the saddles and odds and ends of harness.  Blood gushed from his nose and flowed in a broad wet stream across his cheek.  He struggled weakly to his feet and interposed a shaking arm.

“I didn’t do anything to you,” he whimpered.

“No.  I’m the one that’s doin’.  Is your parts workin’ better?  ’Cause if they ain’t——­”

“What do you want to know?  I’ll tell you!” The man spoke hurriedly as he cringed from the doubling fist.

“I know you sold the dope, ’cause when I told you about Cinnabar you wasn’t none surprised at the dope—­but at who’d got it.  You sold it to Jack Purdy an’ you knew he aimed to give it to me.  What’s more, your eyesight an’ hearin’ is as good as mine.  You seen me an’ heard me in the saloon an’ you was scairt an’ run an’ hid in the harness room.  You’re a coward, an’ a crook, an’ a damn liar!  Wolf River don’t need you no more.  You’re a-comin’ along with me an’ fix Cinnabar up an’ then you’re a-goin’ to go down to the depot an’ pick you out a train that don’t make no local stops an’ climb onto it an’ ride ’til you get where the buffalo grass don’t grow.  That is, onless Cinnabar should happen to cash in.  If he does——­”

“He won’t!  He won’t!  It’s only chloral.  A little strychnine will fix him up.”

“Better get busy then.  ’Cause if he ain’t to in an hour or so you’re a-goin’ to flutter on the down end of a tight one.  These here cross-arms on the railroad’s telegraph poles is good an’ stout an’ has the added advantage of affordin’ good observation for all, which if you use a cottonwood there’s always some that can’t see good on account of limbs an’ branches bein’ in the road——­”