“With his fists also. I saw, or if I did not see, I very nearly did so––it is the same––saw him use them in Bowenville. And on that dog of an Ed Sorenson who would have seduced my little Dolorosa, as he did Cristobal’s daughter, if I had not perceived what he was at.”
The lawyer’s ears were instantly pricked up. He caught the man by the shirt-sleeve.
“Come with me,” he said.
Once they were in his office he carefully closed and 81 locked the door, drawing the window shades. Literally he rubbed his hands one over the other as he bade Naharo take a chair. Then the pair of them rolled and lighted cigarettes.
“Perhaps I should say no more, Señor Martinez.”
“It will go no farther. And if the engineer and Ed Sorenson had a fight, then it must have been for that reason the latter’s father spoke as he did to-night. You heard him.”
“Yes. And I did not understand why. It was not because of what happened at Bowenville, unquestionably not, for it had to do with another girl–––”
“Ha, a girl! And the engineer mixed in it?”
“Listen. As I say, he would not have told his father, because he keeps such things quiet; it is four years since he last had to pay money to settle a matter. Some think he now behaves, but it is not true. But he is more careful. So his father did not know about this.”
“Tell it all, Naharo.”