For some time the silence was complete except for a kingfisher, who now and then wound his clicking reel as he darted from his perch.
“You come here to rob me, you land-hog.”
“Nick, you are a liar.”
Ojeeg rose and disembarked.
Marvin dropped his club and stood up. He stepped forward, willing to take the first blow. He got it promptly enough, and went reeling into the hazel bush where Jean had hung her lantern. He came back and delivered one good uppercut, in return for which the Indian landed square on his heart.
The savage stood over him and grinned.
“You break three hundred treaties. You make my grandfather drunk, you keep him in debt, so you can hang silver fox on white bitch. You take my corn-patch. I say get out. You call for troops. You shoot my dog, my baby, my wife.”
Marvin staggered to his feet and hung on to the hazel.
“I am going up to the house and speak to that wife. If she wants some money so that she can leave you, I’ll give it to her.”
He picked up his club and disappeared in the woods.