Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/135

 her gun! What'd you think if a lady kinda hauled off, careless like, and plugged you through?"

"I'd be astonished," Urleigh admitted.

"I was hurt, I knowed how bad, too! I stumbled out over the stern and the water wa'n't deep, hard sand bottom. I got ashore, and ran up the sandbar, and I took some more snow, like I said. It made me crazy. That's all there was to it, from what I can see, or you can see, or any man can see, ain't it?"

"That's all—perhaps she was frightened."

"Frightened? Hell! That's what got me to thinking. She just drawed her gun, kinda smiled, and let go! If she'd acted scairt—you see yourself! If a lady's scairt, and shoots you, you understand. Likely you apologize. Anyhow, you ain't sore. You understand, even if you didn't mean no harm, but she meant it! She smiled, I tell you, when she plugged me. She was satisfied. I tell you, she's bad, that woman. A woman like that ain't no right to be bad, I tell you. Why, damn it, she's pretty! She's beautiful. A man don't expect that kind to be mean, and smiling about it. I've been all around. Paris and London, and N'Orleans, and New York, and Chicago; why, I didn't find no woman anywhere, not like her! I tell you, that's what she was waiting for—a chance to plug me. What for? You got any idea what for?"