Rodney Barnes dropped the knife with which he had been whittling.

I felt my face turning red.
"What's that, mister ?" asked Rodney Barnes.
The stranger repeated his statement and added that he could prove it.
"Le's see ye," said Barnes as he approached him.
There was a half moment of silence.
"Go on with yer proof," Rodney insisted, his great right hand trembling as he whittled.
"There are plenty of men in Albany that know the facts," said the stranger.
"Any other proof to offer ?" "That's enough." "Oh, I see, ye can't prove it to-day, but ye don't mind sayin' it to-day.

Say, mister, where do you live ?" "None o' your dam' business." Swift as a cat's paw the big, right hand of Rodney caught the man by his shoulder and threw him down.

Seizing him by the collar and the seat of his trousers our giant friend lifted the slanderer and flung him to the roof of a wooden awning in front of the grocer's shop near which we stood.
"Now you stay there 'til I git cooled off or you'll be hurt," said Rodney.

"You better be out o' my reach for a few minutes." A crowd had begun to gather.
"I want you all to take a look at that man," Rodney shouted.