"Maybe," he began, and then finished weakly: "I be damned!"
"There ain't no reasonable way of doubtin' that unless you put out that
smoke. Hear me?"
Shorty Kilrain, coming from the kitchen, grinned broadly. Having felt
the lash of discipline himself, he was glad to see it fall in another
place. He continued his gleeful course around that side of the table.
And big Jansen slowly, imperturbably, raised the cigarette and inhaled a
mighty cloud of smoke which issued at once in a rushing, fine blue mist,
impelled by a snort.
"Maybe," he rumbled, completing his thought, "maybe you're one damn
fool!"
"I'm going to learn you who's boss in these parts," boomed Lawlor. "Put
out that cigarette! Don't you know no better than to smoke at the
table?"
Jansen pushed back his chair and started to rise. There was no doubt as
to his intentions; they were advertised in the dull and growing red
which flamed in his face. But Kilrain, as though he had known such a
moment would come, caught the Swede by the shoulders and forced him back
into the chair. As he did so he whispered something in the ear of
Jansen.
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