"Now, what's th' use of tellin' us that?" flared the bartender. "Don't you think we got ears?" "If you can't tell it right, shut up," said Idaho. "I can tell it right if you'll shut up!" retorted Silent. "As I said, he hears a moan, so he leaves th' safe an' goes to th' door. Then he hears a second moan, scratching', an'----" "Hey!" growled Ed indignantly. "What you talkin' about? Who in h--l ever heard of a second moan scratchin'----" "It was th' first that scratched," corrected Idaho. "He said it plain. You must be listenin' with yore feet." "If you'd gimme a chance to tell it--" began Silent, bridling. "Never mind my hearin' you," snapped Ed at Idaho. "I know what I heard. An' lemme tell you, Silent, you can't cram nothin' like that down my throat. Before you go any further, just explain to me how a moan can scratch! I'm allus willin' to learn, but I want things explained careful an' full." "He ain't quick-witted, like you an' me," said Johnny. "We understand how a scratch moans, but he's too dumb. Go on an' tell th' ignoramus." "If yo're so cussed quick-witted, will you please tell me what'n blazes you are talkin' about?" demanded Silent, truculently. "What do you mean by a scratch moans?" "That's what I want to know," growled Idaho. "You can't scratch moans. Cuss it, I reckon I ought to know, for I've tried to do it, more'n once, too." "Yo're dumber than Nelson," jeered Ed. "It's all plain to me." "What is?" snapped Idaho. "Moanin' scratches, that's what!" "Of a safe?" asked Johnny. "Then why didn't you say so? How'd _I_ know that you meant that. Go on, Silent." "You was at th' second moan," prompted Ed. "He scratched that," said Idaho. "He got as far as leavin' th' safe, 'though what he was doin' in there with it, I'd like to know. Reddy let you in?" "Look here, Idaho," scowled Silent. "I wasn't in there at all. You'll get me inter trouble, sayin' things like that. I was ten miles away when it happened." "Then why didn't you say so, at th' beginnin'?" asked Ed. "Ah!" triumphantly exclaimed Johnny. "Then you tell us how you could hear th' scratchin' an' moanin'; tell us that!" "That's all right, Nelson," said Idaho, soothingly. "He can hear more things when he's ten miles away than any man you ever knowed. Go ahead, Silent." "You go to h--l!" roared Silent, glaring. "You think yo're smart, don't you, _all_ of you? I was goin' to tell you about th' robbery, but now you can cussed well find it out for yoreselves! An' don't let me hear about any of you sayin' I was in that bank last night, neither! D--d fools!" and he stamped out, slamming the door behind him. "Blow an' be d--d!" he growled at the storm. "I'd ruther eat sand than waste time with them ijuts. 'Scratch moans!' Scratch _h--l_!"