Page:Morley roberts--Painted Rock.djvu/23

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THE KILLING OF "SWEETWATER"

game. And I've noticed, by the way, that some of the galoots in business that are down on the gamblers are ready to run in a cold deck on a confidin' stranger with the best and worst of the gamblin' fraternity, of which me and Pillsbury are honourable members. And to go on, I don't sabe exactly the point that Smith and Hale fell out about, but fall out they did, and there was the possibility of a difficulty right there. Thishyer Hale has a gift, I don't deny it, and if it's a rare gift it is a mighty useful one. He could always smell out by instinct the man that was going to fight, and he smelt out that Smith warn't for some reason. Oh, it was a wonder to us boys, and we marvelled about it, for we hed reespected Smith considerable, and I was among them that did, and it sickened me to see the way that Hale walked over Smith. Being then like a young burro, and as full of conceit as a greaser with new bell spurs on, I never tumbled to the reason, and I grew cold to Smith and looked south when he was comin' west. And then one night the boys came and told me that Hale had slapped the face of

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