He was sitting in a chair at a table, with a glass in front of him, and he was staring abstractedly at the floor when Warden entered, closing the door behind him.
Warden drew a chair up to the table and dropped into it.

And then for the first time he looked closely at Singleton's face and saw the gash on his left cheek.

The wound had been treated, but beneath the cloth at one end Warden could see the open flesh.
"What in blazes has happened to you ?" inquired Warden.
"Lawler," growled Singleton; "he walloped my kid down at the schoolhouse, an' when I went down there to take the kid's part, he walloped me, too." He grinned lugubriously.

"I didn't know the cuss could hit so hard," he muttered.

"Warden, he salivated me--hit me so durned hard I thought the roof had dropped on me." Warden stiffened; then leaned forward, his lips loose, his eyes malignant.