It seemed to Pen Beck that Smoky Pete's voice
could be heard for a mile. He decided to face it out and if necessary to
fight the blacksmith. As he came hurriedly toward the group before the
drug store, Smoky Pete's voice took up the story of the merchant's wild
night. He stepped out from the men in front of the store and seemed to be
addressing himself to the whole street. Clerks, merchants, and customers
rushed out of the stores. "Well," he cried, "so you made a night of it with
my girl Nell Hunter. When you sat with her in the back room of the saloon
you didn't know I was there. I was hidden under a table. If you'd done
anything more than bite her on the neck I'd have come out and called you to
time."
Smoky Pete broke into a roaring laugh and waved his arms to the people
gathered in the street and wondering what it was all about. It was for him
one of the really delicious spots of his life. He tried to explain to the
people what he was talking about. "He was with Nell Hunter in the back room
of a saloon over at the county seat," he shouted. "Edgar Duncan and Dave
Oldham saw him there. He came home with them and the horse ran away. He
didn't commit adultery. I don't want you to think that happened. All that
happened was he bit my best girl, Nell Hunter, on the neck. That's what
makes me so mad. I don't like to have her bitten by him. She is my girl and
belongs to me.
Pages:
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247