第40章

Shock never knew how it happened.All he remembered was a quick rush of blood to his brain, a mad desire to punish the man who was brutally beating his pony, and then standing by the shaft of his buck-board waiting for the man to get up.

"Gad, sir!" exclaimed a voice over his shoulder, "that was a clever throw!" There was genuine admiration in the voice.

Shock looked up and saw an old gentleman, with white, close-cropped hair and moustache and erect military form, regarding him with admiration.He was riding a stout hunter, docked in English style.

"And served you perfectly right, Ike," continued the old gentleman.

"What business have you to strike any man's horse?""What the blank blank is he doing on the course?" said Ike wrathfully, as he slowly rose from the ground and came toward Shock.

"I say, stranger," he said, coming over near to Shock and looking him carefully in the eye, "I'll give you twenty-five dollars if you do that agin.You took me unbeknownst.Now, git to work."Shock's heart had got back to its right place and was beating its steady beat.The old scrimmage smile was on his face.

"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 Ido 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, "Nobody'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 attitude 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.Isaw my horse being abused, and--well, I acted a little hastily, Ifear."

"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 button."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 practitioner, 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.""Then," said the old gentleman, "you will need to kidnap him and wait till he sobers off.""I shall try," said Shock quietly.

The old gentleman stared at him.

"By Jove!" he said, "I believe you mean to.And if you do, you'll succeed.""Can you direct me to the house of Mr.Macfarren?" inquired Shock.

"Certainly.That is his house among the trees," pointing to a cottage with a verandah about it, which stood back some distance from the main street."But if you wish to see Mr.Macfarren, you will find him down at the other end of the street at the finishing post.He will be very busily engaged at the present, however, being one of the judges in this race, and if it is not of immediate importance I would advise your waiting till the race is over.But stay, here he comes.The man in the centre is Mr.Macfarren."As he spoke he pointed to a tall man, with a long, grizzled beard, riding a pony, followed by two younger men splendidly mounted.The elder of these was a man strongly built, face open and honest, but showing signs of hard living.He rode a powerful black horse, whose temper showed in his fierce snatching at the bit.Just now the horse was covered with foam, reddened at the flanks and mouth with blood.