Part 24 (2/2)

”But I do not want to do it again, and I did take you unawares.”

”Look-a-here,” said Ike, touching Shock with his forefinger on the breast, ”do you think you kin do it agin?”

”Don't know that I could,” said Shock quietly. ”But I do know that I do not intend to try. And, in fact, I do not know how it was done.”

”Ikey does,” drawled a voice.

There was a delighted roar from the crowd that had gathered round. Ike looked round the circle of grinning men for a second or two.

”Say,” he said slowly, ”if any blank, blank son of a she-ape thinks he knows how to do that trick when I'm a-watchin', here's his opportunity right naouw--fer fun, or fer money, or,” lowering his voice and thrusting forward his face a little, ”fer blood.”

The laugh died out from the crowd. There was a silence for a moment or two, and then the same voice drawled, ”n.o.body's hungry, I guess, Ikey,”

and Ike turned from them with a grunt of contempt.

”Now,” he said, coming back to Shock, ”I'd like to hear you talk.”

Ike threw himself into an att.i.tude of defence, but Shock's position never changed, nor did the smile fade from his face.

”I have nothing to say except that I do not know how it happened. I saw my horse being abused, and--well, I acted a little hastily, I fear.”

”Hastily!” exclaimed the old gentleman, who had remained in the crowd.

”Nonsense! Perfectly right, I say, and Ike knows it. What would you do, Ike, if you saw a fellow pounding Slipper over the ears?”

”Poundin' Slipper?” said Ike slowly, pausing to turn his quid of tobacco in his cheek. ”Poundin' Slipper,” he repeated with even greater deliberation. ”Knock his blank face into the back of his head.”

”Then it seems to me, Ike, you were let off easy.” The old gentleman smiled grimly down upon the cowboy, who was still wrathful, but more puzzled than wrathful. The smiling man at the pony's head looked so thoroughly good-natured that it was hard to push a quarrel, but still Ike's dignity had been injured.

”What I beg to remark is,” he continued, returning to the attack, ”kin he do it agin? Does he have any lingerin' suspicion that he is capable of that act?” Ike reserved his best English for serious occasions. ”If he does, I'm willin' he should extemporise at it.”

”Good man, Ikey!” drawled the voice again from the crowd. ”I'll back Ikey to his last pant's b.u.t.ton.”

Shock stood silent and smiling, while Ike stood facing him, more and more puzzled. Shock was an entirely new experience. He would not fight, he would not run away, he would not even get angry.

At this point the old gentleman interfered.

”Now, Ikey,” he said, ”it is time you were learning some manners. This gentleman is no pugilist. He has neither the desire nor the intention of fighting you, which is perhaps all the better for you. That is a poor way to treat a stranger the first day he arrives in our town.

Perhaps you will allow me to be of some service to you,” he said, turning to Shock.

”Thank you,” said Shock simply. ”I am in need of a doctor first of all.

Two of my friends at Loon Lake are very ill. Is there a doctor in this town?”

”There is,” replied the old gentleman. ”Dr. Burton. But I very much fear that he will hardly be fit for service to-day. Unfortunately, our doctor, though a remarkably clever pract.i.tioner, is not always--well, to be quite frank, he is very frequently drunk. Get him sober and he will do you good service.”

”How shall I accomplish that?” asked Shock, with a feeling of despair in his heart, thinking of the Old Prospector in his pain and of little Patsy lying in semi-unconsciousness in the back room of the Loon Creek Stopping Place. ”I must have a doctor. I cannot go back without one.”

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