Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter IV
We——”
“Yesorno!ByGod,sir,doyoudareequivocatewithme?Yesorno;haveyoureducedtheBonnevillerate?”
“No.”
“AndanswerME,”shoutedHarran,leaningfaracrossthetable,“answerME.WereyoupaidbytheRailroadtoleavetheSanJoaquinrateuntouched?”
Lyman,whiterthanever,turnedfuriousuponhisbrother.
“Don’tyoudareputthatquestiontomeagain.”
“No,Iwon’t,”criedHarran,“becauseI’llTELLyoutoyourvillain’sfacethatyouWEREpaidtodoit.”
Ontheinstanttheclamourburstforthafresh.Stillontheirfeet,theranchershad,littlebylittle,workedaroundthetable,Magnusalonekeepinghisplace.TheotherswereinagroupbeforeLyman,crowdinghim,asitwere,tothewall,shoutingintohisfacewithmenacinggestures.Thetruththatwasalie,thecertaintyofatrustbetrayed,apledgeruthlesslybroken,wasplaintoeveryoneofthem.
“BytheLord!menhavebeenshotforlessthanthis,”criedOsterman.“You’vesoldusout,you,andifyoueverbringthatdagofaceofyoursonalevelwithmineagain,I’llslapit.”
“Keepyourhandsoff,”exclaimedLymanquickly,theaggressivenessofthecorneredratflamingupwithinhim.“Noviolence.Don’tyougotoofar.”
“Howmuchwereyoupaid?Howmuchwereyoupaid?”vociferatedHarran.
“Yes,yes,whatwasyourprice?”criedtheothers.Theywerebesidethemselveswithanger;theirwordscameharshfrombetweentheirsetteeth;theirgesturesweremadewiththeirfistsclenched.
“YouknowtheCommissionactedingoodfaith,”retortedLyman.
