第8章

"Thar\'smyfriend，MaceBowman。Maceiscleanstraincl\'arthrough，an\'yetIdon\'treckonheevergetstoashow-downwithwhiskeyoncewhichheain\'toutheld。Butforgrimnerveas\'llnevershiver，thisyereBowmanisatpareverytime。

"Bowmandiesapreytohisambition。HestartsinoncetodrinkallthewhiskeyinWolfville。Byhispartic\'larrequestmostofthewhitemalepeopleofthecampstandsinonthedeal，a-backin\'hisplayfortomakeWolfvilleadrycamp。AtthecloseofthemtwoluridweeksMacelasts，goodjedges，likeEnrightan\'DocPeets，allowshe\'sshorelymadeitscarcesome。

"ButWolfville\'stoobigforhim。AnyothergentbutMacewouldhaveropedatasmalleroutfit，butthatwouldn\'tbeMacenohow。Ifthar\'sabiggercampthanWolfvilleanywhereabout，that\'swherehe\'dbeen。He\'smightyhigh-heartedan\'ambitiousthata-way，an\'

it\'skillabullornothin\'whenhelinesoutforbuffalo。

"Butthethirteenthday，hestrikesinonthebigtrail，whereyounevermeetsnooutfitscomin\'back，an\'thatsettlesit。Theboys，nothavin\'noleader，withMacepetered，givesupthegame，an\'thebigraidonnose-paintinWolfvilleisonlyhist\'rynow。

"WhenIknowsBowmanfirsthe\'ssheriffoverinnortheastNewMexico。AgoodsheriffMaceis，too。Tharain\'tnothin\'getsrunoffwhilehe\'ssheriff，youbet。Whenheallowsanythin\'shisdooty，helaysforitpermiscus。He\'saplumbsincereoffishulthata-way。

"OnetimeIrecallsashowawagon-trainwithhouseholdsoffolksintoitcampstwoorthreedayswhereMaceissheriff。Theseyerepeople\'sheadin\'forsome\'ersdownontheRioGrande，aimin\'tosettleawholelot。Mebbyit\'sthethirdmornin\'alongofsun-upwhentheystringsoutonthetrail，an\'we-allsthinksnomoreof\'em。It\'sgettin\'aboutthird-drinktimewhenbackridesagent，sorterfretfullike，an\'allowshe\'sdoneshyaboy。

"\'Whendoyou-allseethisyereinfantlast？\'saysMace。

"\'Why，\'saysthegent，\'Ishorelyhashimyesterday，\'causemyoldwomandonerounds\'emupan\'counts。\'

"\'Whattimeisthatyesterday？\'

"\'Boutfirst-drinktime，\'saysthebereavedparty。

"\'Howmanyoftheseyereoffsprings，corralcount，doyou-alllayclaimtoanyway？\'asksMace。

"\'WhichI\'vegotmybrandonto\'levenof\'em，\'saystheporeparent，beginnin\'tosobawholelot。\'Ofcoursethisyereyoung-onegettin\'

strayedthisa-wayleavesmeshortone。Itmakesitamightyroughcrossin\'，stranger，afterbringin\'thatboysofar。Theoldwoman，shebogsrightdownwhensheknows，an\'Idon\'treckonshe\'llbethesamehe\'pmeettomeonlessIfindshimag\'in。\'

"\'Oh，well，\'saysMace，tryin\'tocheerthisbereftpersonup，\'welosekyardsintheshufflewhichthesameturnsupallrightinthedeal；an\'Ireckonswe-allswalksdownthisyearlin\'ofyoursag\'in，too。Whatforbrandsory\'earmarks，doesheshow，soI\'llknowhim。\'

"\'Astobrandsan\'y\'earmarks，\'saystheparty，a-wipin\'ofhiseye，\'he\'sshyacoupleofteeth，bein\'milk-teethashe\'sshed；an\'

thar\'samarkonhisfor\'ardwherehismotherswipeshimwithadipper，thata-way，bringin\'himupproper。That\'sallIremembersquick。\'

"Macetellsthepartytotakeacinchonhisfeelin\'s，an\'stampedesovertotheMexicanpartofcamp，whichiscalledChilili，onascoutfortheboy。Whateverdoyou-allreckon\'sbecomeofhim，son？

I\'mawolfifaMexicanain\'tsomehowcuthimoutoftheherdan\'

stolehim。Takeshimin，sameasyoumavericksacalf。Whyinthenameofhoss-stealin\'heeveryearnsforthatyoung-oneisallerstoomanyforme。

"WhentheabductorhearshowMaceisonhistrail，whichhedoesfromotherMexicans，heswingsontohisbroncoan\'beginsp\'intin\'

out，takin\'boyan\'all。ButMacehasgottoofaruponhim，an\'

stopshimmightyhandywitharifle。MacecouldworkaWinchesterlikeyou\'dwhirlarope，an\'thewayhegetsabulletonderthatblack-an\'-tan\'sleftwingdon\'tworryhimalittlebit。Thebullettearsaholethroughhislungs，an\'thesamebein\'nofurtheruseforhimtobreathewith，hecomestumblin\'likeashotpigeon，bringin\'theparty\'soffspringwithhim。

"Whichthisyereisalmightyflatterin\'toMaceasashot，an\'itplumbticklestheboy\'ssire。Heallowshe\'slivedinArkansaw，an\'

shorelyknowsgoodshootin\'，an\'thisyere\'sspeshulgood。An\'thenhecorralstheGreaser\'sskelptotakebackwithhim。

"\'It\'llcomehandytohumoruptheoldwomanwith，whenIgetsbacktocamp，\'hesays；sohetuckstheskelpintohiswar-bagsan\'

thanksMacefortheinteresthetakesinhishousehold。

"\'That\'sallright，\'saysMace；\'notroubletocurryalittleshorthosslikethat。\'

"HeshakeshandswiththeArkansawgent，an\'we-allsroundsuptoBobStep\'san\'getsadrink。

"Butthecathasquiteatailjestthesame。AMexicanthata-wayisplentyoncertain。Forinstance:You\'resettin\'inonalittlegameofmonteallfreean\'sociable，an\'oneof\'emcomescrowdin\'\'roundfortrouble，an\'youdownshim。Allgoodenough，saysyou。NootherMexicanseemslikehewantstoassoomenopressurepersonal；noonegoesbrowsin\'\'roundtonosheriff；an\'tharyoubedeludedintotheeriesthatsaidkillin\'squitbein\'aquestion。That\'swhereyou-

allisthevictimoferror。

"WhichinthiscasetheMexicanMacestretcheshasunclesorsomethin\'downoffChaperita。Themrelativesisrich。Inaweek——nooneneversaveyshow——everybodyknowsthatthar\'sfivethousanddollarsupforthefirstpartywhokillsMace。Ispeakstohimaboutitmyse\'f，allowin\'he\'doughterbecarefulhowhegoesspraddlin\'

aboutpermiscus。Mebby，whenhe\'slookin\'northsometime，somebodygetshimfromthesouth。

"\'Iain\'tworryin\'none，\'saysMace；\'Iain\'tgotnofriendsaswoulddownme，nohow；an\'myenemiesain\'tlikelynonetothinkit\'senoughdinero。Killin\'meisliabletocomemightyhigh。\'

"Afterwhichannouncementshegoesromancin\'alonginhischeerful，light-heartedway，drinkin\'hiswhiskeyan\'bein\'sheriff，mingled，an\'inaweekorsowe-allsbeginstoforgetaboutthemrewards。OnedayalittleMexicangirlwhoMacecallsBonita——she\'dshorelygiveahossforasmilefromhimanytime——scoutsoveran\'whisperstoMaceashowthreeGreasersfromdownaroundAntonChicoisincamponahuntforhisha\'r。Themmurderersisoutforthefivethousand；

they\'soverinChililirightthen。

"\'WhereaboutsinChililibethemMexicans？\'asksMace，kinderinterested。

"\'OvercampedinoldSantaAnna\'sdance。hall，a-drinkin\'ofmescalan\'waitin\'fordark，\'saysthegirl。

"\'Allright，\'saysMace；\'I\'llpranceoverpocotiempo，an\'it\'smightylikelythemaliensfromAntonChicoisgoin\'tohaveafitfultime。\'

"MacekissesthelittleBonitagirl，an\'tellshernottochirpnothin\'tonoMexican；an\'withthecaressthata-wayherblackeyesgetsblackeran\'brighter，an\'theredcomesinhercheek，an\'batscouldseeshe\'dswapthewholeMexicanoutfitforawordfromMace，an\'throwherse\'finforlaniyap。

"Macep\'intsouttogetanothergun；whichisproperenough，forhe\'sonlyoneinhisbelt，an\'inacaselikethisyerehe\'smightylikelytoneedtwoalot。

"\'SomeofusoughtergooverwithMace，Ireckons，\'saysapartynamedBenson，sortergeneraltothecrowd。\'Whatdoyou-allsthinkyourse\'fs？\'

"\'Gonothin\'!\'retortsagentwho\'scalledDriscoll，an\'who\'suptothehocksintoagameofpoker，an\'don\'tliketoseeitbreakupan\'himbehind。\'ThehandMaceholdsdon\'tneednohe\'p。IfMaceisoutaftertwoorthreeoftheboysnow，itwouldbeplentydifferent；butwhoeverhearsofawhiteman\'swantin\'he\'pthata-

waytodownthreeGreasers，an\'himtoopenthegame？MacecouldbringbackalltheskelpsinChililiifhe\'sthatf\'rociousan\'

wantsto，an\'nothalftry。\'

"Thisseemstobethegeneralidee，an\'，asideofsomebetswhichismade，noonetakesnointerest。BobShortputsituphe\'dbetahundreddollarsevenMacegetsoneof\'em；ahundredtotwohundredhegetstwo，an\'ahundredtofivehundredhegets\'emall；an\'someshort-kyardsharpwho\'supfromSocorro，afterfiggerin\'itallsilenttohimse\'f，takes\'emall。

"\'NowIdon\'treckon，stranger，\'saysBenson，sorterreproachful，totheshort-kyardparty，\'youknowsMaceBowmanmightywell？Ifyou-

alldidyouwouldn\'tgoupag\'inashorethinglikethat。\'

"Wenevergetsanythin\'butMace\'sstoryforit。Hetellslaterhowhesa\'ntersintoSantaAnna\'san\'findshisthreeAntonChicofelonsallsettin\'aloneatatable。Theyknowshim，hesays，an\'hecampsdownoveropp\'sitean\'callsforadrink。They\'swatchin\'Mace，an\'

himdoin\'sim\'larbythem。Final，hesays，oneof\'emmakesaplayforhisgun，an\'，seein\'thar\'snothin\'tobemadewaitin\'，Macejumpsupwithasix-shooterineachhand，an\'thar\'ssomenoisean\'

aheapofsmoke，an\'themthreeMexicansiseliminatedinabunch。

"WhenheplayshishandoutMacecomesbackovertous——nootherMexicansallowin\'fortocallhim——an\'relateshowitis，an\'

nacheralwesaysit\'sallright，whichitshorelyis。IasksoldSantaAnnaforthedetailsoftheshake-uplater，buthespreadshishands，an\'shrugshisshoulders，an\'whines"\'Noquiensabe。\'

"An\'，ofcourse，asIcan\'ttell，an\'asSantaAnnadon\'t，Igives\'

upaskin\'。"

CHAPTERXX。

AWOLFVILLETHANKSGIVING。

Itwasintheearlierdaysofautumn。Summerhadgone，andtherewasalreadyacrispsentimentofcomingcoldintheair。TheOldCattlemanandIhadgivenwaytoatasteforpedestrianismthathadlaindormantthroughthehotmonths。Itwasatthecloseofourwalk，andwewereslowlymakingourwayhomeward。

"An\'nowtheyear\'sgotintowhathoss-folkscallsthelastquarter，"remarkedtheoldgentlemanmusingly。"Youcanfeelthefrostintheatmosphere；youcanseewhereit\'sbittheleavesalot，an\'someof\'em\'spalewiththepain，an\'othersisblood-redfromthewound。"WhichIdon\'tregardwintermuch，saytwentyyearsago。Thar\'smanyanightwhenIspreadsmyblanketsintheColoradohills，flakesofsnowa-fallin\'assoftan\'bigan\'whiteasawoman\'shand，an\'neverheeds\'emalittlebit。Butthemdaysisgone。Thar\'snoroofneededinmydestiniesthen。An\'asforbed，aslickeran\'apairofhobblesissumptuous。

"Whenagentroundsupseventyyearshe\'smightylikelytogetaheapinterestedinweather。It\'stheheelofthehuntwithhimthen，an\'he\'swornan\'tired，andturnsnacherallytorestan\'fire。"

Weploddedforwardashetalked。Tohissagecommentsontheseasons，andaswelltheoldageofmen，Iofferednothing。Mysilence，however，seemedalwaystomeetwithhistacitapproval；nordidheallowittoimpedehisconversationalflow。

"Well，"observedtheoldfellow，afterapause，"IreckonsI\'llseethewinterthroughallright；likewisethefall。I\'mamightysightlikethatoldlonghornwhoallowshe\'sallersnoticedifhelivesthroughthemonthofMarchhelivesthroughtherestoftheyear；soIfiggersI\'llholdtogetherthata-wayontilshorelyMarchcomin\'。

AnyhowIregardsitasanevenbreakIdoes。

"Thar\'sonethingaboutfallan\'winterwhichremovesthedrearinesssome。IalloodstothemfestivalssechasThanksgivin\'an\'Christmasan\'NewYear。Dowe-allscel\'bratetheseyereeventsinWolfville？

Whichweshorelydoes。TakeChristmas:You-allcouldn\'tfindasobergentinWolfvilleonthatholyoccasionwithasearch-warrant；thefeelin\'tocel\'brateisthatwide-spreadan\'fervid。

"Thanksgivin\'ain\'tsomuchlottedon；whichforonethingwefrequentforgetsitarrivesthata-way。Thar\'sonce，though，whenwetakesnoteofitsapproach，an\'nacherally，bein\'organized，weketchesitsquar\'inthedoor。ThemThanksgivin\'doin\'sisshorelygreatfestivitiesthattime。It\'scertainlyawhirl。

"OldManEnrightmakesthefirstbreak；hesorterarrangesthegame。

Butbeforeallisover，thefoodweeats，thewhiskeywedrinks，an\'

thelieswetellsan\'listensto，isashockan\'ashametoArizona。

"Thar\'sapasselofusprowlin\'\'roundintheRedLightoneday，whenalongcomesEnright。He\'sgotapaperinhishand，an\'fromtheairheassoomsit\'sshoreplainhe\'sonthebrinkofsomethin\'。

"\'WhatI\'mthinkin\'of，gents，isthis，\'saysEnright，final。\'I

observesto-morrowtobeThanksgivin\'bythisyerepaperOldMontepacksinfromTucson。TheGreatFathersetsto-morrowforanationalblow-out，a-puttin\'ofitinhismessageonthebroadgroundthateverybody\'sluckywhoescapesdeath。Now，thequestionis，beweinthis？an\'ifso，whatformthesaturnaliatakes？\'

What\'sthematterofushoppin\'overan\'shootin\'upRedDog？"saysDanBoggs。\'Thatbunchoftarrapinsain\'tbeenshookupnoneforthreemonths。\'

"\'Technicalspeakin\'，\'saysDocPeets——whichPeets，heshorelyisthelongest-headedsharpIeversees，an\'thegaliest——\'shootin\'upRedDog，whileit\'sallrightasaprop\'sitionan\'highlycreditabletoBoggs，isnotaThanksgivin\'play。Thegame，turnedstrict，confinesitse\'ftoeatin\'，drinkin\'，an\'lyin\'。\'

"\'Thar\'splentyofwhiskeyincamp，\'saysJackMoore，meditative-

like，\'wherebythatdrinkin\'partcomeseasy。\'

"\'Iassoomsit\'sthewillofalltopulloffaproperThanksgivin\'

caper，\'saysEnright，\'an\'tharforeIsu\'geststhatDocPeetsandBoggswaitsonMissisRuckerattheO。K。restaurawan\'learnswhatforabanquetshecanrustlean\'gothelimit。Pendin\'thereturnofPeetsan\'BoggsIallowsthebalanceofthisdevotedbandbetterimbibesome。Barkeep，sortoutsomebottles。\'

"Thecommitteecomesbackafteralittle，an\'allowsMissisRuckerreportsherse\'fshyonviandsonaccountofthefreightersbein\'

back\'ardcomin\'in。

"\'But，\'saysPeets，\'she\'supholsteredtomakeastrongplayonsalthossan\'bakedbeans，withcoffeean\'biscuitsforgamesontheside。\'

"\'That\'sgoodenoughforadog，\'saysJackMoore，\'tosaynothin\'ofmerepeople。Anygentwhothinkshewantsmoreistheeffectvictimofwhims。\'

"Whilewe-allsisdiscussin\'thegroundplansforthisyerefeast，thar\'saclatterofpony-hoofsan\'awildyelloutside，an\'nextthar\'sabig，shaggy-lookin\'vagrant，a-settin\'onhishossinfrontoftheRedLight\'sdoor。

"\'Getanaxe，somebody，\'heshouts，\'an\'widenthisyereportalsome。Iaimstocomeinonmyhoss。\'

"`Handsup，thar!\'saysJackMoore，reachin\'forhissix-shooter。

\'Handsup!I\'lljestfoolyouupaboutcomin\'inonyourhoss。Youworkinonewinktoomanynow，an\'Iputsaholeinyourfacerightovertheeye。\'

"\'Goslow，Jack，\'saysEnright。\'Whomayyou-allbe？\'hegoesontothelocoedmanonthehoss。

"\'Me？\'saysthelocoedman。\'I\'mRedDogBill。Tellthatsot，\'hecontinues，p\'intin\'atJack，\'toputdownhisgunan\'notofferitatmenomore。He\'saheaptoovividwiththatweepon。OnlyI\'mawhite-wingedharbingerofpeace，Ishoreupsan\'makeshimeatthemuzzleoffenit。\'

"\'Well，whateverbeyouthirstin\'for，anyhow？\'saysEnright。\'Youcomesridin\'inyerelikeyouain\'tgotnoregardsfornothin\'。Isthisafriendlycall，orbeyoupresentonatheerythatyourunsthetown？\'

"\'I\'mtheRedDogcommitteeoninvitations，\'hesays。\'RedDogsendsitscomps，an\'asksWolfvilletoburythehatchetforonedayinhonorofto-morrowbein\'Thanksgivin\'，an\'comefeedwithus。\'

"\'Let\'sgohim，\'saysDanBoggs。

"\'Nowstandyourhandasecond，\'saysEnright，\'don\'tlet\'soverlooknobets。WhateverhasyouRedDoghold-upsgottoeat，anyhow？\'

"\'Ain\'tgotnothin\'toeatmuch——maybesomecanstuff——whatyou-allscallsair-tights，\'saystheRedDogman。\'Butwehasliquid，nolimit。\'

"\'Gotanycantomatters？\'saysBoggs。

"\'Cantomatterswe-allsis\'speshulstrongon，\'saystheRedDogman。\'It\'swherewe-allslivesat；cantomattersis。\'

"\'Itellsyouwhatyou-alldo，\'saysEnright，\'an\'whenIspeaks，I

representsforthisyerecamp。\'

"\'Whichheshoredoes，\'saysJack。\'He\'stheBigGrayWolfyere，youcangamble。Ifhedon\'tsay"goslow"whenyoucomesa-yellin\'up，yourremainswoulda-beencoverin\'halfanacrerightnow。Itwouldlooklikeit\'sbeef-dayatthisyereagency，shore。\'

"\'You-allgobacktoRedDog，\'saysEnright，payin\'nonoticetoJack\'sinterruptions，\'an\'tell\'emweplantsthewar-axeforoneday，an\'tocomeoveran\'smokeponieswithus，insteadofwe-allscomethar。We\'regoin\'tohavebakedbeansan\'salthoss，an\'welooksforRedDoginabody。NextThanksgivin\'weeatsinRedDog。

Doesthisyerego？\'

"`Itgoes，\'saystheRedDoggent；\'butbeyou-allsshorethar\'ss\'fficientwhiskeyinyourcamp？RedDogfolksisadryan\'burnin\'

outfitan\'isduetoneedaheap。\'

"\'Theliquid\'sallright，\'saysBoggs。\'Ifyouallswantstodoyourse\'fproud，freightinahundred-weightofthemcantomatters。

Whichwerunsoutentire。\'

ThenextdayMissisRuckersetstablesalloverherdinin\'-rooman\'

bringsonherbeans。EighteenRedDoggentsisthar，eachtotin\'ofacanoftomatters。An\'letmeimpartrightyere，son，weneverhasamorefreean\'peacefullerdaythansaidThanksgivin\'。

"\'Thembeansisalittlehard，ain\'tthey？\'saysDocPeets，whilewe-allsiseatin\'，bein\'p\'litean\'elegantlike。\'Mebbytheydon\'tgetb\'ileds\'fficient？\'

"\'Thembeansisallright，\'saystheWarChiefoftheRedDogs。

\'Theybesomehard，butyoucan\'the\'pitnone。It\'sthealtitood；

thehigherupyougets，thelowerheatittakestob\'ilewater。Soitdon\'tmushupbeanslikeitshould。\'

"\'That\'sc\'rrecteverytime，\'saysEnright；\'Imindbein\'overbackofPrescottonce，an\'upneartimber-line，an\'Ican\'tb\'ilenobeansatall。I\'mupthathighthewaterissocoldwhenitb\'ilesthaticeformsonitsome。Ib\'ilesan\'b\'ilesonsomebeansfourdays，an\'itdon\'thavenomoreeffectthanthrowin\'wateronadrownedrat。Afterpersistentb\'ilin\'，Iskimsoutahand。fulan\'

drops\'emontoatinplatetotest\'em，an\'itsoundslikebuckshot。

Asyousays，it\'sthealtitood。\'

"\'Gents，\'saysthebossofRedDog，allofasudden，an\'standin\'upbyEnright，\'Ioffersthetoast:"Wolfvillean\'RedDog，nowan\'

yereafter。"\'

"Ofcoursewe-allsdrinks，an\'DocPeetsmakesatalk。Hespeaksmightyhighofeverygentpresent；whichcomplimentsgetsbigactioninsechagame。TheRedDogchief——an\'he\'samightycivilized-

lookin\'gent——hetalksback，an\'callsWolfvillean\'RedDoggreatcommercialcenters，whichtheysorebe。Hesays，\'We-allsisfriendlyto-day，an\'fightstherestoftheyear，\'whichwe-allsagreestocordial。Hesaysfightin\'。or，ashecallsit，\'agenerousrivalry，\'doescampsgood，an\'Ireckonshe\'sright，too，\'causeitshoreresultsinthecashin\'inofsomemightybadan\'disturbin\'

elements。Whenhesetsdown，thar\'sthundersofapplause。

"It\'sbythistimethatthedrinkin\'becomesfrequentan\'common。

Thetalkgetsgeneral，an\'theliesthempeopleevolvesan\'sawsoffoneachotherwouldstampedestock。

"AnydaybutThanksgivin\'sechtaleswouldshoreleadtoreecriminationsan\'blood；butasitis，everygentseemsrelaxedan\'onbuckledthata-wayinhonorofthehour，an\'itlookslikelyin\'isexpected。

"Howmendaciousbethempeople？IfIrecallsthemscenesc\'rrectly，it\'sTexasThompsonbeginsthecampaignag\'introoth。

"ThisyereTexasThompsontells，allcareless-like，how\'waybackintheforties，whenhe\'saboy，heputsinaThanksgivin\'intheGreatSaltLakevalleywithOldJimBridger。ThisisbeforetheMormonsopenstheirlittlegamethar。

"\'An\'thesnowfallstothatextent，mebbyit\'ssixfootdeep，\'saysTexas。\'Bridgeran\'memakessnow-shoesan\'goesslidin\'an\'

pesterin\'\'roundallfineenough。Buttheporeanimalsinthevalleygetsaroughtime。

"\'It\'safact；Bridgeran\'mefindsadroveofbuffalosboggeddowninthesnow，——Ireckonsnowthar\'stwentythousandof\'em，——andneverabuffalocanmoveawheelorturnakyard。Thartheybeplantedinthesnow，an\'onlycanjestwagtheiry\'earsan\'battheireyes。

"\'Well，tocutitbrief，Bridgeran\'megoesprojectin\'\'roundan\'

cutsthethroatsofthemtwenty-thousandbuffalo；whichwe-allsisoutforthemrobesawholelot。Ofcoursewedon\'tskin\'emnonewhilethey\'sstuckinthesnow；butwhenthesnowmeltsinthespring，wecapersforthan\'peelsoffthehideslikeshuckin\'peas。

They\'sfrozestiffatthetime，forthesunain\'tgot\'roundtothawthebeefnoneyet；an\'sothemeat\'sasgoodasthedaywedowns\'em。

"\'An\'thatbringsustothecur\'ouspart。Asfastaswe-allspeelsabuffalo，werollshiscarcassdownhillintoSaltLake，an\'whatdoyou-allsreckonstakesplace？Thewater\'sthatbriny，itpicklessaidbuffalo-meatplumbthrough，an\'everyyearafter，whenBridgeran\'meisbackthar——we\'retrappin\'an\'huntin\'themtimes，——allwehastodoishauloneofthemtwentythousandpickledbuffalosashorean\'eathim。

"\'WhentheMormonscomeswanderin\'along，bein\'shortongrubthata-way，theynacherallyjumpsinan\'consoomsupthewholeoutfitinoneseason，whichiswhyyou-allsdon\'tfindpickledbuffaloinSaltLakenomore。

"\'Bridgeran\'mestartsin，whenwelearnsaboutit，tofusswiththempolygamiststhata-wayforgettin\'awaywithoursaltbuffalos。

Butthey\'stoonoomerousforus，an\'wedonequits\'ematlastan\'

letsitgo。\'

"NobodysaysmuchwhenTexasThompsonisthrough。Wemerelysets\'roundan\'drinks。ButIseestheRedDogfolksfeelsmortified。

Afteraminutetheycallsontheirleadin\'prevaricatorforayarn。

Hisname\'sLyin\'JimRiley，whichthepeoplewhobaptizeshimshorelytumblestohistalents。

"ThisyereLyin\'Jimfillsatincupwithnose-paint，an\'leansbacklistless-likean\'looksatEnright。

"\'Inevertellsyou-alls，\'hesays，\'abouthowtheRatonsgetsafiremightypecooliar，an\'comesneara-roastin\'ofmeupsome，doI？

It\'sthisa-way:I\'mpervadin\'\'roundoneafternoontryin\'tocompassawildturkey，whichthar\'sbandsof\'emthatFallintheRatonsa-eatin\'ofthepinyon-nuts。I\'vegotaSharp\'swithme，whichthesame，asyou-allsknows，isasingle-shot，butIdon\'tseenoturks，nonewhatever。Nowan\'thenIhearssomelittleoldgobbler，\'crossacanyon，a-makin\'ofsland\'rousremarksaboutothergobblerstosomehenhe\'sdeloodin\'，butInevermanagesashot。AsI\'mcomin\'backtocamp——I\'mstrollin\'downadrawatthetimewherethar\'snotreesnornothin\'——tharemanatesablack-tailbuckfromoveramongthebushesonthehill，an\'startstoheadin\'mywayawholelot。Hishornsisjestgettin\'overbein\'velvet，an\'he\'sfeelin\'plentygoodan\'sassy。Iseesthatbuck——hishornseetchesiswhatmakeshim——jumpeighteenfeetintotheairan\'combthemantlersofhis\'nthroughthehangin\'pinelimbs。Doesittostoptheeetchin\'an\'rubthevelvetoff。OfcourseIcutsdownonhimwiththeSharp\'s。It\'sanewgunthata-way，an\'thesightsistoocoarse——youdragsadogthroughthehindsightseasy——an\'Iholdshigh。Thebulletgoesplumbthroughthebaseofhishorn，closeintotheha\'r，an\'allnacheralfetcheshimsprawlin\'。Iain\'twaitin\'toloadmygunnone，whichnotwaitin\'toload，I\'myeretomention，iserroneous。I\'myeretosaytharoughterbeanactofCongressag\'innotloadin\'yourgun。Theyoughterteachittotheyearlin\'sintheschools，an\'likewiseintheclassontheSabbath。Allersloadyourgun。Whoisthatsharp，MisterPeets，whosays，"Beshoreyou\'reright，thengoahead"？Heonceranchessome\'ersdownontheGlorieta。Butwhatheoughtersayis:"Beshoreyourgun\'sloaded，thengoahead。"\'

"\'That\'swhatever!\'saysDanBoggs，he\'pin\'himse\'fan\'startin\'thebottle；\'an\'ifhehasalickofsense，that\'swhathewouldsay。\'

"\'WhichIlaysdownmyemptygun，\'goesonthisLyin\'Jim，\'an\'

startsformybucktobootcherhisneckalot。WhenIgetswithintenfeethespringstohishoofsan\'standsglarin\'。Youcangamble，Iain\'ttamperin\'\'roundnowoundedbuck。I\'dsoonergopesterin\'

\'roundawidowwoman。\'

"\'Igetsmingledupwithawoundedbuckonce，\'saysDaveTutt，takin\'adabofpaint，\'an\'Inacherallywrastleshimdownan\'lopsoneofhisfrontlaigsoverhisantlers，an\'tharIhashim；nomoreharmleftinhimthanachamber-maid。Mine\'sawhite-taileddeeroverontheCareese。\'

"\'Thisyere\'sablack-tail，whichisdifferent；saysLyin\'Jim；

\'it\'sexactlythemfrontlaigsyoutalksofsolightlyI\'m\'fraidof。

"`Thebuckhestandstharsorterdazedan\'battin\'ofhiseyes。I

ain\'tnotimetogobackformySharp\'s，an\'mysix-shooterisleftincamp。Rightnearisahighrockwithasteepfaceaboutfifteenfeetstraightupan\'down。Iscramblesontothisan\'breathesag\'in，\'causeIknowsnodeerisevercompiledyetwhomakesthetrip。Thebuck\'scometocompletebynow，an\'whenheobservesmeontherock，hisrageisasboundlessasthegloryofTexas。\'

"\'Gents，we-allstakesanothercow-swaller，rightyere，\'shoutsTexasThompson。\'It\'saroolwithmetodrinkeverytimeIhearsthesacrednameofTexas。\'

"Whenwe-allsconcealsourfortydropsintheusualplace，Lyin\'Jimproceeds:

"\'Whenthisbucknotesme，he\'sthatfrenziedhebacksoffan\'jumpsag\'inthefaceoftherockstiff-laiged，an\'strikesitwiththemhoofsofhim。Whichhedoesthisnoomeroustimes，an\'everyhoofcutslikeacold-chisel。Itmakesthesparksgospittin\'an\'flyin\'

likeit\'sablacksmith-shop。

"\'I\'mtakin\'itca\'menough，onlyI\'mwonderin\'howI\'mgoin\'tofetchloose，whenInoticesthemsparksfromhishoofssetsthepinetwigsan\'needlesa-blazin\'downbythebaseoftherock。

"\'That\'swhatcomestomyrelief。Intwominutesthisyerespreadstoageneralconflagration，andthelastIseesofmydeerhe\'sflyin\'overtheDivideintothenextcanyonwithhistaila-blazin\'

an\'himutterin\'shrieks。Ihasonlytimetomakecamp，saddleup，an\'lineoutofthar，tokeepfrombein\'burnedbeforemytime。

"\'Thisyerefireragesfortwomonths，an\'burnsupabilliondollarsworthofmountains，I\'macoyoteifsomefolksdon\'ttalkoflawin\'meaboutit。\'

"\'That\'sayarnwhichhastheyear-marksoftrooth，butallthesameit\'sdeerassavesmylifeonce，\'saysDocPeets，sortertrailin\'ininnocent-likewhenthisLyin\'Jimgetsthrough；\'leastwisetheirmeatsavesit。I\'mouthuntin\'sameasyouis，thistimetowhichI

alloods。

"\'I\'mcampedonupperRedRiver；upwheretheriverisonlyabouttwelvefeetwide。Itain\'tdeepnone，onlyafewinches，butit\'sdugitsbanksdownaboutfourfeet。Theriverrunsalongthecenterofamile-widevalley，whichtheyain\'tnotreesinit，butallcl\'aran\'open。It\'ssnowin\'powerfulhardone，evenin\'about3

o\'clockwhenIcomesbackalongtheridgetowardsmycamponderthepines。WhileI\'mridin\'alongIcrossesthetrailofnineteendeer。

Itakesittooquick，\'causeIneedsdeerinmybusiness，an\'I

knowstheseiscloseortheirtrackswouldbecovered，thewayitsnows。

"\'Irunsthetrailoutintotheopen，headin\'fortheotherridge。

Thesnowisplentydeepoutfromonderthepines，butIkeepson。

Final，jestinthemouthofacanyon，overtheothersidewherethepinesbeginsag\'in，upjumpsablack。tailfrombehindayaller-pinelog，andIdropshim。

"\'Mypony\'splumbbrokedownbynow，soImakesupmymindtocamp。

It\'sa\'waygoodsite。Thar\'swatercomin\'downthecanyon；thar\'sabig，flatfloorofrocks——bigasthedance-hallfloor——an\'allprotectedbyahighrock-facedbluff，sonosnowdon\'tgettharnone；an\'outinfront，sometwelvefeet，isabigpitch-pinelog。

WhichIcouldn\'ta-fixedthingsbetterifIworksayear。

"\'Isetsfiretothelog，cutsupmydeer，an\'sortercampsoverbetweenthelogan\'bluff，an\'takesthingsasba\'myassummer。I

hasmysaddle-blanketan\'aslicker，an\'that\'sallIneeds。

"\'Tharain\'tnograssnoneforthelittlehoss，butIpeelshimaboutabushelofquakin\'-ashbark，an\'he\'sdoin\'well\'nough。

Lord!howitsnowsoutside!WhenIpeersoutinthemornin\'itscaresme。Isaddlesup，\'causemypropercampisinthepinest\'othersideofthisyereopenstretch，an\'I\'vegottomakeit。

"\'Myponyisweak，an\'canonlypushthroughthesnow，whichisfivefeetdeep。I\'mwalkin\'alongallcomfortable，a-holdin\'ofhistail，when"swish"hegoesplumboutensight。Ipeersintotheorificewhichketcheshim，an\'findshe\'sdoneslumpedoffthatfour-footbankintoRedRiver，kerslop!Whichhe\'satoncesweptfromview；

theriverrunnin\'inondcrthesnowlikeatunnel。

"Thatsettlesit；Igoespirootin\'back。Ilivesinthatcanyontwomonths。ItsnowsaheapafterIgetsback，an\'makesthingsdeeper\'never。Ihasmydeertoeat，notloadin\'myponywithitwhenI

starts，an\'Ipeelssomesugar-pines，likeIseesInjuns，an\'

scrapesoffthewhiteskinnextthetrees，an\'makesapastykindofbreadofit，an\'I\'mallright。

"\'Onemornin\'，jestbeforeIgetsoutofmeat，Iseestroubleoutinthesnow。Themeighteendeer——thar\'snineteen，butIc\'llectsone，asIsays——comessa\'nterin\'downmycanyonwhileI\'masleep，an\'

goesoutan\'getsstuckinthesnow。Iallowsmebbytheydressesaboutsixtypoundseach，an\'wallersafter\'emwithmyknifean\'

killssix。

"\'Thisyeregivesmemeatforseventy-twodays——fivepoundsaday，whichwiththepinebarkisshoreenough，TheothertwelveIturns\'roundan\'he\'psoutintothecanyonag\'in，an\'doyouknow，themdeer\'sthatgratefultheywon\'tleavenone？It\'safact，theysimplyhangs\'roundallthetimeI\'msnowedin。

"\'Intwomonthsthesnowmeltsdown，an\'Isaysadiostomytwelvedeeran\'startsforcamp。Whichyou-allsmebbyimaginesmys\'prisewhenIbeholdsmyponya-grazin\'outintheopen，saddleonan\'

right。Yere\'showitis:He\'sbeenparadin\'upan\'downthebedofRedRiveronderthatsnowtunnelfortwomonths。Oh!hefeedseasyenough。Jestbitestheyerbagealongthebanks。Thissnowtunnelisfourfeethigh，an\'he\'sgotplentyofroom。

"\'I\'msomegladtomeetupwithmyponythata-way，youbet!an\'

ketcheshimupan\'ridesovertomycamp。An\'I\'mfollowedbymytwelvedeer，whichcomescavortin\'alongallgenialan\'cordialan\'

neverleavesme。No，myhossissound，onlyhisfeetisalittlewater-soakedan\'tender；an\'hiseyes，bein\'solonginthathalf。

darkplaceonderthesnow，issomeweakan\'sore。\'

"AsnooneseemsdesiroustolienomoreafterDocPeetsgetsthrough，we-allseatsan\'drinksallwecan，an\'thengoesovertothedance-hallan\'whoopsherupinhonorofRedDog。Nothin\'couldgosmoother。

"Whenitcomestimetoquit，wehasalittletroublegettin\'

sep\'ratefrom\'em，butnotmuch。We-allsstartsoutto\'scort\'emtoRedDogasaguardofhonor，an\'thenthey，bustin\'withp\'liteness，\'scortsusbacktoWolfville。Thenwe-alls，nottoberaisedout，sees\'emtoRedDogag\'in，an\'nottohavetheoddhossonto\'eminthematter，backtheycomeswithus。

"Idon\'tknowhowoftenwemakesthisyereroundtripfromonecamptot\'other，causemymem\'ryissomedarkonthelatereventsofthatThanksgivin\'。Myponygetstiredofitaboutthethirdtimeback，an\'humpshimse\'fan\'bucksmeoffawholelot，whereuponIdon\'tgowiththemRedDogfolksnofurther，butnacherallycampsdownbackofthemesquiteIlightsinto，an，sleepstillmornin\'。Youbet!

it\'sagreatThanksgivin\'。\'

CHAPTERXXL。

BILLHOSKINS\'SCOON。

"NowIthoroughlysaveys，"remarkedtheOldCattlemanreflectively，atacrisisinourconversationwhenthetalkturnedonmenofsmallandcowardlymeasure，"Ithoroughlysaveysthattasteforbattlethatlurksinthedeefilesoffolk\'snacherlikeawolfinthehillsWhichIreckonsnowthatI，myse\'f，isoneofthepeacefullestpeopleaseverbeltsonaweepon；butinmyinstincts——whileIneverjestifiesorfollowshisexample——Icl\'arlyapprehendstheemotionsofagentwhoconveneswithanothergentallsim\'lar，an\'expresseshisviewswithhisgun。Sechishumannacheronrestrained，an\'thesame，whiledeplorable，isnots\'prisin\'。

"ButthisyereOlsonIhasinmymem\'rydon\'thavenosechmanlyfeelin\'sasgoeswithagunplay。Olsonisthatcowardlyhe\'sevenfurtive；an\'foralow-flungmeaslygameletmetellyou-allwhatOlsondoes。It\'sshorelyornery。

"Itallarisesyearsago，backinTennessee，an\'getsitsfirststartoutofahawgwhichisownedbyOlsonan\'isdownedbyagentnamedHoskins——BillHoskins。It\'sthisa-way。

"BackinTennesseeinmydream-wreathedyooth，whenlivestockgoesprojectin\'aboutpermiscus，apartyhastobuildhisfences\'bullstrong，hawgtight，an\'hosshigh，\'orhetakesresults。WhichHoskinsdon\'tmakehisfencestoconformtothisyereroolnone；

leastwisetheyain\'thawgtightasisshownbyoneofOlson\'shawgs。

"Thehawgcomespirootin\'aboutHoskins\'sfence，an\'hegoesthrougheasy；an\'thewaythatinvadin\'animalturnsBill\'spotatoesbottomupdon\'thinderhimabit。HeshorelylootsBill\'slot；that\'swhatever。

"ButBill，perceivin\'ofOlson\'shawglayin\'wastehiscrop，reachesdowna8-squar\'rifle，30tothepound，an\'stretchesthehawg。

WhichthisiswhereBillfallsintoerror。Layin\'asidethemdeeficienciesinBill\'sfence，it\'scl\'arataglanceahawgcan\'tbeheldresponsible。Hawgsisignorantan\'tharforeinnocent；an\'

whilehawgscanbewhatDocPeetscallsa\'CASUSBELLI，\'theycan\'tberegardedasafoelegitimate。

"NowwhatBilloughterdone，ifhefeelslikethisyorehawg\'sdoneputitalloverhim，istogoan\'layforOlson。SechactionbyBillwouldhavebeensomeexcessive，——somehighsotospeak；butitwouldhavebeenalineshot。Whereaskillin\'thehawgis\'waytoonesideofthemark；an\'onder。

"However，asIstates，Billbein\'hastythata-way，an\'oncapableofperhapsrefinedreasonin\'，downsthepig，an\'standspat，waitin\'

forOlsontofillhishand，ifhefeelssomoved。

"It\'satthispinchwherethecowardlynacherofthisyereOlsonbeginstoshine。He\'suglyasawolfaboutBillcopperin\'hishawgthata-way，buthedon\'tpackthenervetogoafterBillan\'makearound-upofthemgrievances。An\'heain\'tallowin\'topassitupnoneonrevengedneither。Nowyere\'swhatOlsondoes；he\'sassinatesBill\'spetraccoon。

"That\'sright，son，jestmassacresapore，confidin\'raccoon，whodon\'tnomorestandinonthathawg-killin\'ofBill\'s，thanmean\'

you，——don\'tevenadviseit。

"WhichIshorelyallowsyousaveysalltharistoknowaboutaraccoon。No？Well，araccoon\'slikethis:Inthefirstplacehe\'splumbeasy，an\'ain\'tlookin\'fornogenttoholdoutkyardsorringacolddeckonhim。That\'sstraight；araccoonissimple-mindedthata-way；an\'hisimpressivetraitis，he\'smeditative。Besidesbein\'

nacherallythoughtful，araccoonisaheapmelancholy，——hejestsetstharan\'absorbsmelancholyfrommerelybein\'alive。

"Butifaraccoonismelancholyorgetswroppedinthoughtthata-

way，it\'safterallhisownplay。It\'stohiscreditthatoncewhenhe\'stamed，he\'sgotmountainousconfidenceinmen，an\'willcurluptosleepwhereyoubean\'shetbotheyes。He\'splumbtrustful；an\'

moreover，nomatterhowmournfularaccoonfeels，orhowplumbmelancholyhegets，hedon\'tpesteryouwithnoyarns。

"IreckonsIconverseswiththisyereidenticalraccoonofBill\'splentyfrequent；whenhefeelsblue，an\'ag\'inwhenhe\'sathisgailiest，an\'heneverremarksnothin\'tomeexceptp\'litegeneral\'ties。

"IfthisyereOlsonwasadeadgamepartywhoregardshimse\'fwronged，he\'dsearchedoutagun，oraknife，ormebbyaclub，an\'

prancedoveran\'rectifiedBillawholelot。Buthe\'stootimidan\'

toocowardly，an\'afraidofBill。Sotoplayeven，helinesouttobushwhackthishe\'pless，oninstructedraccoon。Olsonfiggerstotakeadvantageofwhat\'scl\'arlyaloop-holeinaraccoon\'sconstitootion。

"Mebbyyounevernoticesitaboutaraccoon，butoncehegetsinterestedinapursoot，he\'sriggedsohecan\'tquitnoneontiltheproject\'sasuccess。Thar\'sherdsan\'bandsoffolksan\'animalswho\'sfixedsim\'lar。Theycanstart，an\'theycan\'tletup。Thar\'sbull-dogs:Theybeginsawartooeasy；butthec\'pacitytoquitisleftoutofbull-dogsentire。Sameaboutnose-paintwithgentsI

knows。Theycapersuptowhiskeyatthebeginnin\'likeakittentowarmmilk；an\'theyneverdoesceasenomore。An\'that\'showthekyardsfallstoraccoons。

"Knowintheseyeredeefectsinraccoons，thisOlsonplotstotakeadvantagetharof；an\'byplayin\'itlowonBill\'sraccoon，getevenwithBillaboutthatdeadhawg。WhichBillwouldn\'thavetookadroveofhawgs；noindeed!notthewholeFallround-upofhawgsinallofWestTennessee，an\'losethatraccoon。

"It\'swhenBill\'sovertoPineKnotlayin\'intobacker，an\'nose-

paintan\'cornmeal，an\'sechnecessaries，whenOlsonstandsintodownBill\'spet。Hegoesinjunnin\'overtoBill\'san\'findsthecampalldeserted，excepttheraccoon\'sthar，settin\'，battin\'hiseyesmournfulan\'lonesomeonthedoorstep。ThisOlsoncampsdownbythedooran\'fondlestheraccoon，an\'strokeshiscoat，an\'letshimsearchhispocketswithhisblackhandsontilhegetsthatfriendlyan\'confidentaboutOlsonhe\'dtoldhimanythin\'。It\'sthenthisyeremiscreant，Olson，springshisgame。"H\'sgotacoupleofcrawfishwhichhe\'sfreshcaughtattheBranch。Nowraccoonsregardscrawfishasonusualgoodeatin\'。Formyse\'f，Ican\'tsayIdeemsnonehighofcrawfishasviands，butraccoonsisdifferent；an\'thewaytheylooksatit，crawfishispie。

"ThisOlsonbringsouthistwocrawfishan\'fetchin\'ajarofwaterfromthespring，hedropsinacrawfishan\'incitesan\'aggravatesZekiel——that\'sthenameofBill\'sraccoon——tofeelinan\'gethimawholelot。

"Zekielain\'tnoneshyontheplay。Heknowscrawfishlikeagamblerdoesaredchip；soturnin\'hiseyesuptothesky，likearaccoondoeswho\'swroppedinpleasantanticipationsthata-way，heplungesinhispawan\'getsit。

"OnceZekielacquireshim，theporecrawfishdon\'tlastaslongastwo-bitsatfaro-bank。WhenZekielhashimplumbdevouredheturnshiseyesonOlson，sorterthankful，an\'\'waitsdevelopments。

"Olsonputsinthesecondcrawfish，an\'Zekieltakeshimintocampsameast\'other。It\'snowthatOlsononfurlshisplotonZekiel。

Olsondropsadozenbuckshotintothejarofwater。Nacherally，Zekiel，who\'sgothismindallframeduptouchin\'crawfish，goesafterthebuckshotwithhisforefoot。Butit\'sdifferentwithbuck-

shot；Zekielcan\'tpick\'emup。Hetriesan\'trieswithhishonest，simplefaceturneduptoheaven，buthecan\'tmakeit。AllZekielcandoisfeel\'emwithhisfoot，an\'roll\'emaboutonthebottomofthejar。

"NowasIremarksprior，whenaraccoongetsembarkedthata-way，hecan\'tquit。Heain\'tarrangedsohecancease。Olson，who\'splumbawaretharof，nosoonergetsZekielstartedonthembuckshot，thanknowin\'thatnachercanbereliedontoplayherhandout，hesa\'ntersofftohiswickeyup，leavin\'Zekieltohisfate。Billwon\'tbehometillMonday，an\'Olsonknowsthatbeforethen，onlessZekielisinterrupted，he\'llbeevenforthathawgBilldrops。AsOlsonconestoaplaceinthetrailwherehe\'sgoin\'tolosesightofBill\'scamp，heturnsan\'looksback。Thepictureisallhisrevengecanask。TharsetsZekielonthedoorstep，withhishappycountenanceturneduptothedomeabove，an\'hisrightpawelbowdeepinthejar，stillrollin\'an\'feelin\'thembuckshot\'round，an\'

allowin\'he\'sduetoketchacrawfisheverymoment。

"WhichitworksoutexactlyasthewretchedOlsonfiggers。Thesungoesdown，an\'theSundaysuncomesupan\'setsagain；an\'stillporeZekielisplantedbythejar，withhishopefuleyesonhigh，stillfeelin\'ofthembuckshot。Hecan\'tquitnomore\'nifhe\'sloserinapokergame；Zekielcan\'t。WhenBillridesuptohisdooraboutsecond-drinktimeMondayafternoon，Olsonisshorelyevenonthathawg。TharlaysZekiel，dead。He\'sjestsettharwiththembuck-shotan\'felthimse\'ftodeath。

"Butspeakin\'ofthesapiencyofBillHoskins\'sZekiel，"continuedtheoldgentlemanaswelightedpipesandlapsedintodesultorypuffing，"whileZekielforaraccoonissomedeep，afterallyou-allisjestamazedatZekiel\'causeIcallsyourattentiontohimawholelot。Ifyouwastogointocampwith\'em，an\'setdownan\'

watch\'em，you\'dshorelybes\'prisedtonotehowlevel-headedallanimalsbe。

"Nowifthar\'sanythin\'inArizonaforwhosejedgementIdon\'thaverespectnacheral，it\'sbirds。Arizonaforsechfolksasyouan\'me，an\'coyotesan\'jack-rabbits，isagoodrange。Sechaswe-allssorterfitsintothegeneralplayan\'getsactionforourstacks。

Butwhateverabirdcanfindentrancin\'insomeofthemSouthwesterndesertsisallerstoomanyforme。

"AsIsu\'gests，Iformerholdsfowls，whooffreechoicecontinuesaresidenceinArizona，asimbeciles。Yetnowan\'thenIobservesthingsthatmakesmeoncertainifI\'montoabird\'ssystem；an\'ifafterallArizonaissechadeadkyardforbirds。It\'spossibleagentmightbewayoffonbirdsan\'theviewstheyholdsoflife。Hemightwatchtheplayan\'esteem\'emloser，whenfromabird\'sp\'intofviewthey\'smakin\'akillin\'，an\'evencallin\'theturneverydeal。

"Whathe\'pstoopenmyeyesalotonbirdsistwoRoadRunnersDocPeetsan\'memeetsupwithoneafternooncomin\'downfromLordsburg。

TheseyereRoadRunnersisalankykindofprop\'sition，jestashadeofffromspringchickensforsize。Whichtheirarrangementsastoneckan\'laigsisonrestrictedan\'liberal，an\'theirlongsuitisrunnin\'upan\'downthesun-bakedtrailsofArizonawithnoobject。

Wherehe\'spartic\'larstrong，thisyereRoadRunner，isinwaitin\'

ontilsomegentcomesalong，sameasDocPeetsan\'methattime，an\'

thenattachin\'ofhimse\'fsaidcavalcadean\'racin\'alongahead。A

RoadRunnerkeepsupthisexerciseformiles，an\'beaboutthelengthofalariataheadofyourpony\'snoseallthetime。Whenyou-

allletsoutalinkortwoan\'stiffensyourponywiththespur，theRoadRunneronbucklessim\'laran\'exultstharat。Youain\'tgoin\'torunuponhimwhilehecanwavealaig，youcangambleyourlastchip，an\'youconfersfavorsonhimbysendin\'yourponyathim。

Tharhestays，rackin\'alongaheadofyouontilsatiated。Usualthar\'stwoRoadRun。ners，an\'theyclipsitalongsidebysideasifthar\'ssomethin\'initfor\'em；an\'Ireckons，rightlysaveyed，tharis。However，theprofitstoRoadRunnersofthemexcursionsain\'tobvious，nonewhatever；soIwon\'ttrytoset\'emforth。Themjourneystheymakesupan\'downthetrailshorelyseemsaimlesstome。

"ButaboutDocPeetsan\'mepullin\'outfromLordsburgforWolfvillethatevenin\':Ourponiesisputtin\'thelandscapebehind\'ematagoodroad-gaitwhenwenotesabraceofthemRoadRunnerswithwingshalflifted，pacin\'tomatchourspeedalongthetrailinfront。AsRoadRunnersisfrequentwithus，ourmindsdon\'tbotherwith\'emnone。Nowan\'thenDocan\'mecanseetheyconversesastheygoesspeedin\'alongalevelordownaslope。It\'sasifonesaystot\'other，somethin\'likethisyere"\'How\'syourwind，Bill？Isitcomin\'easy？\'

"\'Shore，\'itwouldseemlikeBillanswers。\'Valvesneverisinsechshape。I\'monvelvet；how\'syourlaigsstandin\'thepace，Jim？\'

"\'Laigsisworkin\'likethey\'snewoiled，\'Jimrepliesback；\'it\'saplumbeasygame。Ireckons，Bill，mean\'youcouldkeepaheadofthemmavericksayearifwe-allsfeelslikeit。\'

"\'Betabluestackonit，\'Billanswers。\'Ideemstheseyeregentssoft。BeforeI\'dridesechponiesasthem，I\'dgoprojectin\'\'roundsomenightan\'stealone。\'

"\'Themponiesisshorelyaheapslothful，\'Jimanswers。

"\'AtthismebbythemRoadRunnersrufflestheirfeathersan\'runsonswifter，jesttoshowwhataslowracketkeepin\'aheadofmean\'

Peetsis。An\'theseyerelocoedbirdskeepsupsechconversationsforhours。

"MindIain\'tsayin\'thatwhatItellsyouiswhatthemRoadRunnersreallyremarks；butIturnsitovertoyou-allthewayitstrikesmean\'Docatthetime。WhatIaimstorelate，how-ever，isanincidentasshedslightonhowwisean\'foxyRoadRunnersbe。

"DocPeetsan\'me，asIstates，ain\'tlavishin\'noonreasonablenoticeontheseyerebirds，an\'they\'vebeenscatterin\'alongthetrailformebbyit\'sanhour，whenoneof\'emcomestoaplumbhalt，sharp。Theotherstopslikewisean\'roundsupag\'insthismate；an\'

bein\'cur\'oustonotewhat\'spesterin\'em，Peetsan\'mecurbstoastand-still。TheRoadRunnerwhostopsfirst——thesamebein\'Bill——

islookin\'sharpan\'interested-likeoveracrosstheplains。

"\'Rattlesnake，\'heimpartstohissidepartner。

"\'Where\'sheat？\'saysthesidepartner，whichisJim，\'where\'sthisyeresnakeat，Bill？Idon\'tnotenorattlesnake。\'

"\'Comeroundyerebyme，\'Billsays。\'Nowonalinewiththetopofyondermesaan\'aleetletotheleftofthatsoap-weed；don\'tyou-

allseehimquileduptharasleep？\'

"\'WhichIshorelydoes，\'saysJim，locatin\'therattlesnakewithhisbeadyeye，\'an\'he\'ssomesunkinslumber。Bill，thatserpentisourmeat。\'

"\'Moveyourmoccasinseasy，\'saysBill，\'so\'snottoturnhimout。