"
"And on men, too," nodded the other, and tilted back in his chair.
The bearded man spoke again, but though a dozen cowpunchers were close
by no one heard his voice except the man at his side. One side of his
face remained perfectly immobile and his eyes stared straight before
him drearily while he whispered from a corner of his mouth: "How long
do you stay, Lee?"
"Noon," said Lee.
Once more the shorter man spoke in the manner which is learned in a
penitentiary: "Me too. We must be slated for the same ride, Lee. Do
you know what it is? It's nearly noon, and the chief ought to be
here."
There was a loud greeting for a newcomer, and Lee took advantage of
the noise to say quite openly: "If Silent said he'll come, he'll be
here. But I say he's crazy to come to a place full of range riders,
Bill."
"Take it easy," responded Bill. "This hangout is away off our regular
beat. Nobody'll know him."
"His hide is his own and he can do what he wants with it," said Lee.
"I warned him before."
"Shut up," murmured Bill, "Here's Jim now, and Hal Purvis with him!"
Through the door strode a great figure before whom the throng at the
bar gave way as water rolls back from the tall prow of a ship.
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