The blood of courage case-hardens a muscle.
They looked at each other, these two men whose relationship, never
agreeable, was nearing a crisis. Starbuck's voice was never softer than
when he said: "Won't you sit down, Lije?"
"Hardly wuth while. Did the folks tell you that I was over here earlier
in the day?"
"Nobody said anythin' about it, Lije. Couldn't have been very
important--what you said to 'em on that occasion."
Peters cleared his rasp-like throat. "Mo' important than some folks mout
think."
"Some folks don't think," Starbuck replied.
"And then ag'in," said Peters, "thar air others that does."
"Ah, hah, an' ef you air one of 'em, out with what you air thinkin'. Up
in the hills one time a dog bit an old feller, and his son's cotch the
dog an' put a rope around his neck to hang him. But they kept on a
standin' thar till finally the old feller 'low: 'Say, boys, when you've
got to hang a dog, do it as quick as you kin. Do you see whut I am a
drivin' at?"
Peters gave a gurgling, mirthless chuckle; and loose-jointed, shifted
his weight from one leg to the other.
Pages:
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79