It was Roger who introduced first himself, then Charlie, who dipped his paper in acknowledgment, and Harold, who set down the news and looked at Dean over the top of his glasses, curious about the visit.
"I'm looking for a little information," Dean added as he took an empty seat.
"I thought you might be looking for a few votes," said Harold as Charlie slowly folded his newspaper and lifted his coffee cup.
"That, too," Dean said.
"If you're looking for an opinion, we have an abundance of those," Roger offered. "No charge-any subject."
"I might need a little of that as well, but mostly I'm trying to track down a guy named Josh who worked in mining in Ouray back in the 1960's."
"Clearing up some old cases, are you?" Harold asked.
"It's sort of complicated," Dean answered.
"Do you have a last name?" Harold asked. "Asking about Josh-the-miner is like asking about Joe-with-a-moustache or John-who-drives-a-snowplow. There's lots of 'em."
"Did he work up at the Idarado?" Charlie asked, mentioning the area's last major mining operation.
"The last name is one of the things I'd like to know. He may have worked up at The Lucky Pup Mine."
"The Lucky Pup?" Roger said. "I haven't been up that way in years. It's all sealed off anyway."
"It wasn't earlier this week," Dean answered. "I was up there."
"That's so? It used to be closed tighter than a kiddie cap on a pill bottle. Had a heavy wooden door with a big ol' paddle lock. Kid's must have opened it up."
"Where is it?" asked Charlie.
"Governor's Basin. It was Blackie Rowland's old workings, back during the war," Roger answered.
"Blackie, the mayor?" asked Charlie.
"Same. He drowned, remember? Around the start of the war," Roger continued. "But no one's worked the Lucky Pup in decades."
"My pa used to play cards with Blackie Rowland. Always said he cheated," Harold added.
"As bad as old Sam Hutchins? There was a guy could take your money," Charlie offered. "I never heard anyone who bettered Sam at poker. There was a clan of 'em, those Hutchins boys. Most of 'em worked the Idarado Mine."
Dean was anxious to not hear about the Hutchins clan but in politeness let the conversation drift a while before he interrupted. "Do you know who bought the Lucky Pup?" he finally asked.
Harold and Charlie shook their heads no. Roger said he'd heard it was some investor from out west. Then he added, "It may be part of that parcel of land they're squabbling about over at the courthouse."
"That's right," Dean said. "A man named Dawkins bought the mine from the Rowland estate. Is that name familiar?"