CHAPTER V 

 WE MEET DOUBTFUL CHARACTERS 



/^NE day, on stopping at a store to buy some 

 ^^ feed, just before reaching the crossing of a 

 timbered creek, we noticed two saddled horses 

 hitched to the fence and on entering the store 

 found two well-armed, rough-looking fellows loung- 

 ing about, one of whom seemed to be half tipsy. 

 The store was also a post-office and presided over 

 by a very old man. 



While Tom and the storekeeper retired to a 

 back room to measure out some grain, the two 

 ruffians began to manifest considerable interest 

 in our affairs, asking many questions, to all of 

 which Jack and I, who had left the team stand- 

 ing in the road and walked up to the store, gave 

 rather curt answers. 



Apparently not satisfied with our replies, the 

 drunken fellow staggered out toward our team, 

 remarking to his more sober companion: 



"Joe, let's take a look at their outfit." 



We paid little apparent attention to them but 

 quietly watched every movement they made, for 

 we began to suspect that these were some of the 

 robbers we had heard of. 



Each of the men carried a pair of revolvers hung 



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