Bartender Dewey Smith noticed the two strangers as soon as they walked in the door. It was their manner that caused him to give them a second glance. Cautious was how he would have described it. Before walking into the crowded room, they scanned it from front to back. He was immediately reminded of the reason Hawk gave for being in town, and in Dewey’s opinion, these two looked like they might be the men Hawk was looking for. His next thought was that it was good that Hawk had left the saloon early, or there might possibly have been a second altercation in the saloon that night. As he expected, when the two decided they didn’t see what they were looking for, they walked on inside and headed for him.

“What’ll it be?” Dewey asked, making an effort to greet them as he would any stranger, when they stepped up to the bar.

“Give us a shot of your best whiskey,” Booth said. He figured they would get more of their questions answered if they tried to take a friendly approach. While Dewey poured a couple of drinks for them, Booth said, “It’s been a good while since we’ve been up this way. I expect it’s been a couple of years or more. Wouldn’t you say, Jesse?”

“Yep, I expect it has,” Jesse replied, aware of Booth’s friendly approach. “The town sure has changed a lot.”

“It sure has,” Booth commented. “This is the capital of Montana Territory now, ain’t it?” Dewey said that it was. The conversation continued through a second drink of whiskey. There were aimless questions about the town and the surrounding farms and ranches, until Booth got around to the issue they were concerned with. “We’ve got a friend who’s supposed to be up this way. I hear tell he might be in town now. It’d sure be somethin’ if we could run into him while we’re here. Wouldn’t it, Jesse?”

“It sure would,” Jesse agreed. “I bet he’d be tickled to see us.”

Booth waited for Dewey to ask who that friend was, but Dewey was already suspicious of the ominous pair’s intentions. And when he failed to take the bait, Booth went on. “Our friend’s name is Hawk, big feller, wears a feather in his hat. I’ll bet he’s been in here.”