wooley heard his own voice , high and reedy , pleading with the lord of all the dead and the keeper of their houses ; felt the sting of tears in his eyes , and the ring of ruined hearing in his ears from all the gunfire , and smelled the blood of his companions and the smoky cigar stink that wafted off the baron , and looked into his black , smoldering eyes and knew that if he stared into those eyes too long or too hard , theyd swallow his soul and make mince of it .