33
The Fall of a Chieftain
HERE never was such an overturn in this world. Each of these six men was as
though he had been struck. But with Silver the blow passed almost instantly.
Every thought of his soul had been set full-stretch, like a racer, on that money;
well, he was brought up, in a single second, dead; and he kept his head, found
his temper, and changed his plan before the others had had time to realize the
disappointment.
“Jim,” he whispered, “take that, and stand by for trouble.”
And he passed me a double-barrelled pistol.