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

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“No?” returned the Laramie man. “Well, I didn’t know they raised such trash in this part of the Lone Star State.”

At the head of the double line of spectators stood Hank Phelps, ready to sacrifice his own timepiece. There was no backing down for him, of course. He stood to win a hundred—by smashing a four-hundred-dollar watch. Profitable business! Anyhow, the crowd expected Hank Phelps to make good his side of the bet, and Hank Phelps wasn’t the man to let another outdo him.

The second watch shimmered along through the air and dropped into the dust a foot beyond Benner’s.

“Phelps has won!” roared the crowd. “The money belongs ter Phelps!”

The condition of those superb tickers was enough to make a blacksmith weep. The works had fallen out of Benner’s watch and rolled on into the dust. Phelps’ timepiece was crushed.

Wild Bill, however, had lost interest in the condition of the watches. A small square of paper had fallen from Benner’s watch with the works. The Laramie man had picked up the paper with the intention of returning it. There was writing on the small square. One glance at the writing was enough to make Wild Bill change his mind about handing the scrap to the owner of the watch. Instead of doing that, he pushed through the clamoring crowd in a hurried hunt for old Nomad.