Barry
himself wasn't so bad for looks, but they'll tell you in Elkhead how bad be
is in action, and maybe they's some widders in Alder that could put in a
word. Take even the kid. She looks no more'n a baby, but what d'you know is
inside of her?
"Speakin' personal, gents, I don't put no kind of trust in that houseful
yonder. Here they come in the middle of the night like there was a posse
after 'em. They climb that house and sit down and eat like they'd ridden
all day. Maybe they had. Even while they was eatin' they didn't seem none
too happy.
"That loose shutter upstairs come around in the wind with a bang and Buck
Daniels comes out of his chair as fast as powder could blow him. He didn't
say nothin'. Just sat down lookin' kind of sick, and the other two was the
same way. When they talked, they'd bust off in the middle of a word and let
their eyes go trailin' into some corner of the room that was plumb full of
shadow. Then Lee Haines gets up and walks up and down.
"'Swann,' says he, 'how many good men have you got on the place?'
"'Why,' says I, 'they're all good!'
"'Huh,' says Haines, and he puts a hand on my shoulder, 'Just how good are
they, Swann?'"
"I seen what he wanted.
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