'What for? What's wrong? Who's been doing something to yer?'
Mr. Davis made a movement of his head towards the Stranger. He spoke in a husky whisper.
'That bloke--over there.'
The big man dragged the unwilling Mr. Davis forward.
'What's my friend been doing to you, and what have you been doing to him?'
There was the usual adjectival torrent. The Stranger replied to the inquiry with another.
'Why are you so unclean of mouth? Is it because you are unclean of heart, or because you do not know what the things are which you utter?'
The retorted question seemed to take the big man aback. His manner became still more blusterous:
'I don't want none of your lip, and I won't have any, and you can take that from me! I don't know what kind of a Gospel-pitcher you are; but if you think because preaching's your lay that you can come it over me, I'll just show you can't by knocking the head right off yer.'
'What big things the little say!'