She paused. He said nothing. Then she added: “But some folks say he got licked by a detective.”
With that she faced about, her eyes twinkling now. At sight of his wide grin she laughed out.
“Folks sometimes tell the truth,” he admitted. “But what about Snake and your pop?”
“Well——” She hesitated. “Snake’s got some kind of a hold onto pop, and they’ve been together a lot lately, and pop seems to be soberin’ up some. That sometimes means trouble for somebody. I dunno what’s up—I keep out of the way when Snake comes to the house, ’cause I don’t want him pesterin’ round me. But you better be careful.”
“H’m! Pestering around you? How?”
“Oh, he wants me to go and live with him. And he’s got a woman already—Lou Brackett. She’s been his woman ’most a year. But I ain’t a-goin’. Pop, he’d try to make me go, but mom won’t let him. She hates Snake ’most as bad as I do.”
Douglas gave a soundless whistle. Her matter-of-fact statement jolted him. Then his face hardened.
“Is he at your house now?” he demanded. “I didn’t come along the road—rambled along the creek—so I didn’t go past there.”
“What you want to know for?” She swiftly arose. “You keep away from Nigger Nat’s!”
For answer, he picked up his gun and turned toward the road. She sprang at him, grasping his arm.