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Saainst what?" he inquired

"Against that!" Horton struck the mountain man across the face with

his open hand Instantly, there was a coled with a chorus of inarticulate protest Samson

had risen, and, for a second, his face had beco of

unspeakable passion His hand instinctively swept toward his pocket--

and stopped half-way He stood by his overturned chair, gazing into the

eyes of his assailant, with an effort at self-ave his

chest and ar under

electrocution Then, he forced both hands to his back and gripped them

there For a moment, the tableau was held, then the , slowly and in a tone of dead-level monotony

Each syllable was portentously distinct and clear clipped

"Maybe you knohy I don't kill you Maybe you don't I don't

give a damn whether you do or not That's the first blow I've ever

passed I ain't going to hit back You need a friend pretty bad

just now For certain reasons, I' is a daht here to murder you?" He turned suddenly to Farbish