Rough Shan looked into the ominous tube and slowly released his grip. “Don’t ye get gay wid that gun!” he warned. “I could have ye jailed for pointin’ it at me.”
The little man’s bright eyes twinkled behind the sights. “If she went off as she’s pointin’ now you wouldn’t know what happened,” he announced gravely.
Joe backed up alongside him. “We’re not looking for trouble,” said he, “but the man who tries any funny business with that dam will get hurt. Go ahead with your sluicing, or my drive will be down on top of you.”
“Will it?” said McCane. “Then, let me tell ye this, young felly, it’ll stop till I get through. I’ll sluice when I please.” Behind him his men growled angrily. He shook his fist and roared, forth a flood of blasphemy.
To Joe’s utter amazement it was answered by Cottrell. The little man’s language was fairly blood-curdling. His words snapped and crackled with venom. Such a “cursing out” had never been heard along the Wind. Finally his voice cracked.
“Burn our camp, would ye?” he croaked hoarsely in conclusion. “Hang our drive, would ye? Blow a dam on us, an’ think for to do it again! The man that takes a stick of powder near it will never draw his pay. See them birds!”
Fifty yards away two woodpeckers clung to the bark of a tree, hopping and tapping in search of the worms that were their food. Dave Cottrell’s rifle swung to his shoulder. Two reports followed, spaced inappreciably by the jangle of the magazine action. Two mangled masses of bloody feathers fell from the tree. The little man regarded the unkempt crew with evil eyes.
“Lemme see one o’ ye make a bad move!” he challenged, and there was death in his voice.
Not a man made a move, bad or otherwise. Cottrell chose a spot overlooking the packed logs and the sliding water of the sluiceway. There he sat down, rifle on knees, and smoked. He had apparently talked himself out, for he answered Joe’s remarks with customary brevity.
In half an hour McCane quit sluicing. He and his crew came ashore and lit their pipes, lounging in the sun. The men from the rear came in and the whole camp rested. This continued all day. It was evident that McCane had a purpose in view. With the fall of night Joe and Cottrell moved down on the dam. The stars gave an intermittent light. The banks were deep in shadow, but objects could be made out on the river.