Any room can present a tragic front; any room
can be comic. This little den was now hideous as a torture-chamber.
The new faces of the men themselves had changed it upon the instant.
The Swede held a huge fist in front of Johnnie's face, while the
latter looked steadily over it into the blazing orbs of his accuser.
The Easterner had grown pallid; the cowboy's jaw had dropped in that
expression of bovine amazement which was one of his important
mannerisms. After the three words, the first sound in the room was
made by Scully's paper as it floated forgotten to his feet. His
spectacles had also fallen from his nose, but by a clutch he had saved
them in air. His hand, grasping the spectacles, now remained poised
awkwardly and near his shoulder. He stared at the card-players.
Probably the silence was while a second elapsed. Then, if the
floor had been suddenly twitched out from under the men they could not
have moved quicker. The five had projected themselves headlong
toward a common point. It happened that Johnnie in rising to hurl
himself upon the Swede had stumbled slightly because of his
curiously instinctive care for the cards and the board. The loss of
the moment allowed time for the arrival of Scully, and also allowed
the cowboy time to give the Swede a great push which sent him
staggering back. The men found tongue together, and hoarse shouts or
rage, appeal or fear burst from every throat.
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