He had not counted on being nearly killed by
Cummins, for it was he whom Cummins had overpowered. He had not supposed
that anyone would be killed. Things had turned out in a strange and
terrible way. To gain a few thousand dollars by highway robbery was no
worse than to win it by a dozen other methods counted respectable. Among
the youth of Nevada City with whom he had associated, it was commonly
believed that every successful man in town had done something crooked at
some time in his career--that life was nothing but a gamble anyhow, and
that a little cheating might sometimes help a fellow.
When he had learned, some months before, how greatly Mamie admired Will
Cummins, he had thought it good policy to pretend a like admiration.
While the girl was in Graniteville, away from her parents, he had seen
her as often as he could, and had, he was sure, acted the part of a
chivalrous gentleman. He had referred to his jail record in such a
magnanimous way as to win her admiration and sympathy. And he had been
magnanimous toward Cummins. He had stoutly maintained that even
gentlemen of the road are men of honor, incapable of petty meanness,
merely taking by force from some money-shark what was rightfully theirs
by virtue of their being gentlemen.
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