"
Neither then nor afterwards did Red George allude to the subject
to Dick, whose life after this signal instance of his championship
was easier than it had hitherto been, for there were few in Pine
Tree Gulch who cared to excite Red George's anger; and strangers
going to the place were sure to receive a friendly warning that it
was best for their health to keep their tempers over any shortcomings
on the part of White Faced Dick.
Grateful as he was for Red George's interference on his behalf,
Dick felt the circumstance which had ensued more than anyone else
in the camp. With others it was the subject of five minutes' talk,
but Dick could not get out of his head the thought of the dead man's
face as he fell back. He had seen many such frays before, but he
was too full of his own troubles for them to make much impression
upon him. But in the present case he felt as if he himself was
responsible for the death of the gambler; if he had not blundered
this would not have happened.
He wondered whether the dead man had a wife and children, and, if
so, were they expecting his return? Would they ever hear where he
had died, and how?
But this feeling, which, tired out as he was when the time came
for closing the bar, often prevented him from sleeping for hours,
in no way lessened his gratitude and devotion towards Red George,
and he felt that he could die willingly if his life would benefit
his champion.
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