Then the big man made a rush for Gallagher.
“Oi’ll kill yez this time!” he exclaimed, and Gallagher knew that he would.
It was, therefore, small wonder that he dodged under Long Mike’s arm and made a flying leap through the window, carrying sash and all with him.
There was a frantic pursuit, but Gallagher had gained a few seconds of a start and was nowhere to be found. After a good part of the night had been spent in fruitless search, they bethought them of Titherton, and went back to look for him, but he had recovered consciousness and had made his escape also.
“Sure it’s a pity we didn’t throw him in the river whin he were stunned, an’ he’d niver ha’ knowed th’ difference,” said Stumpy, discontentedly.
But Long Mike raged as was his fashion, and called for red liquor many times, breathing out threats of what he would do on the morrow, till the others saw that it was necessary to encourage him in his effort to get a sufficiency of liquor.
And when they had finally accomplished this, and had put him safely in his own bed, Stumpy said again:
“Sure there’ll be no such thing as livin’ quiet an’ peaceable in Brownsville till we have a firsht-class killin’. But Oi do be thinkin’ it’ll not be Gallagher. He do get away too often.”
XII
A STRANGER AND FOND OF POKER
The Mississippi River packet City of Natchez had been tied up at the levee in Arkansas City for possibly half an hour. The passengers who wanted to go ashore had gone, all but one, and the roustabouts were struggling with the freight under the inspiring influence of the mate’s energetic comments.