“Quite an idea!” Cock Eye approved. “Tha’s all right! But why’d you want it clean for that?” “I didn’t know they was going to put warm water in it. I thought it was for feedin’ or something.” “’Tain’t your lady had the baby?” “No, sir, ’taint. There’s a sickly feller there, the husband, I expect. An old woman come over to my wagon about a bottle. So I come up an’ got it. I’m just lookin’ around myself.” Cock Eye went on his way. He rolled in his mind this new opportunity. By the time night had come and he was in his white apron behind the bar, he was ready for the boys to come in, which they did in due course. “Say,” he said, “’member that feller come in last night to get a bottle--empty? Well, I met’m up the street today. He did want it for a baby. There’s a lady had a kid down’t the strollers’ camp and an old woman sent him for it, so’s they could put warm water into it, to warm the baby’s stomach when it ached.” “Say, ain’t that funny? You did hit it, didn’t you, Cock Eye? You jes’ knowed it was for a baby-- Huh! Water, too. Say, tha’s funny, ain’t it? Cock Eye spots a feller wants an empty bottle f’r a baby. What’d he want a clean bottle f’r, anyhow?” “He didn’t know’t was for a warmer. He thought it was to feed the kid out of. Old woman sent him for it. He come here.” “Tha’s funny--come here f’r an empty bottle!” one of the boys laughed. “Le’s have a drink!” * * * * * Around the Square in Boxelder the boys told about Cock Eye, the empty bottle and the stroller down at the campground, where there was a lady had a baby. The stranger again came uptown and shambled to the Emporium, went to the post office and headed down the creek to the camp, his arms carrying packages. He was pointed out, and people laughed. He was the fellow who asked Cock Eye for an empty bottle. That was funny. He wanted it to put on a baby’s stomach, too. “Who are you?” The city marshal, Pete Culder, softened his insult to the stranger by adding, “If it’s any of my business?” “Why, my name’s Frank Hesbern,” the man answered readily enough. “I’m kind of looking around for a new country to settle in.” “Understand you got a baby with the stomach ache?” “Me? Oh, my, no! ’Tain’t my baby. I never did get to marry. It’s a lady’s. She’s camped on the flat. The man he’s sickly. The old lady asked me to get an empty flat bottle to put on the kid’s stomach, tha’s all.” “I see--” Culder nodded--“that’s funny!” “What?” Hesbern’s gray eyes squinted. “The baby was crying, sir. They wanted to put warm water on its stomach, ’count of the ache.” The city marshal laughed and strolled on while Hesbern watched him wonderingly. Thereafter in the days that followed, sometimes one, sometimes five or six inquirers would speak to the stroller, asking him about the empty bottle. After listening to the explanation they would say: “That’s funny!” Then they would go on their way, leaving the awkward stranger puzzled more and more.