Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/143

 for a few weeks. One night people heard shooting out in the shantyboat, and next day the boat was gone. Guess what happened?"

"What?"

"She was changing her man; if a man's got a wife down here, she has two good bets to lose him: one is to shoot him and throw him overboard; t'other is to just get him 'vorced to Mendova. Both ways has their advantage for a lady."

"Do many women trip the river alone?"

"Not many. That's what beats me about that Delia. Lawse! She's a high-steppin' good looker. You'd ought to seen her. She stood up straight, and good looking and solid! You know, some women stand up all right, but they look soft and squashy. She stood up different—like a statue on a pedestal, but alive! First along, I didn't notice her much, but down below Paducah, I couldn't help but notice. I know how a wild cat feels, now, after it's been and stepped into a bait trap. First along, I didn't notice much, thinking of other things. Then I walked right slam into it. Bang!"

"What would she bait you on for?" Urleigh asked, casually. "What would she bait me on for? Didn't she know what'd happened? How do I know how she found out? But she knows! You bet she knowed!