"I'll bet these canyon walls
never looked down on such a rotten little cur as you are in all their
history. You gambling, indecent little gutter snipe, isn't there a
clean spot in you?"
"You were a gambler yourself!" shrieked Nucky.
"Yes, sir, I know cards and I know women, and that's why I know just
what a mess of carrion your lovely young soul is. Any kid that can see
the glory o' God that you've seen to-day and then sit down and talk
like an overflowing sewer isn't fit to live. I didn't know that before
I came out to this country, but I know it now. You get to bed. I
don't want to hear another word out of you to-night. Pull your boots
off. That's all."
Half resentful, half frightened, Nucky obeyed. For a while, with
nerves and over-tired muscles twitching, he lay watching the fire.
Then he fell asleep.
It was about midnight when he awoke. He had kicked the blankets off
and was cold. The fire was out but the full moon sailed high over the
gorge. Frank, rolled in his blankets, his feet to the dead fire, slept
noisily. Nucky sat up and pulled his blankets over him, but he did not
lie down again. He sat staring at the wonder of the Canyon. For a
long half hour he was motionless save for the occasional moistening of
his lips and turning of his head as he followed the unbelievable
contour of the distant silvered peaks.
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