Here's a short story:

CHAPTER III. 

AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. 

"Who ever saw such a downpour before?" growled one of the three men, as he switched the water from his soft felt hat. "I'm wet to the skin." 

"I'm no better off," replied one of the others. "I think we were fools to leave Macklin's place, Gilroy." 

"Just what I think, Fetter," said the third man. "We could have waited as well as not." 

"Yes, we could have waited, Potts," answered Matt Gilroy; "but, to tell the truth, I don't want to trust Macklin too far. He might play us foul." 

"He wouldn't dare to do that," returned Gus Fetter. 

"Why not--if he thought he would get a reward?" came from Nat Potts, the youngest of the trio. "One thing is certain, Macklin is crazy to make money." 

"I know a thing or two of Macklin's past--that's why," went on Gus Fetter. "If he got us into trouble I wouldn't keep silent about him, and he knows it." 

"Macklin is slippery, no two ways about it," said Matt Gilroy, as he took off his jacket and wrung the water out. "I am not inclined to trust him, and that is all there is to it." 

"Did he ever belong to the old gang?" questioned Nat Potts. "Some say he did, and some say he didn't." 

"He was a hanger-on, that's all," came from Matt Gilroy. "He was always afraid to take the chances of being shot, but was on hand when the spoils were divided. They used him as a messenger and a spy, but I don't believe he ever really helped to hold up a coach."  (End of story)

Provide your best guess for the following question. Give ONLY the guess, no other words or explanation.

For example:

Guess: <most likely guess, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the guess!>

Question: Whose place had the men left?

Macklin