They had driven half way to Bidwell and all of them had
fallen into a drunken sleep, when the horse became frightened at something
in the road and ran away. The buggy was overturned and they were all thrown
into the road. One of the young men had an arm broken and Pen Beck's coat
was almost torn in two. He paid the young man's doctor's bill and settled
with Clyde Neighbors for the damage to the buggy.
For a long time the story of the merchant's adventure did not leak out, and
when it did, but a few intimate friends of the young men knew it. Then it
reached the ears of Smoky Pete. On the day he heard it he could hardly bear
to wait until evening came. He hurried to Ben Head's saloon, had two drinks
of whisky and then went to stand with the loafers before Birdie Spinks'
drug store. At half past seven Pen Beck turned into Main Street from Cherry
Street, where he lived. When he was more than three blocks away from the
crowd of men before the drug store, Smoky Pete's roaring voice began to
question him. "Well, Penny, my lad, so you went for a night among the
ladies?" he shouted. "You've been fooling around with my girl, Nell Hunter,
over at the county seat. I'd like to know what you mean. You'll have to
make an explanation to me."
The merchant stopped and stood on the sidewalk, unable to decide whether to
face his tormentor or flee. It was just at the quiet time of the evening
when the housewives of the town had finished their evening's work and stood
resting by the kitchen doors.
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