"Partner," he said, "d'you swear this is straight?"
"So help me God!" repeated the perjurer.
"Then," said Mac Strann, "I got to leave the buryin' to other men what
I'll hire. Me--I've got business on hand. Where did Barry run to?"
"He ain't run," cried Haw-Haw, choking with a strange emotion. "The
fool--the damned fool!--is waiting right down here in O'Brien's bar for
you to come. He's _darin'_ you to come!"
Mac Strann made no answer. He cast a single glance at the peaceful face
of Jerry, and then started for the door. Haw-Haw waited until the door
closed; then he wound his arms about his body, writhed in an ecstasy of
silent laughter, and followed with long, shambling strides.
CHAPTER XVII
BUCK MAKES HIS GET-AWAY
Straight from the room of the dead man, Fatty Matthews had hurried down
to the bar, and there he stepped into the silence and found the battery
of eyes all turned upon that calm figure at the end of the room. Upon
this man he trotted, breathing hard, and his fat sides jostled up and
down as he ran. According to Brownsville, there were only two things
that could make Fatty run: a gun or the sight of a drink. But all maxims
err. When he reached Barry he struck him on the shoulder with a heavy
hand. That is, he struck at the shoulder, but as if the shadow of the
falling hand carried a warning before it, at the same time that it
dropped Barry swerved around in his chair.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138