"Keep still," said Scully icily.
Then there was a sudden loud grunt, incomplete, cut short, and
Johnnie's body swung away from the Swede and fell with sickening
heaviness to the grass. The cowboy was barely in time to prevent the
mad Swede from flinging himself upon his prone adversary. "No, you
don't," said the cowboy, interposing an arm. "Wait a second."
Scully was at his son's side. "Johnnie! Johnnie, me boy?" His
voice had a quality of melancholy tenderness. "Johnnie? Can you go
on with it?" He looked anxiously down into the bloody pulpy face of
his son.
There was a moment of silence, and then Johnnie answered in his
ordinary voice: "Yes, I- it- yes."
Assisted by his father he struggled to his feet. "Wait a bit now
till you git your wind," said the old man.
A few paces away the cowboy was lecturing the Swede. "No, you don't!
Wait a second!"
The Easterner was plucking at Scully's sleeve. "Oh, this is enough,"
he pleaded. "This is enough! Let it go as it stands. This is enough!"
"Bill," said Scully, "git out of the road." The cowboy stepped
aside. "Now." The combatants were actuated by a new caution as they
advanced toward collision. They glared at each other, and then the
Swede aimed a lightning blow that carried with it his entire weight.
Johnnie was evidently half-stupid from weakness, but he miraculously
dodged, and his fist sent the over-balanced Swede sprawling.
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