The stir caused by the return of the main body of desperadoes caused the feud between Pool Clayton and Tom Molloy to be forgotten, or overlooked, for a time.
The astonishing claim of Pizen Jane, that Pool Clayton was her son and that Snaky Pete was her recreant husband, was enough of itself to make the outlaws forget that Clayton and Molloy had fought, and were threatening bloody things against each other.
Snaky Pete walked nervously about, giving orders in a tone of irritation which masked somewhat the real feelings of his heart. He observed the prisoner, old Nick Nomad, then he looked at Pool Clayton, who had withdrawn to a distance, both from his mother and from Snaky Pete, his stepfather.
Molloy had slunk away, and was busily engaged in making himself inconspicuous.
Snaky Pete grew wrathful and murderously vindictive.
“Here!” he snarled, speaking to Pool Clayton. “You ain’t done yit what I told ye to!” He swung his hand toward Nick Nomad, as he thus spoke to the young would-be outlaw. “I told you to shoot that old skunk, and git him out of the way, and you ain’t done it!”
Pool Clayton came forward when Snaky Pete shouted to him a second time.
“You needn’t think that you and yer mother kin come here and run this camp! If she makes trouble, I’ll lay a stingin’ quirt across her back, and you’ve got to mind me, er I’ll put a bullet through your head instanter, and git rid of ye!”
Pool Clayton stood before him, trembling.
“Do ye hear?”