"London, Jack - Tales of the klondyke" - читать интересную книгу автора (London Jack)

in rhythmical precision; but a red bandanna, wrapped about the
head of one, caught and held his eye.

"Bill!" he called. "Oh, Bill!"

A shambling, loose-jointed giant rolled out of one of the tents,
yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Then he sighted the
strange canoe and was wide awake on the instant.

"By the jumping Methuselah! That damned sky-pilot!"

Hay Stockard nodded his head bitterly, half-reached for his rifle,
then shrugged his shoulders.

"Pot-shot him," Bill suggested, "and settle the thing out of hand.
He'll spoil us sure if we don't." But the other declined this
drastic measure and turned away, at the same time bidding the
woman return to her work, and calling Bill back from the bank.
The two Indians in the canoe moored it on the edge of the eddy,
while its white occupant, conspicuous by his gorgeous head-gear,
came up the bank.

"Like Paul of Tarsus, I give you greeting. Peace be unto you and
grace before the Lord."

His advances were met sullenly, and without speech.

"To you, Hay Stockard, blasphemer and Philistine, greeting. In
your heart is the lust of Mammon, in your mind cunning devils, in
your tent this woman whom you live with in adultery; yet of these
divers sins, even here in the wilderness, I, Sturges Owen, apostle
to the Lord, bid you to repent and cast from you your iniquities."

"Save your cant! Save your cant!" Hay Stockard broke in testily.
"You'll need all you've got, and more, for Red Baptiste over
yonder."

He waved his hand toward the Indian camp, where the half-breed was
looking steadily across, striving to make out the newcomers.
Sturges Owen, disseminator of light and apostle to the Lord,
stepped to the edge of the steep and commanded his men to bring up
the camp outfit. Stockard followed him.

"Look here," he demanded, plucking the missionary by the shoulder
and twirling him about. "Do you value your hide?"

"My life is in the Lord's keeping, and I do but work in His
vineyard," he replied solemnly.

"Oh, stow that! Are you looking for a job of martyrship?"