“Needn’t tell me nuthin’ ’bout Jedge Gwinnan. ‘Jeemes’ air what they call him over yander in Kildeer County. An’ ‘Jim,’ too,” said Mrs. Sayles. “I knowed a woman ez knowed that man’s mother whenst he war a baby.”
“Waal, he’s changed some sence then. He ain’t a baby now. Mink kep’ a-talkin’ ter his gyards ’bout Gwinnan, an’ swearin’ Gwinnan had spited him in the trial,—put Pete Rood on the jury an’ sent ’em ter jail, an’ tole the sher’ff ter look arter his prisoner or he’d escape the night Pete Rood fell dead, an’ tole ’em how ter keep the crowd from rescuin’ him, an’ all sech ez that. An’ what d’ ye reckon Mink ’lowed Gwinnan hed done it fur? ’Kase Gwinnan hed tuk a notion hisself ter Lethe Sayles, an’ ’lowed Mink warn’t good enough fur her.”
The incongruity of the idea impressed none of them. They all looked silently expectant as Mrs. Jessup went on:—
“Waal, Mink swore ez some day he’d git his chance, an’ he’d git even with Gwinnan, sure. An’ ’Lijah, he seen ez Mink war a-lookin’ at Jedge Gwinnan,—the jedge, he war a-goin’ down on the train ter Glaston, an’ then out ter wharever he war a-goin’ ter hold court, an’ he war a-smokin’ in the ‘smokin’-kyar,’ ’Lijah say they call it, whar they hed Mink. An’ ’Lijah say Mink looked at Gwinnan with his mouth sorter open, an’ his jaw sorter drapped, an’ his eyes ez set ez ef he war a wild beastis.”
Once more the wind, tumultuous, pervasive, with all the vast solitudes given over to it, swept down the mountain with shrill acclaim.
“Goin’ ter hev some weather arter this,—ye mind my words,” said Mrs. Sayles, listening a moment.
“Waal, ’Lijah never thunk nuthin’ mo’, an’ Mink kep’ his eyes ter hisself the rest o’ the way. When they got ter Glaston the gyards sorter waited fur the t’other folks ter git out fust, an’ then they started. Waal, ’Lijah say the dep’ty he jumped off’n the platform fust, an’ tole Mink ter kem on. An’ the dep’ty—’Lijah say the dep’ty set a heap o’ store by Mink—he war a-tellin’ Mink ter look how many tracks an’ locomotives an’ sech thar war in the depot, an’ not noticin’ Mink much. An’ ’Lijah say he seen Mink dart ter one side; he ’lowed Mink war makin’ a bust ter git away. Naw, sir! Gwinnan hed stopped by the side o’ the kyar ter speak ter a man. ’Lijah say he felt like he war a-dreamin’ when he seen Mink lift up both his handcuffed hands an’ bring the irons down on the jedge’s head. ’Lijah say him an’ the dep’ty an’ the t’other gyard hed thar pistols out in a second. But they war feared ter shoot, fur the jedge, stiddier drappin’ on the groun’, whurled roun’ an’ grabbed the man ez hit him. He got Mink by the throat, an’ held on ter him same ez a painter or sech. He nearly strangled Mink ter death, though the jedge war fairly blinded with his own blood. Mink writhed an’ wriggled so they couldn’t tell one man from t’other. The gyards war feared ter shoot at Mink, ’kase they mought kill the jedge. They tore Mink loose at last. They ’lowed his face war black ez ef he hed been hung. He won’t tackle Gwinnan agin in a hurry. Ye ’lowed Gwinnan war a feeble infant, mother; he ain’t very feeble now. Though he did faint arterward, an’ war hauled up ter the tavern in a kerridge. They hed ter hev some perlice thar ter holp keep the crowd off Mink, takin’ him ter jail. Waal, ’Lijah say they dunno whether the jedge will live or no,—suthin’ the matter with his head. But even ef he do live, ’Lijah say we ain’t likely ter see Mink in these parts no mo’ fur a right smart while, ’kase he hearn thar ez assault with intent ter c’mit murder air from three ter twenty-one year in the pen’tiary. An’ I reckon enny jury would gin Mink twenty”——
“Yes, sir, he needs a good medjure!” exclaimed the negative Mr. Sayles, with unwonted hearty concurrence.
“Mink will be an old man by the time he do git back,” computed Mrs. Sayles.
“Now, Lethe,” argued Mrs. Jessup, “ain’t ye got sense enough ter see ez Mink ain’t nobody ter set sech store on, an’ ef ye like him it’s ’kase ye air a fool?”