“Naturally, officer: of course.”
“So Hi starts hup the bank with Gardner; an’ jest then—bump!—the feller jumps an’ lands on my ’ead, and we goes down a-rollin’ into the road, with Gardner hafter us. Gardner, ’e picks ’isself hup an’ ’oofs it for the station, never carin’ for me; but that’s hall reg’lar, ’cause ’e goes hoff juty at two-thirty. That’s ’ow Hi knowed wot time it wos—haccount of Gardner leavin’ me in the ditch an’ ’oofin’ it for the station. Hi’d jest come hon juty; so Hi ’as to pick myself hup—an’ make it ’ot for ’im,” indicating the wounded man in the chair. “So Hi spits hout a mouthful of sand-pebbles back hon to the road (where they’d houghter of stayed hin the first place) an’ I yells at ’im: ‘’Alt!’ says Hi. But off ’e goes,” His wooden face took on an aggrieved look like a boy’s when left behind in a race.
Rosamond exclaimed angrily:
“You should have let him go. You had no right to shoot!”
“Hi’ll shoot hany man wot jumps on my ’ead—’specially at that time o’ night!” He spoke as one positively within his rights. “’Ow was Hi to know ’e was your ’usband, ma’am?”
“My—my...?” she gasped.
“’Specially as hit was in the dark. But hi wouldn’t a-knowed if hit ’ad ben in the light. Now, if you’ll give me the nyme, ma’am, Hi’ll be hoff and make my report to the chief.” He brought a large tablet notebook and pencil out of his pocket. Rosamond looked at the vagabond, her face blank with dismay.
“Report? Oh-h—you mustn’t....”
“You needn’t report this, officer,”—quickly coming to her rescue—“I have no complaint to make. It was purely an accident.”
“Oh yes! purely an accident; not of the least importance!” she emphasized, snatching gratefully at the straw.