Part 8 (1/2)
Pocket held his breath instinctively as their eyes met. Baumgartner answered with increased compa.s.sion and restraint, a grey look on his grey face:
”Something that happened this morning. I fear you will be wanted here in town about it.”
”Do tell me what, sir!”
”Can you face things, my young fellow?”
”Is it about my people-my mother?” the boy cried wildly, at her funeral in a flash.
”No-yourself.”
”Then I can!”
The doctor overcame his final hesitation.
”Do you remember a man we left behind us on the gra.s.s?”
”Perfectly; the gra.s.s looked as wet as it felt just now in my dream.”
”Exactly. Didn't it strike you as strange that he should be lying there in the wet gra.s.s?”
”I thought he was drunk.”
”He was dead!”
Pocket was shocked; he was more than shocked, for he had never witnessed death before; but next moment the shock was uncontrollably mitigated by a sudden view of the tragic incident as yet another adventure of that adventurous night. No doubt one to retail in reverential tones, but a most thrilling adventure none the less. He only failed to see why it should affect him as much as the doctor suggested. True, he might be called as witness at the inquest; his very natural density was pierced with the awkward possibility of that. But then he had not even known the man was dead.
Had the doctor?
Yes.
Pocket wondered why he had not been told at the time, but asked another question first.
”What did he die of?”
”A bullet!”
”Suicide?”
”No.”
”Not murder?”
”This paper says so.”
”Does it say who did it?”
”It cannot.”