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Northern Lights, Volume 1. by Gilbert Parker
page 74 of 82 (90%)
Sinnet ran a long finger slowly across his lips, and seemed meditating
what he should say to the mountaineer. At length he spoke, looking into
Buckmaster's face. "What was the story Ricketts told you? What did your
boy tell Ricketts? I've heard, too, about it, and that's why I asked you
if you had proofs that Greevy killed Clint. Of course, Clint should
know, and if he told Ricketts, that's pretty straight; but I'd like to
know if what I heard tallies with what Ricketts heard from Clint.
P'r'aps it'd ease your mind a bit to tell it. I'll watch the Bend--don't
you trouble about that. You can't do these two things at one time. I'll
watch for Greevy; you give me Clint's story to Ricketts. I guess you
know I'm feelin' for you, an' if I was in your place I'd shoot the man
that killed Clint, if it took ten years. I'd have his heart's blood--all
of it. Whether Greevy was in the right or in the wrong, I'd have him--
plumb."

Buckmaster was moved. He gave a fierce exclamation and made a gesture
of cruelty. "Clint right or wrong? There ain't no question of that.
My boy wasn't the kind to be in the wrong. What did he ever do but what
was right? If Clint was in the wrong I'd kill Greevy jest the same, for
Greevy robbed him of all the years that was before him--only a sapling he
was, an' all his growin' to do, all his branches to widen an' his roots
to spread. But that don't enter in it, his bein' in the wrong. It was
a quarrel, and Clint never did Greevy any harm. It was a quarrel over
cards, an' Greevy was drunk, an' followed Clint out into the prairie in
the night and shot him like a coyote. Clint hadn't no chance, an' he
jest lay there on the ground till morning, when Ricketts and Steve Joicey
found him. An' Clint told Ricketts who it was."

"Why didn't Ricketts tell it right out at once?" asked Sinnet.

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