One of the tavern characters stood up and awkwardly bobbed his head.
“Job Twill,” greeted Sevier. “Tell what you know.”
Twill began:
“Me’n two other fellers was down on the trail an’ seen this Jackson crawlin’ toward the three black oaks. We watched, ’lowin’ he was goin’ to bag a deer. Then we see a Injun stick his head out of some bushes, an’ this yere Jackson cuss fired. Almost the same time we seen poor Thatch come through the bushes an’ go into the bushes after Jackson. Afore we could git to thinkin’ straight, Old Thatch busted back into sight, runnin’ his old legs off, with Jackson poundin’ after him. That’s all we seen.”
“Who were the two men with you?”
“Lon Hester ’n Bert Price. They’re out huntin’ for the murderer now.”
“I see. You were in the tavern this morning when Jackson had trouble with Hester?”
“I was there when he picked a row with Hester,” growled the witness.
“They laid aside their weapons?”
“Yes, ’cause Polcher wouldn’t have any killin’. Hester threw his knife on the bar, an’ Jackson hung his ax an’ pistol on his rifle. That is, he hung his belt holdin’ ’em on the rifle.”