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 layin' Hale out, and were surprised to a painful degree that he hadn't. For Smith hed always bin a self-respectin' citizen, and they had hoped to attend Hale's funeral in their thousands to signify that they were not sorry. Hale wasn't popular. He wasn't 'a bad man,' but he was inclined to be bad with those that he could pick out, and a bad man in a quiet crowd is the most contemptible creation of heaven, accordin' to my gospel. And there you are. That's all the yarn and all there is to it. Only I'm some perplexed to know what has fetched him here and what he wants. I wish some that I spotted him when he put his head in here, and asked him to explain this sad mystery."

Then Gedge stopped and cooled his throat with something less harmful than Western brandy, and we also drank and were silent till Pillsbury said something.

"But, Keno, you threw out a dark hint that if you hadn't been a young fool, you might hev come to a sound conclusion as to what made this Smith so poor a thing when it came to gun-play with a man like Hale."