Then they were silent several moments, still staring at each other. At last, Sam ventured to speak again.
“What done it?” he inquired. “Was there an earthquake?”
“You went up to lick a dude for me,” explained Joe.
“Did I?” murmured the cowboy. “I’m ruther muddled. Where’s the dude?”
Again they were silent, while the cowboy seemed trying to collect his thoughts, plainly no easy matter.
“What did I do to the dude?” he finally asked.
“Nothing,” answered Joe, dolefully. “He did it to you. He kicked you clean down the stairs, and then threw me after ye.”
“Look hyar, Joe!” he growled; “don’t tell me a lie, fer I’ll wallop yer ef yer do!”
“That ain’t no lie,” declared Joe. “He done it, Sam.”
“Don’t ask me! I reckoned you’d chew him up, but he seemed to handle you easier than he did me.”
“Why, thar ain’t no galoot in this yar town kin handle me!” growled the cowboy, making a desperate struggle to rise.
He grew dizzy and toppled over. Then Joe assisted him to his feet, but he stood there in a bewildered way.
“Never felt so queer in all my life,” he muttered. “The wind seems all knocked out of me. I think I need a drink to brace me up.”
“I don’t think I’ll do a thing ter him now, but I reckon I’ll settle with him later. I’ll shoot him full of holes like a sieve! I’ll smash him like a fly! I’ll rope him like a—steer! I’ll brand him like a calf!”
“I allow you made some talk like this before we came here,” he said; “but the dude kicked you down the stairs.”
“I wasn’t ready for him. I wasn’t expecting him to move so quick. He took me off my guard. Ef he’d seemed at all dangerous, I’d been watchin’ out. But I’ll do him! He’ll never play in his old show ter-night! I promise you that, Joe. I’ll fix him so he won’t be able ter walk acrost ther stage!”
With that threat, the cowboy staggered out of the building, aided by Joe.
As Joe landed in a heap on Sam, Sawyer, the stage manager, stared at Frank Merriwell in wonder and admiration.
“How did ye do it?” he muttered. “Why, Sam Hooker didn’t seem to bother you no more’n his brother Joe, and both of ’em was pie.”
“Haw! haw! haw!” roared Ephraim Gallup, slapping his thigh. “I did think that big feller was dangerous, but he was disposed of so gol-darn easy that it was over before I knowed it hed begun.”