Part 11 (2/2)
Well, it riles the boys around these parts. Quade comes up to him and takes him aside.
”'Look here,' he says, 'why don't you dance with one girl instead of hogging them all?'
”'I don't dance,' says Jig.
”'Why do you stay if you won't dance?' asks Quade.
”'It is my privilege,' says Jig, smiling in that ornery way of his, like his thoughts was too big for an ordinary gent to understand 'em.
”'You stay an' dance an' welcome,' says Quade, 'but if you won't dance, get out of here and go home where you belong. You're spoiling the party for us, keeping all the girls over here.'
”'Is that a threat?' says Jig, smiling in that way of his.
”'It sure is. And most particular I want you to keep away from Sally Bent. You hear?'
”'You take advantage of your size,' says Jig.
”'Guns even up sizes,' says Quade.
”'Thank you,' says Jig. 'I'll remember.'
”Right after that he went home because he was afraid that Quade would give him a dressing. But they was bad feelings between him and Quade.
They was a devil in them eyes of Jig's when he looked at big Quade. I seen it, and I knowed they'd be trouble!” Lodge then retired.
”Gents,” said his honor, ”it looks kind of black for the prisoner. We know that Gaspar had a grudge agin' Quade, and that he bought a gun big enough to kill a man. It sure looks black for you, Gaspar.”
The prisoner looked steadily at Sinclair. There was something unsettling in that gaze.
”All we got to make sure of,” said the judge, ”is that that quarrel between Gaspar and Quade was strong enough to make Gaspar want to kill him, and--”
”Your honor,” broke in Gaspar, ”don't you see that I could never kill a man?” The prisoner stretched out his hands in a gesture of appeal to Sinclair.
Riley gritted his teeth. Suddenly a chill had pa.s.sed through him at the thought of the hanging noose biting into that frail, soft throat. ”You shut up till you're asked to talk,” he said, frowning savagely. ”I think we got a witness here that'll prove that you _did_ have sufficient cause to make you want to get rid of Quade. And, if we have that proof, heaven help you. Montana, go get Sally Bent!”
Gaspar started up with a ring in his voice. ”No, no!”
In response to a gesture from Sinclair, Denver Jim jerked the prisoner back onto the black rock. With blazing blue eyes, Gaspar glared at the judge, his delicate lips trembling with unspoken words.
Sinclair knew, with another strange falling of the heart, that the prisoner was perfectly aware that his judge had not the slightest suspicion of his guilt. An entente was established between them, an entente which distressed Sinclair, and which he strove to destroy. But, despite himself, he could not get rid of the knowledge that the great blue eyes were fixed steadily upon him, as if begging him to see that justice was done. Consequently, the judge made himself as impersonal as possible.
9
Sally Bent came willingly, even eagerly. It was the eagerness of an angry woman who wanted to talk.
”What is your name?”
”A name you'll come to wish you'd never heard,” said the girl, ”if any harm comes to John Gaspar. Poor Jig, they won't _dare_ to touch a hair of your head!”
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