Corliss shoved the door open with his knee. The interior was heavy
with smoke. Near the stove knelt Sundown trying to encourage the smoke
to more perpendicular behavior. He coughed. "She ain't good in her
intentions, this here stove. One time she goes and the next time she
stays and takes a smoke. Her innards is out of gear. Whew!"

"The damper has slipped down," said Corliss.

"Her little ole chest-pertector is kind o' worked down toward her
stummick. There, now she feels better a'ready."

"Cooking chuck?" queried Corliss, glancing round the bare room.

"Rabbit," replied Sundown. "When I hit this here hotel I was hungry.
I seen a rabbit--not this here one, but the other one. This one was
settin' in a bunch of-brush on me right-of-way. I was behind and
runnin' to make up time. I kind o' seen the leetle prairie-dog give me
the red to slow down, but it was too late. Hit his cyclone cellar with
me right driver, and got wrecked. This here leetle wad o' cotton was
under me steam-chest. No other passengers hurt, except the engineer."

Corliss laughed. "You're a railroad man, I take it. Belong in this
country?"

Sundown rose from his knees and backed away from the stove. "Nope.
Don't belong anywhere, I guess. My address when I'm to home is Sundown
Slim, Outdoors, Anywhere, speakin' general."

"Come in afoot?"