"When I seen them men last night it looked to me
like they was too fine dressed to be honest."
"I don't think they be, Danny," says Jake,
confidential. "In my opinion they is mighty bad
customers. But they has got on the wrong side
of the law now, and I guess they won't stay around
here much longer."
"Well," says I, "Hank will be glad."
"Fur what?" asts Jake.
"Well," says I, "because he got his pay in advance
fur that job and now he don't have to finish it.
They come along to our place about sundown
yesterday, and we nailed a shoe on one hoss. They
was a couple of other hoofs needed fixing, and the
tire on one of the hind wheels was beginning to
rattle loose."
I had noticed that loose tire when I was standing
by the hind wheel the night before, and it come in
handy now. So I goes on:
"Hank, he allowed he'd fix the hull thing fur
six bottles of that Injun medicine. Elmira has been
ailing lately, and he wanted it fur her. So they
handed Hank out six bottles then and there."
"Huh!" says Jake. "So the job is all paid
fur, is it?"
"Yes," says I, "and I was expecting to do it
myself. But now I guess I'll go fishing instead.
They ain't no other job in the shop."
"I'll be dinged if you've got time to fish," says
Jake. "I'm expecting mebby to buy that rig off
the town myself when the law lets loose of it.
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