"
"Then what in the world made Sandy freeze while his hand was on the
way to his gun?"
"I dunno," sighed Dan, "but when I see his hand start movin' I sort of
wanted his blood--I _wanted_ him to keep right on till he got hold of
his gun--and maybe he seen it in my eyes an' that sort of changed his
mind."
"I haven't the least doubt that it did," said Calder grimly.
At the foot of the table Jacqueline's right-hand neighbour was saying:
"What happened, Jac?"
"Don't ask me," she replied. "All I know is that I don't think any
less of Sandy because he backed down. I saw that stranger's face
myself an' I'm still sort of weak inside."
"How did he look?"
"I dunno. Jest--jest _hungry_. Understand?"
She was silent for a time, but she was evidently thinking hard. At
last she turned to the same man.
"Did you hear Brown-eyes say that the broad-shouldered feller next to
him was his friend?"
"Sure. I seen them ride in together. That other one looks like a hard
nut, eh?"
She returned no answer, but after a time her eyes raised slowly and
rested for a long moment on Dan's face. It was towards the end of
the meal when she rose and went towards the kitchen.
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