Page:Morley roberts--Painted Rock.djvu/27

 "Well, I reckon Smith thought otherwise," said Gedge; "and as he didn't acquaint us with his reasons, and as I know he was a man beefore this unfort'nit incident, I hev a kind of notion that if we knew all we might say he did almost right, hard as it is to imagine it."

But Pillsbury shook his head sadly.

"I'm surprised to hear you talk so," said Pillsbury. Gedge did not answer, and a few minutes later he and I went away together, leaving the other gambler to think over the story. When we had gone a hundred yards, Gedge stopped and laid hold of my arm. He stared at me with his bright black eyes, and a queer smile stole over his face.

"Say," said he, "ain't Pillsbury a man that is blind to things outside of kyards? He has a mighty respect for me, and I'll not say it isn't justified, but I'll own to you that, years ago, a drunk cowboy over at El Paso kicked me, and then pulled a gun and ordered me out of the place, and I went as meek as a lamb. D'ye know why I done so?"

He looked as fierce as a trapped grizzly as he thought of this little incident.