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Updated: May 15, 2025
Then he passed on to the story of the Little Bluff River, as he had been told it by Smallbones. He assured her that now everybody, urged on by Smallbones, wanted to hang somebody, and, as far as he could make out, unless they quickly laid hands on the real culprit, Jim Thorpe was likely violently to terminate his checkered career over the one-way trail.
"Gott in himmel!" roared the corporal, turning back, and running out of the cabin, upsetting Smallbones, whom he met in the passage, and trotting, like an elephant, right over him.
Smallbones' challenge held the whole room silent. Jake, watching and listening, was astonished at the man's moral courage. But the chief interest was in the ex-ranch-foreman. What would he do? The question was swiftly answered. Jim's head went up, and a light laugh prefaced his words. "So I'm up against it?" he said calmly.
"It was you did it, mother; recollect it was not I," cried he. "I did it and you paid for it and all the gold is mine." "But are you quite sure that he is dead?" "Sure yes, and in judgment now, if there is any." Vanslyperken surveyed the body of Smallbones, who, although he had heard every word, lay without motion, for he knew his life depended on it.
The man returned with the brandy-and-water, with which Vanslyperken drank bon voyage to poor Smallbones. He then ordered the cutter to be put about, and as soon as she was round he went down into his cabin and turned in with greater satisfaction than he had for a long time. "We shall have got rid of him, at last, my poor dog," said he, patting Snarleyyow's head. "Your enemy is gone for ever."
Smallbones was then cast loose by the corporal, who was twirling up his cat, when Snarleyyow, whom the marine had not watched, ran up to the lad, and inflicted a severe bite.
Smallbones grinned diabolically, and Vanslyperken, who remembered all that the men had said in confirmation of his own opinion relative to Smallbones, turned pale, Smallbones, on his part, aware from Corporal Van Spitter that the lieutenant had such an idea, immediately took advantage of the signs in the lieutenant's countenance, and drawled out, "That's not so easy!" Vanslyperken turned away.
"It's as true as I stand here, sir," continued Smallbones; "I never were so cold in all my life, a-floating about like a bit of duck-weed with the tide, this way and that way." "As true as you stand here!" repeated Vanslyperken; "but do you stand here?" and he made a desperate grasp at the lad's arm to ascertain whether he held substance or shadow.
On all occasions of this kind the bravest becomes the best man and takes the lead; and Smallbones, who appeared more collected and less alarmed than the others, was now listened to with attention, and the crowd collected round him.
I mean to pretend to take every interest in him, and to get all his secrets, and then, when he tells me that Smallbones cannot be hurt by mortal man, I shall say he can by woman, at all events; and then I shall make a proposition, which he'll accept fast enough, and then I'll have more hanging matter for him, besides getting rid of the cur. Yes, yes, Mr Vanslyperken, match a woman if you can.
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