His
first instinct was to retreat, but it was too late. And the spirits had
warmed him into temporary recklessness.
"You ain't goin' to be backed down by a short-card gambler, are yer?"
said Steptoe, with coarse familiarity.
"I have a lady with me, and am pressed for time," said Van Loo quickly.
"He knows it, otherwise he would not have dared"--
"Well, look here," said Steptoe roughly. "I ain't particularly sweet on
you, as you know; but I and these gentlemen," he added, glancing around
the room, "ain't particularly sweet on Mr. Jack Hamlin neither, and we
kalkilate to stand by you if you say so. Now, I reckon you want to
get away with the woman, and the quicker the better, as you're afraid
there'll be somebody after you afore long. That's the way it pans out,
don't it? Well, when you're ready to go, and you just tip us the wink,
we'll get in a circle round Jack and cover him, and if he starts after
you we'll send him on a little longer journey!--eh, boys?"
The men muttered their approval, and one or two drew their revolvers
from their belts. Van Loo's heart, which had leaped at first at this
proposal of help, sank at this failure of his little plan of abandoning
Mrs. Barker. He hesitated, and then stammered, "Thank you! Haste is
everything with us now; but I shouldn't mind leaving the lady among
CHIVALROUS GENTLEMEN like yourselves for a few hours only, until I
could communicate with my friends and return to properly chastise this
scoundrel.
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