Читать книгу Buffalo Bill, Peacemaker; Or, On a Troublesome Trail онлайн

39 страница из 85

Lige Benner affected black. His black sombrero was set off with a twisted silver cord; there was a flowing white tie under the collar of his black silk shirt, and the bottoms of his black trousers were thrust into the tops of knee boots of patent leather. There were ornate silver spurs at the heels of the boots.

When close enough, the Laramie man saw that the buttons on Phelps’ short jacket were set with diamonds.

“Ugh!” muttered Wild Bill. “I wonder where they left the rest of their show? They’re got up like heroes in a blue-fire melodrama.”

“Did you speak?” demanded Benner, whirling on Wild Bill.

“I did,” answered Wild Bill. “You’re in mourning for somebody. Tell me who, and we’ll both weep.”

A gleam crept into Benner’s eyes. But he whirled away without giving further notice to the Laramie man.

“Look at this turnip, Hank,” said Benner, taking a watch from his pocket and passing it to the other baron for inspection.

Phelps took the timepiece and turned it over and over in his hands.

It was big and of an eighteen-karat yellow. There was a steer’s head engraved on the front, and a prairie scene on the back. The steer’s eyes were diamonds. The chain was as large as a steel hawser, and the dangling charm was massive and encrusted with “sparks.”