Part 44 (1/2)
”Nope. I figured sure you must've climbed up top to goggle at me and you'd fess up once I claimed I saw you.”
”I told told you I'd done no such thing.” you I'd done no such thing.”
”Well, who'd admit it?”
”I'm not one to go about lying.”
”Me neither. Not as a general rule. But I wanted to catch you out.”
”Why should I care care to goggle at you?” I blurted. to goggle at you?” I blurted.
”You know why.”
I certainly did know why, but I wasn't about to admit it. So I kept mum.
By and by, Jesse said, ”I seen how you look at me, Trevor Bentley.”
My face heated up, but I doubt it was noticeable in the firelight. ”Malarkey,” I said.
”I don't blame you none for it. You're just a feller. They can't help that sort of thing.”
”You're roaming up the wrong trail, Jesse.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, and a corner of her mouth turned up. ”Why, you can go on denying it till your face turns blue, I know what I know.”
”Seems to me that you hold quite a high opinion of yourself.”
”I sure do. That's a fact. A mighty high opinion. That's how come I don't allow myself to get jumped on by every lowlife sidewinder that takes a fancy to me.”
”I've not not taken a fancy to you.” taken a fancy to you.”
”Sure have.”
”Am I a lowlife sidewinder, then?”
”Don't reckon you are.”
”Thank you kindly, ma'am.”
”That don't mean I'll let you jump on me.”
”I've no intention of jumping on you, actually. You're the one who's done all the jumping on folks, so far.”
She let out a soft laugh. ”Long as you leave the jumping to me, we'll get along fine.”
We went quiet after that, and just sat there watching the fire for a spell. Then the wind kicked up, so Jesse fetched my blanket. She brought it back, sat down beside me, and wrapped it around both of us. I scooted closer to her and our arms touched. That earned me a wary glance.
”Quite sorry,” I said.
”Oh, never mind. It ain't your fault I'm touchy.”
”Whose fault is it, then?”
”Chester Frank and Charlie Gunderson and Jim Dexter, I reckon. Bobbie Joe Sims and Karl Williams, Bennie Anderson, Danny Sayles, Hank Dappy, Ben Travis, Billy 'One-Eye' Cooper.” She took a deep breath, then went on, ”Randy Jones, Ephram and Silas Henry, Reverand Haymarket, Jack Quincy. Did I mention Farley Hunnecker?”
”I don't believe so.”
”Well, then, Farley too. And Gary Hobbs, Dix Talman, Robert E. Lee Smith, a dimwit called Grunt-I never caught his real name. Then there was 'Sweet Sam' Bigelow and...”
”By Jove,” said I. ”How can you recall such a string of names?”
”You ain't likely to forget the names of such swine.”
”What did they do do to you?” to you?”
”It ain't what they did, it's what they tried tried to do.” to do.”
”Every one one of those chaps?” of those chaps?”
”There's more. You didn't let me finish.”
”They all all tried to...have a go at you?” tried to...have a go at you?”
”One way or another. See, I didn't have no one to look out for me. I reckon that was partly the trouble. My ma, she pa.s.sed on when she gave birth to me, and my pa was a d.a.m.n drunk. He tried me a few times himself, but I learned him better.”
”Your own father?”
”He was just as low as the rest of 'em. Lower than most. But it was Clem Catlow that was the last straw. Clem was big as a tree, a boxer. He rode into town to fight Irish Johnny O'Rourke, one of our local boys, and KO'd Johnny in the first round. Same night, he followed me when I went to walk home. I worked in the kitchen there at the Lone Star Steak Emporium on Third Street. Anyhow, he stumbled along after me and sweet-talked me some. I gave him a piece of my mind, but he wasn't one to be put off. Finally, he took hold and hauled me into an alley. I says to myself, 'It's him or me.' I'm a mighty tough sc.r.a.pper.” She looked at me and hoisted an eyebrow.
”You are that,” I said.
”But I knew I weren't no match for Clem Catlow. One good whack, and he'd likely knock my head crooked. I yelled and begged, but it weren't no use. He threw me down and took to ripping off my duds, so I had no choice but to kill him.”
Just when she said that, thunder rumbled through the night. It sounded some ways off, but we frowned at each other.
”You killed killed him?” I asked, whispering as if to keep the storm from hearing my voice and coming after us. him?” I asked, whispering as if to keep the storm from hearing my voice and coming after us.
”Tore him up with my Bowie knife. Let me tell you, it was no easy job squeezing out from under him afterward, either. But I managed it. Then I ran on home and got my things together and saddled up Pa's horse and lit out.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE.
The Gullywasher ”I stabbed a man myself,” I told her. ”It was in an alley, too.”
Jesse looked at me. ”No,” she said.
”Yes, indeed. He and others had a go at robbing me. Then I was pursued by a mob and...Why, I would be in England yet if not for that.”