swiftly. "Here's how!" and down it went.

Ordinarily red-eye heated his blood and made his brain dizzy, it loosened
his tongue and numbed his lips, but today it left him cool, confident, and
sharpened his vision until he felt that he could see through the minds of
every one in the room. Captain Lorrimer, for instance, was telling a
jocular story to Chick Stewart in the hope that Chick would set them up for
every one; and old Lew Perkins was waiting for the treat; and perhaps the
sheriff was wondering how he could handle Vic in case of need, or how long
it would take to run him down. Not long, decided Gregg, breathing hard; no
man in the world could put him on the run. Glass was treating in turn, and
again the brimming drink went down Vic's throat and left his brain clear,
wonderfully clear. He saw through Betty Neal now; she had purposely played
off Blondy against him, to make them both jealous.

"Won't you join us, Dad?" the sheriff was saying to Lew Perkins, and Vic
Gregg smiled. He understood. The sheriff wanted an excuse to order another
round of drinks because he had it in mind to intoxicate Gregg; perhaps
Glass had something on him; perhaps the manhunter thought that Vic had had
a part in that Wilsonville affair two years back. That was it, and he
wanted to make Vic talk when he was drunk.

"Don't mind if I do," Lew said, slapping both hands on the bar as if he
owned it; and while he waited for his drink: "What are they going to do
with Swain?"

The doddering idiot! Swain was the last man Glass had taken, and Lew
Perkins should have known that the sheriff never talked about his work; the
old ass was in his green age, his second childhood.