A Council of War

"A-a-ain't much o' n-nuthing, so f-f-fur's I kin s-see," he replied
gravely. "C-couple o' fellars w-with g-guns h-h-hidin' back o' ther
d-dump. C-c-carried two b-bucks 'hind ther sh-shaft-house; h-h-hurt
some, I 'speck. R-reckon I must a' g-got both on 'em. Y-y-you shore
ought t-ter wear t-t-telescopes, Bill."

Hicks stared at his partner, his gray goat-beard sticking straight out,
his teeth showing.

"So yer got 'em, hey?" he retorted, savagely. "Oh, ye 're
chain-lightnin', yer are, Stutter. Ye 're the 'riginal Doctor Carver,
yer long-legged, sputtering lunk-head. Yer crow like a rooster thet 's
just found its voice. Now, look yere; I reckon it's brain-work what's
got ter git us out o' this yere hole, an' I 'll shore have ter furnish
most o' that, fer yer ain 't got none ter spare, as ever I noticed.
Shoot! hell, yes, yer kin shoot all right, an' make love ter Greasers;
but when thet's over with, yer all in. That's when it's up ter old
Bill Hicks ter do the thinkin' act, and make good. Lord! yer leave me
plumb tired." The old man peered out across the vacant space toward
the apparently deserted dump, the anger slowly fading away from his
eyes. "I sorter imagine, gents, it will take them fellers a while ter
git over ther sudden shock we 've given 'em," he continued. "Maybe we
better take this yere rest spell ter git somethin' ter eat in, and talk
over how we 're fixed fer when the curtain goes up again. Them fellers
never won't be happy till after they git another dose into their
systems, an' thar 's liable ter be some considerable lead eat afore
night. When they does git braced up, an' they reckon up all this yere
means, they 'll shore be an ugly bunch."