Kentucky Jack scratched himself, easing an itch that'd been bothering all day long. "I wonder what happened to D'aray? Seems like I ain't seen him in here in a couple of days. He go out of town again? He sure takes a lot of trips don't he?"
"You didn't hear," asked his friend Turkey Jack, spitting a wad of chewing tobacco at one of the brass cuspidors that lined the bar's foot rail. "Last night he showed up here lookin' mighty riled up, ran upstairs, and come back in a few minutes with a bedroll and a Winchester in hand. Went in the kitchen and never come back out again. I reckon he went out the back."
Henry Bloom spoke up, "I don't know what's going on but it must be somethin' bad. My missus says he was over at the boarding house. Came in with some empty saddle bags, went up to Miss Taylor's room bold as you please, stuffed the bags full of her clothing and come back down. Told some of the ladies that they should spread the word. They ought not go out after dark and they shouldn't go anywhere alone. Then he jumped on thet horse of his'n, you remember the one he raced out th' Brandt place, and took off to th' east like the devil hisself was after him."
Kentucky Jack shook his head. "Well, that explains that. I was talkin' to a drover that was out that way yesterday an' he was coming back late last night. Said he saw a campfire off in the woods a ways. Said it weren't in a very good place either. Probably be seen from a couple miles away. Durn tinhorn. With them Indians about I bet he gets hisself scalped and Miss Taylor too."
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