下载辰思小说免费APP
shootin\'thatbulletintoitsbowelsdon\'tbother\'emabit。EvenDave\'sstandin\'upthemtowerists，an\'therapinethatensoosdon\'tworry\'emnone；butthequestionofthemusicitse\'fsetsthealcaldetobuckin\'。
"\'I\'mshorelydepressedtosayit，Dave，\'saysthealcalde，whoisasportnamedSteele，\'butyou\'vebeena-bustin\'oford\'nancesaboutplayin\'musiconthestreetwithoutnolicense。\'
"\'Can\'twe-allbeatthegamenoway？\'saysDave。
"\'WhichIshorelydon\'tseehow，\'saysthealcalde。
"\'Normeneither，\'saysFranklin。
"\'Whateveristhematterwithcounter-brandin\'themtunesovertoMerino\'slicense？\'saysDave。
"\'Can\'tdoitnohow，\'saysthealcalde。
"\'Well，isthisyereord\'nanceaccordin\'toHoylean\'theDeclarationofIndependence？\'saysDave。\'Idon\'tstanditnoneonless。\'
"\'Shore!\'saysthealcalde。
"\'Antean\'passthebuck，then，\'saysDave。\'I\'malaw-abidin\'
citizen，an\'allIwantsisasquar\'dealfromthewarmdeck。\'
"SotheyfinesDavefiftydollarsforplayin\'themharmonieswithoutnolicense。DaveasksmelaternottomentionthisyereoutcomeinWolfville，an\'Ineverdoes。Butyereit\'sdifferent。"
CHAPTERIII。
TheFeudofPickles。
"Thar\'sabigcrowdinWolfvillethatJuneday。"TheOldCattlemantiltedhischairbackandchallengedmyinterestwithhiseye。"Thecorralsisfullofpackmulesan\'bullteamsan\'wagon-trains；an\'
whitemen，Mexicans，half-breedsan\'Injunsisa-mixin\'an\'
meanderin\'\'round，a-lyin\'an\'a-laughin\'an\'a-drinkin\'ofRedLightwhiskeymightyprofuse。Fourorfivemuleskinnershastheirlonglimbersixteen-footwhips，whichisloadedwithdust-shotfrombutttotip，an\'iscrackin\'of\'ematamark。I\'veseenoneoftheseyeremuleexpertswiththemosteasy，delicate，delib\'ratetwistofthewristmakehiswhipsquirmintheairlikeahurtsnake；an\'thenhe\'llstraightenitoutwiththecrackoftwentyrifles，an\'thebuckskinpoppercutsaholeinaloosebuffalorobehe\'shungup；an\'allwithoutinvestin\'twoouncesofactooalstrength。SeveralofusWolfvillegentsisonthesidewalkinfrontoftheO。K。Restauraw，applaudin\'ofthegoodshots，whenDaveTuttspeaksuptoJackMoore，nexttome，an\'says:
"\'Jack，youmindsthatoldNavajoyoudownsoverontheSanSimonlastFall？\'"
"\'Imindshimmightycl\'ar，\'saysJack。\'He\'sstealin\'myAlizanhossatthetime，an\'Icanproveitbyhisskelponmybridlenow。\'
"\'Well，\'saysDave，p\'intin\'toaornery，saddle-coloredhalf-breedwho\'smakin\'himse\'fsomefrequent，\'thatInjuntheycalls"Pickles"
ishisnephy，an\'youwantstolookoutawholelot。Ihearshimallowthatthekillin\'ofhisrelatifismightyrank，an\'thathedon\'tlikeitnohow。\'
"\'That\'sallright，\'saysJack；\'Picklesan\'mehasbeenkeepin\'
casesoneachotheranhour；an\'I\'llpostyou-allprivate，ifhegoestoplayhossalittlebit，himan\'hisonclewillbeabletotalkthingsoverbeforenight。\'
"Whichit\'smightysoonwhenPicklescomesalongwherewebe。
"\'Hello，Jack，\'hesays，an\'hismannerisinsultin\'；\'beenmakin\'
itsmokydownontheoldSanSimonlately？\'
"\'No；notsincelastfall，\'saysJack，plentylightan\'free；\'an\'
nowIthinksofit，Ib\'lievesIseesthatNavajohoss-thiefofanoncleofyourswhenI\'mdowntharlast。Iain\'trunuponhimnonelately，though。Wheredoyou-allreckonhe\'sdone\'lopedto？\'
"\'Can\'tsay，myse\'f，\'saysPickles，withakindo\'wickedcheerfulness；\'ourfam\'lyhasaround-upofitse\'foveronB\'arCreeklastspring，an\'Idon\'tcounthisnoseamong\'emnone。Mebbyhehasanengagement，an\'can\'tgetthar。Mebbyhe\'soutsquanderin\'
\'roundinthehighgrasssome\'ers。Greatmantogo\'roundpermiscus，thatInjunis。\'
"\'Yousee，\'saysJack，\'Idon\'tknowbuthemightbedead。WhichthetimeIspeaksof，I\'msettin\'incamponeday。Somethingattractsme，an\'Ihappenstolookup，an\'thar\'smyhoss，Alizan，withaperfectstrangeronhim，pitchin\'an\'buckin\'，an\'itlookslikehe\'sgoin\'tocripplethatstrangershore。Pickles，youknowsme!
I\'dlosetwohossesratherthanhaveagentIdon\'tknownonegethurt。SoIgrabsmyWinchesteran\'allowstokillAlizan。Butit\'sanewgun；an\'youknowwhatnewsightsis——coarseassandburrs；youcoulddragadogthrough\'em——an\'Iholdstoohigh。Ifetchesthestranger，"bang!"rightbackofhislefty\'ear，an\'thebulletcomesoutenhisrighty\'ear。Youcanbetthelimit，Ineveramsodispleasedwithmyshootin\'。Theideeofmeholdin\'fourfoottoohighinahundredyards!Ineveristhatembarrassed!I\'msoplumbdisgustedan\'ashamed，Idon\'tgonearthatequestrianstrangertillafterIfinishesmygrub。Alizan，hecomesupallshiverin\'an\'
sweatin\'an\'standsthar；an\'mebbyinahourorsoIstrollsouttothedeceased。ItshorelyweariesmeawholelotwhenIseeshim；
he\'snothin\'butacommonDiggerbuck。YoucandrinkonitifI
ain\'trelieved。Bein\'ano-accountInjun，ofcourse，Idon\'tpawhimovermuchforbrands；butdoyouknow，Pickles，fromthecasooalglanceIgives，itstrikesmeatthetimeit\'smightylikelytobeyouroncle。Thisoldbroncofancier\'sskelpisoveronmybridle，ifyouthinksyou\'dknowit。\'
"\'No，\'saysPickles，mightyonconcerned，\'itcan\'tbemyonclenohow。Ifhe\'soneofmyfam\'ly，itwouldbeyourha\'ronhisbridle。ItmustbesomeoldshorthornofaMohaveyoudowns。Let\'salltakeadrinkonit。\'
"Sowe-allgoesweavin\'overtotheRedLight，Jackan\'Picklessurveyin\'eachotherclosean\'interested，thata-way，an\'therestofusonthequeevee，togoswarmin\'outofrangeiftheytakestoshootin\'。
"\'It\'sshoresadtopartwithfriends，\'saysPickles，ashesecreteshisnose-paint，\'butjestthesameImustsaddlean\'stampedeoutofyere。Iwantstoseethatoldvillyun，TomCooke，an\'Idon\'treckonnoneI\'llfindhimanythissideofPrescott，neither。Beyouthinkin\'ofleavin\'campyourse\'f，Jack？\'
"\'Idon\'tputitupI\'llleaveforalongtime，\'saysJack。\'Mebbynotforamonth——mebbyit\'sevenyearsbeforeIgowanderin\'off——sodon\'tgotomakin\'nofriendly，quietwaitsformenowherealongtheroute，Pickles，\'causeyou\'dmostlikelyrunoutofwaterorchuckorsomethingbeforeeverItrailsup。\'
"Itain\'tlongwhenPicklessaddlesupan\'comeschargin\'\'roundonhislittlebuckskinhoss。Picklestakestocuttin\'allmanneroftricks，reachin\'forthingsontheground，snatchin\'offMexicans\'
hats，an\'jumpin\'hisponyoverwagontonguesan\'campfixin\'s。Allthetimehe\'swhoopin\'an\'yellin\'an\'carryin\'on，anhavin\'ahightimeallbyhimse\'f。Whichyoucanseehe\'sgettin\'uphisbloodan\'
nerve，reg\'larInjunfashion。
"Nexthetakesdownhisropean\'goestowhirlin\'that。Twoorthreetimeshecomesflashin\'bywherewebe，an\'IlookstoseehimmakeatryatJack。Buthe\'stoofarback，orthar\'stoomany\'roundJack，orPicklescan\'tgetthedistance，orsomething；forhedon\'tthrowitnone，butjestkeepsyellin\'an\'ridin\'louderan\'faster。
Picklesshorelyputsupaheapofriotthata-way!It\'snowthatEnrightcallstoPickles。
"\'Lookyere，Pickles，\'hesays，\'I\'vepassedthewordtothefivebestgunsincamptocurlyouupifyoupitchthatropeonce。Bein\'
asthenewsconcernsyou，personal，Iallowsit\'snothin\'more\'nfriendlytotellyou。Thenag\'in，Idon\'tliketolosetheRedLightsechacustomerlikeyoutillit\'saplumbcaseofcrowd。\'
"WhenEnrightvouchsafesthiswarnin\'，Picklesswingsdownan\'
leaveshisponystandin\'，an\'comesover。
"\'Doyouknow，Jack，\'hesays，\'Idon\'tliketheonrespectfultoneswhereinyoutalksofInjuns。I\'mInjun，part，myse\'f，an\'Idon\'tlikeit。\'
"\'No？\'saysJack；\'Is\'posethat\'safact，too。An\'yet，Pickles，notintendin\'nothin\'personal，forIwouldn\'tbepersonalwithaprairiedog，I\'mnotonlyonrespectfulofInjuns，an\'thinksthegov\'mentoughttopayabountyfortheirskelps，butIstatesbeliefsthatahoss-stealin\'，skulkin\'mongrelofahalf-breedisloweryet；Iholdin\'heain\'tevenpeople——ain\'tnothin\'，infact。
Buttochangethesubjeck，aswellasopenanavenooforanotherroundofdrinks，I\'llgamble，Pickles，thatyou-allstolethathossdownthar，an\'thatthe"7K"brandonhisshoulderain\'tnobrandatall，butpickedonwiththep\'intofaknife。\'
"WhenJackputsitalloverPicklesthata-way，welooksforshootin\'shore。ButPicklescan\'tsteadyhimse\'fonthecall。He\'slikeponiesI\'vemet。He\'llriderightatathingasthoughhe\'sgoin\'plumbthroughorover，an\'atthelastsecondhequitsan\'
flinchesan\'weakens。Son，itain\'tPickles\'fault。Tharain\'tnobreedofgentbutthepurewhitewhocanplayadesp\'ratedealdownthrough，an\'calltheturnforlifeordeathattheclose；an\'
Pickles，thata-way，isonlyhalfwhite。Sohelaughssorto\'uglyatJack\'sbluff，an\'allowsheordersdrinkswithoutnowagers。
"\'An\'then，Jack，\'hesays，\'Iwantsyoutocomefeedwithme。I\'llhaveMissisRuckerburnusupsomethingright。\'
"\'I\'llgoyou，\'saysJack，\'ifitain\'tnothin\'butsalthoss。\'
"\'I\'llfixyou-allfolksupafeed，\'saysMissisRucker，aheapgrim，\'butyoudon\'tdonobanquetin\'innodinin\'roomofmine。
I\'llspreadyourgrubinthecamp-house，t\'othersidethecorral，an\'you-allcanthenbeassociablean\'smokyasyouplease。Whichyou\'llbealoneoverthar，an\'canconductthereepastinanyfashiontosuityourse\'fs。Butyoudon\'tgetintothedinin\'roomreg\'lar，an\'gotoweedin\'outmyboardersaccidental，withthemfeudsofyours。\'
"Afteralittle，theirgrub\'sgotreadyinthecamphouse。It\'sajo-darterofafeed，withcake，pie，airtights，an\'thefullgame，an\'Jackan\'Pickleswalksoversidean\'side。Theygoesinalonean\'shetsthedoor。Inaboutfiveminutes，thar\'ssomeemphaticremarksbytwosix-shooters，an\'we-allgoeschargin\'tofindout。
WediscoversJackeatin\'awayallright；Picklesistheotherside，withhisheadinhistinplate，hisintellectsrunnin\'outoverhiseye。Jack\'sshoresubdooedthatsavageforalltime。
"\'Itdon\'tlooklikePicklesishungrynone，\'saysJack。
"Theybothpullstheirweeponsastheysetsdown，an\'puts\'emintheirlaps；butbein\'bredacross，thata-way，Picklescan\'tstandthestrain。Hegetsnervousan\'grabsforhisgun；themuzzlecatchesonderthetable-top，an\'thar\'shisbulletallsafeinthewood。Jack，bein\'cleanstrainAmerican，hasbetterluck，an\'
Picklesisgot。Shore，it\'srightan\'onthesquar\'!
"\'Yousees，\'saysDanBoggs，\'thiskillin\'sboundtoberightfromthejump。ItcomesoffbyPickles\'earnestdesire；Jackcouldn\'trefoose。Hewouldhavelostbothskelpan\'standin\'ifhehad。
Which，however，ifthisyere\'liminationofPickleshasgottohaveaname，myideeistocallheracaseofself-deestructiononPickles\'part，an\'letitgoatthat。\'"
CHAPTERIV。
JohnnyFlorer\'sAxleGrease。
Itwastheafternoon——coolandbeautiful。Ihadbeennursingmyindolencewithacigarandoneofthelargearm-chairswhichtheverandaofthegreathotelafforded。
NowandthenIconsideredwithinmyselfastothewhereaboutsofmyOldCattleman，andwasinahalfhumortohunthimup。Justasmythoughtswerehardeningintodecisioninthatbehalf，ahigh，waveringnote，evidentlymeantforsong，camefloatingaroundthecornerofthehouse，fromtheverandaontheend。Thesingerwasoutofrangeofeye，butIknewhimformyagedfriend。Thushegaveforth:
"Dogville，Dogville!
Atavernan\'astill，That\'salltharisinallDog-ville。"
"Howdoyoufeelto-day？"IaskedasItookachairnearthevenerablemusician。"Happyandhealthy，Itrust？"
"Neverfeelsbetterinmylife，"respondedtheOldCattleman。"IfI
wastofeelanybetter，I\'dshorelygoan\'seeadoctor。"
"Youareasinger，Iobserve。"
"I\'mmelodiousnacheral，butI\'mgettin\'soIsorto\'stumblesinmynotes。Shoutin\'an\'singin\'\'roundapasselofcattletokeep\'emfromstampedin\'onbadnightshassp\'iledmyvoice，thata-way。
Thar\'snothin\'soweakenin\'，vocal，asthemeffortsintheopenairan\'inthemidstofthestormsan\'theelements。WhatforasongisthatI\'mrenderin\'？Son，Ilearnsthatballadlongago，backwhenI\'maboyinoldTennessee。It\'swrit，wordandmusic，bylittleMollieHines，wholiveswithherpap，oldHomerHines，overonthe\'PossumTrot。MollieHinesisshoreapoet，an\'hasamightysightoffame，local。She\'swhatyou-allmightcallajo-darterofapoet，Mollieis；an\'letanythin\'touchin\'orromantichappenanywherealongthe\'PossumTrot，soastogiveherasubjeck，an\'Molliewouldbedownonit，instanter，likeafallin\'star。Sheshorelyisaversemaker，an\'isknownintheCumberlandcountryas\'TheNightingaleofBigBoneLick。\'IrememberswhenaShylockovertotheDudleytownbankforeclosesamortgageonoldHomerHines，an\'
offershissettlementsatpublicvanduethata-way，howMollieprancesoutan\'poursapoemintothemiscreant。Thar\'sahundredan\'\'levcnversesintoit，an\'eachonelikeabulletoutenaWinchester。Itgoeslikethis:"Thar\'sawordtobeutteredtotherichmaninhispride。
(Whichagentisfrequentrichestwhenit\'sjestbeforehedied!)
Thar\'sawordtobeutteredtothehawga-eatin\'truck。
(Whichahawgisfrequentfattestwhenit\'sjestbeforehe\'sstuck!)
"Mightysperitedepick，that!YourecallsthatEnglishpreachersharpthatcomessquanderin\'\'roundthetavernyereforhishealthaboutamonthago？Shore!Iknowsyoucouldn\'thaveoverlookednobetlikethatdivine。Well，thatnightinthemparlors，whenhereadssomerhymesinabook，——whateveristhatpiecehereads？
LocksleyHall；rightyoube，son!AsIwassayin\'，whenhe\'sthroughrenderin\'saidLocksleyHall，hecomesbuttin\'intoatalkwithmewhereI\'mcampedinacornerallcosyasatoadonderacabbageleaf，reecoverin\'myse\'fwithlickerfromthemrecitalsofhis，an\'
hesaystome，thisparsonpartydoes:
"\'Whichit\'sshorelyaset-backAmericahasnopoets，\'sayshe。
"\'It\'sevident，\'Isays，\'thatyouneverhearsofMollieHines。\'
"\'No，neveronce，\'hereplies；\'isthisyereMissHinesapoet？\'
"IsMollieHinesapoet!\'Irepeats，formyscornatthemereideekindo\'stiffensitskneesan\'takestobuckin\'some。\'MollieHinescouldmakethatLocksleyHallgentyouwasreadin\'from，oreventhepartywhowritesWatt\'sHymns，gotothediskyard。\'An\'thenI
repeatssomefortyofthemstanzas，whereofthatoneIjestnowrecitesisaspeciment。
"Whatdoesthispulpitgentsay？HeseeIhashimcinched，an\'he\'splumbmute。Heconfineshimse\'ftoturnin\'uphisnoseindisgustlikeBillStoreydoeswhenhisfather-in-lawhorsewhipshim。"
Followingthis，theOldCattlemanandIwrappedourselvesinthoughtfulsmoke，forthespaceoffiveminutes，asoneswhoponderedthegeniusof"TheNightingaleofBigBoneLick"——MollieHinesonthebanksofthePossomTrot。Atlastmyfriendbrokeforthwithaquestion。
"Whoeveristhemfar-offfolksyou-allwastellin\'meisrelatedtoInjuns？"
"TheJapanese。"Ireplied。"UndoubtedlytheIndiansandtheJapaneseareofthesamestock。"
"WhichI\'mfoaledlikeamule，"saidtheoldgentleman，"acompletepreytoinbornnotionsag\'inInjuns。Iwouldn\'thaveonepesterin\'
\'roundmemore\'nI\'deatoffenthesameplatewithasnake。Ishorehasaversionsto\'emawholelot。Ofcourse，IneverseesthemJaps，butIsaveysInjunsfromfeatherstomoccasins，an\'comparin\'JapstoInjuns，Ifeelsabout\'emlikeoldBillRawlinssaysabouthisbrotherJim\'swife。"
"Andhowwasthat？"Iasked。
Theafternoonwaslazyandgood，andIinamoodtolistentomyramblinggreycomradetalkofanybodyoranything。
"It\'sthisa-way，"hebegan。"ThisyereBillan\'JimRawlinsisbrothersan\'abidesinRoanoke，Virginny。Theysplitsupintheiryooth，an\'Jimgoesp\'intin\'outfortheWest。Whichheshoregetsthar，an\'nothin\'isheardofhimforfortyyears。
"BillRawlins，backinRoanoke，waxesaheaprich，an\'atlastclearsuphisgamean\'resolveslietakesarest。Alsoheconcloodstotravel；an\'aslongashe\'sgoin\'totravel，heallowshe\'llsorto\'goprojectin\'\'roundan\'seeifhecan\'tlocateJim。
"Hegetsaoldan\'mustytipaboutJim，thisBillRawlinsdoes，an\'
itworksoutallright。BillcutsJim\'strail\'wayoutyonderontheSlopeatameetropoliscalledLosAngeles。ButthisyereJimain\'ttharnone。ThefolkstellsBilltheyreckonsJimisovertoVirginnyCity。
"It\'samonthlater，an\'Billisromancin\'alongononeofthemNevadamountain-meadowtrails，whenhehappensuponalow，squattydugout，thesamebein\'acampratherthanahouse，an\'belongswithahayranche。Inthedoorisstandin\'amostorneryseemin\'gent，withlong，tangledha\'ran\'beard，an\'hisclotheslookslikehe\'sshorelywitnessedtimes。Thehandsofthisha\'rygentisinhispockets，an\'heexhibitsamightysooperciliousair。Billpullsuphiscayouseforapowwow。
"HowfarisittoaplacewhereIcancampdownforthenight？\'asksBill。
"\'It\'sabouttwentymilestothenextwickeyup，\'saysthesooperciliousgent。
"\'WhichIcan\'tmakeitnoneto-night，then，\'saysBill。
"\'Notonthathoss，\'saysthesooperciliousgent，forBill\'sponythata-wayisplentyplayed。
"\'Mebby，then，\'saysBill，`I\'dbetterbunkinyere。\'
"\'Youcangambleyou-alldon\'tsleepyere，\'saysthesooperciliousgent；\'nonewhatever!\'
\'An\'whynot？\'asksBill。
"\'BecauseIwon\'tletyou，\'saysthesooperciliousgent，a-bitin\'
offapieceoftobacco。\'Thisismycamp，an\'force\'bleinvasionsbycasooalhold-upslikeyou，don\'tpreevailwithmealittlebit。I
resentstheintroosiononmyprivacy。\'
"\'ButI\'llhavetosleepontheseyereplains，\'saysBillaheapplaintif。
"\'Thar\'sbettersportsthanyou-allsleptonthemplains，\'saysthesooperciliousgent。
"Meanwhile，thar\'samoveortwo，speshullythewayhebatshiseyes，aboutthissooperciliousgentthatsetsBilltorummagin\'
\'roundinhismem\'ry。Atlastheasks:
"\'IsyournameRawlins？\'
"\'Yes，sir，myname\'sRawlins，\'saysthesooperciliousgent。
"\'JimRawlinsofRoanoke？\'
"\'JimRawlinsofRoanoke；\'an\'thesooperciliousgentreachesinsidethedoorofthedugout，searchesforthariflean\'pumpsacartridgeintothebar\'l。
"\'Stan\'yourhand，Jim!\'saysBill，atthesametimeslidin\'tothegroundwiththehossbetweenhiman\'hisrelatif；\'don\'tgetimpetyoous。I\'myourbrotherBill。\'
"\'What!\'saysthesooperciliousgent，abandonin\'themhostilemeasures，an\'joysettlin\'overhisface。\'What!\'hesays；\'youmybrotherBill？Well，don\'tthatbeatgrizzlyb\'arsamazin\'!Comein，Bill，an\'restyourhat。Whichit\'ssimplythetendernessofhellI
don\'tmissyou。\'
"WhereuponBillan\'Jimtracksalonginsidean\'goestocanvassin\'
upan\'downastowhatensooesdoorin\'themfortyyearsthey\'vebeenparted。JimwantstoknowallaboutRoanokean\'howthingsstacksupinoldVirginny，an\'he\'schuckin\'inhisquestionsplentyrapid。
"WhileBill\'sreplyin\'，hiseyeiscaughtbyafrightful-lookin\'
femalewhogoesslyin\'inan\'out，a-organizin\'ofsomegrub。She\'sthecolorofasaddle，an\'Billcan\'tmakeoutwhethershe\'sawhite，aMexican，aDiggerInjunoranigger。An\'she\'sthathideous，thisfemaleis，shecomesmightyneargivin\'Billheartfailure。Son，you-allcan\'thavenoideehowturribiethispersonlooks。She\'ssouglytheflieswon\'tlightonher。Yes，sir!uglyenoughtobringsicknessintoafam\'ly。Billcanfeelallsortso\'
horrorsstampedin\'aboutinhisframeashegazesonher。Hereyeslooksliketwobulletholesinaboard，an\'therestofherfeachersistetotaciouslyindeescrib\'ble。Bill\'sintellectsattheawfulsightofthisyerepersonalmostlosestheirformation，asarmygentswouldsay。AtlastBillgetsinaquestiononhisrapid-firerelatif，who\'sshootin\'himupwithqueriestouchin\'Roanoketobeataroyalflush。
"\'Jim，\'saysBill，sorto\'scaredlike，\'whoeveristhisyereladywho\'sroamin\'thescene？\'
"\'Well，tharnow!\'saysJim，likehe\'splumbdisgusted，\'Ihopemygunmayhangfire，ifIdon\'tforgettointrodooceyou!Bill，that\'smywife。\'
"ThenJimgoessurgin\'offallspraddledoutaboutthenoomerousan\'
manifestexcellenciesofthisfemale，an\'holdsforthalarmin\'ofan\'concernin\'hervirchoosan\'lovelinessoffacean\'form，an\'alltosechascand\'lousdegree，Billhastostepoutdoorstoblush。
"\'An\'，Bill，\'goesonJim，an\'he\'splumbrapturous，thata-way，\'mayIneverholdthreeofakindag\'in，ifsheain\'tgotasisterwho\'sasmuchlikeherastwopokerchips。I\'mco\'tin\'bothof\'emmightynearfouryearsbeforeeverIcanmakeupmymindwhicheverof\'emIneeds。They\'rebothsoabsolootelysim\'larforbeauty，an\'
boththataloorin\'totheheart，Isimplycan\'ttellhowtosetmystackdown。Atlast，afterfouryears，Iupsan\'cutsthekyardsforit，an\'winsoutthisone。\'
"\'Well，Jim，\'saysBill，who\'sbeensettin\'tharshudderin\'throughthemrhapsodies，an\'nowan\'thengettin\'aglimpseofthisyerefemalewiththetailofhiseye:\'Well，Jim，farbeitfromme，an\'
meyourbrother，togoavouchin\'viewstomakeyoufeeldoobiousofyourchoice。Butcandor\'sgotthedroponmean\'compelsmetospeakmythoughts。Ineverseesthissisterofyourwife，Jim，butjestthesame，I\'daheapsightratherhaveher。\'
"An\'asIobservesprevious，"concludedtheoldgentleman，"IfeelsaboutJapsan\'InjunslikeBilldoesaboutJim\'swifethattime。I
neverseesnoJaps，butI\'damightysightratherhave\'em。"
Therewasanotherpauseafterthis，andcigarswereproduced。Foratimethesmokecurledinsilence。Thenmyfriendagaintookupdiscussion。
"TharcomesfewInjunsinvestigatin\'intoWolfville。Doorin\'thememutesofCochise，an\'Geronimo，an\'Nana，theApachesgoesNo\'than\'Southclostinbythatcampofours，butyoubet!they\'reneverthatlocoedastoropeonceatWolfville。We-allwouldshorelyhaveadmiredtoentertainthemhostiles；butasIsu\'gests，they\'reaheaptooenlightenedtogiveusachance。
"Savagesneverfindsmuchencouragementtocomeha\'ntin\'aboutWolfville。Aboutthefirstvisitin\'Injunmeetswithacontreetemps；
thoughthisisinadvertentaheapan\'notdesigned。Thisbuck，aNavajo，Itakesit，fromhisfeathers，hasbeenpirootin\'aboutforadayortwo。AtlastIreckonsheallowshe\'lleelopeoffintothefoothillsag\'in。Ascarryin\'outthemroodeplanswhichheforms，hestartstoscrambleontotheTucsonstagejestasOldMonte\'sc\'llectin\'uphisreins。Butitdon\'tgo；Injunsisbarred。Thegyard，who\'sperchedupinfrontnexttoOldMonte，pokesthisyereaborigineinthemiddleofhisfacewiththemuzzleofhisrifle；
an\'astheInjungoestumblin\'，thestagestarts，an\'bothwheelspassesoverhimthelongestway。ThatInjungivesagroanliketwentysinners，anhislampisout。
"OldMontesetsthebrakean\'climbsdownan\'sizesuptheremainder。Thenhegetsbackonthebox，picksuphissixhossesan\'
isgettin\'out。
"\'Yere，you!\'saysFrench，who\'stheWells-Fargoagent，a-callin\'
afterOldMonte，\'comebackan\'eitherplantyourgameorpackitwithyou。I\'mtoobusyagenttoletyouoranyotherblindeddrunkardgoleavin\'afooneralatmydoor。Thar\'senoughtodohereasitis，an\'Idon\'twantnodeadInjunsonmyhands。\'
"\'Don\'tputhimuptharan\'gosp\'ilin\'themmail-bags，\'howlsOldMonte，asFrenchan\'ahoss-hustlerfrominsidethecorrallaysholdoftheNavajotothrowhimonwiththebaggage。
"\'Thencomedownyerean\'rideherdontheplayyourse\'f，youmurderin\'sot!\'saysFrench。
"An\'withthat，heshorecutsloosean\'cussesOldMontefrightful；
cussestillacottonwoodtreeinfrontofthestationshedsallitsleaves，an\'hedeadensthegrassforahundredyardsabout。
"\'Promotin\'asepulcherinthisrock-ribbedlandscape，\'saysFrench，asJackMoorecomesup，kindo\'apol\'gisin\'forhisprofanevoylenceatOldMonte；\'framin\'upatomb，Isay，inthisyererock-ribbedlandscapeain\'tnochild\'splay，an\'I\'mnotallowin\'noneforthathomicideMontetoputnosechtasksonme。HeknowstheWolfvilleroole。Everygentskinshisownpolecatsan\'plantshisownprey。\'
"\'That\'swhatever!\'saysJackMoore，\'an\'onlessOldMonteisthirstin\'fortroubleinelab\'rateforms，heacquiescestharin。\'
"WiththatOldMontehitchestheNavajotothehindaxlewithalariatwhichFrenchbringsout，an\'thenthestage，withthesavagecoastin\'alongbehind，goesrackin\'offtotheNo\'th。Later，Montean\'thepassengershangsthisyereremainderupinapinetree，atanInjuncrossin\'inthehills，asawarnin\'。Whetherit\'sawarnin\'
orno，weneverlearns；allthat\'sshoreisthattheremainderan\'
thelariatisgonenextday；butwhateverideestheotherInjunsentertainsoftheplayis，asIoncehearsalecturesharppromulgate，\'concealedwiththecustomarystoicismoftheAmericansavage。\'
"Mostlikelythemantipathiesofmineag\'inInjunsisaheapenhancedbywhatIexperiencesbackontheoldJonesan\'Plummertrail，whentheywaswonttostampedeourherdsaswegoesdrivin\'
throughtheInjunTerritory。Anylittleolddarknightoneofthemsavagesisliabletocomeskulkin\'uponthewind\'ardsideoftheherd，flapablanket，cutlooseayell，an\'thenextsecondthar\'sahundredan\'twentythousanddollars\'worthofpropertyskally-
hootin\'offintospaceonfrenziedhoofs。Nextday，themsameontooteredchildrenofthewoodsan\'fieldswoulddemandfourbitsforeveryheadtheyhe\'psroundupan\'returntothebunch。It\'sasourceofsavagerevenoo，troo；butplumbirritatin\'。ThemInjunscorralssometimesasmuchasahundreddollarsbysechtreacheries。
An\'thenwe-allhastorestoveronedaytowinitbackatpoker。
"WillInjunsgamble？Shore!an\'tothelimitatthat!Ofcourse，bein\'，asyousaveys，abenightedpeoplethata-way，they\'resomeeasy，havin\'nomorejedgmentastothevalyooofahandthanSteveStevenson，an\'Stevewouldtakeapa\'rofninesan\'bet\'emhigherthanacat\'sback。Weallersrecoversourdinero，butthar\'stimean\'sleepwelosean\'don\'tgetback。
"Yes，indeed，son，Injunscommonisasorneryassoapweed。Theonlygoodyou-allcansayof\'emis，they\'renacheral-bornlonghorns，isoncomplainin\'，an\'saveystheWestlikemyblackboysaveyslicker。
Onetime——thisyereis\'waybackinmyTexasdays——onetimeI\'mcampedforlongoverontheUpperHawgthief。It\'srainedaheap，an\'
bein\'asI\'monlowgroundanyhow，itgetsthatsoftan\'swampywhereIbeitwouldbogabutterfly。ForonceI\'mtooksick；hasafever，thata-way。An\'loseflesh!shorelyyoushouldhaveseenme!
Ifallsofflikepersimmonsafterafrost，an\'getsasga\'ntan\'
thinasacowinApril。SoIallowsI\'lltakealay-offforacoupleofmonthsan\'reecooperatesome。
"Cossettin\'an\'pettin\'ofmyhealth，asIstates，Isaddlesupan\'
goescavortin\'overintotheOsagenationtovisitanoldcompadreofminewho\'satradertharbythenameofJohnnyFlorer。ThisyereFlorerisanold-timerwiththeOsages；beenwith\'emit\'smightylikelytwentyyearatthattime，an\'iswith\'emyetforallthenoticeIeverreceives。
"Ontheo\'casionofthisambassyofmine，Ihasachancetostudythemsavages，an\'getalineontheirchar\'ctersawholelot。ThistuneI\'mwithJohnny，whatyou-allmightcallOsageuppercirclesisaheaptornbytheontowardrivalriesofabraceofeminentbuckswho\'seachstrugglin\'toleadthefashionforthetribean\'raisetheotherout。
"ThemOsages，whileblanketInjuns，isplumbopulent。Thar\'ssixteenhundredof\'em，an\'theyhastothemse\'fs1，500，000acresofasgoodlandasevercomesslippin\'fromthepalmoftheInfinite。Also，thegov\'mentisweak-mindedenoughtoconferoneveryoneof\'em，eachbuckdrawin\'thedineroforhisfam\'ly，ahundredan\'fortybigirondollarsanyooally。Wherefore，asIobserves，themOsagesisplentystrong，financial。
"Theseyeretwohigh-rollin\'bucksIspeaksof，who\'sstrugglin\'forthesocialsoopremacy，isinthemidstofthemstrifeswhileI\'mvisitin\'Florer。It\'ssometwomoonspriorwhenoneof\'em，whichwe\'llcallhimthe\'AstorInjun，\'takesaheavyfalloutoftheopp\'sitionbygoin\'overtoCherryvalean\'buyin\'asooperannuatedtwo-seatRockawaybuggy。Tothishehooksupaspanofponies，loadsinhissquaws，an\'p\'rades\'roundfromPawhuskytoGreyhoss——thesamebein\'acoupleofOsagecamps——an\'tharbyredoocestheenemy——
whatwe\'llnamethe\'VanderbiltInjuns\'——todesp\'ration。TheAstorsavageshorelyhasthecallwiththatRockaway。
"ButtheVanderbiltOsageisaheaphardtodown。HetakesonelookattheAstorInjun\'sRockawaywithallitsblindin\'splendors，an\'
thengoesstreakin\'itforCherryvale，likeadrunkardtoabarbecue。An\'heseestheRockawayan\'goesitseveralbetter。Whatdoyou-allreckonnowthatsavageequipshimse\'fwith？Hewinsoutahearse，agoodbigblackroomyhearse，withploomesontoitan\'
glasswindersinthesides。
"AssoonaseverthisVanderbiltInjunstiffenshishandwiththehearse，hecomestroopin\'backtocampwithit，himse\'fontheboxdrivin\'，an\'puttin\'onenoughoflordlydogtomakeapackofhounds。WhichheshorelysquelchestheAstors；theyjestsimplylaydownan\'weptatsechgrandeur。TheirRockawayain\'tone，two，three，——ain\'tinthemoney。
"An\'everydaytheVanderbiltInjunwouldloadhissquawsan\'
papoosesinsidethehearse，an\'thar，wroppedintheirblanketsan\'
squattin\'onthefloorofthehearseforseats，theywouldbelookin\'outo\'thewindersatcommonsavageswhoain\'tinitan\'
don\'thavenohearse。Meanwhiles，thebuckVanderbiltisdrivin\'theoutfitalloveran\'\'roundthecantonments，theentirebunchassassyan\'asflippantasacoopo\'catbirds。It\'salltheAstorscandotokeepfromgoin\'plumblocoed。TheVanderbiltswin。
"Onemornin\'，whenFloreran\'mehasjestrunourbrandsontothefourthdrink，anoldbuckcomestrailin\'intothestore。Hisblanketispulledoverhishead，an\'he\'spantin\'an\'givin\'itouthe\'spowerfulill。
"\'Howismyfather？\'saysJohnnyinOsage。
"\'Oh，myson，\'saystheInjun，placin\'onehandonhisstomach，an\'
allmightytender，\'yourfatherisplentysick。Yourfathergetsupthismornin\'，an\'hisheartisverybad。Youmustgivehimmedicineoryourfatherwilldie。\'
"Johnnypassestheinvalidacinnamonstickan\'exhortshimtochewonthat，whichhedoespromptan\'satisfactory，likecattleontheircud。Thiscinnamonkeepshimsteadyfor\'mostfiveminutes。
"\'Whateveristhematterwiththissavage？\'IasksofJohnny。
"\'Nothin\'partic\'lar，\'saysJohnny。\'Lastnighthecomespushin\'inyerean\'buysabottleofWorcestershiresauce；an\'thenhegetsgaudyan\'quaffsitalluponatheeryshe\'sanew-fangledfirewater。Hegetsawaywiththeentirebottle。It\'snowherealizesthemerrors，an\'takestogroanin\'an\'allowin\'itgiveshimabadheart。WhichIshouldshorelyadmitasmuch!\'
"\'Yourfatherisworse，\'saystheOsage，ashecomescuttin\'inonJohnnyag\'in。\'Musthavestrongermedicine。Thatmedicine，\'holdin\'
upsomeofthecinnamon，\'thatnotbadenough。\'
"Atthis，Johnnypasseshis\'father\'overadoublehandfulofblackpepperbeforeit\'sground。
"\'Letmyfathergetawaywiththat，\'saysJohnny，\'an\'he\'llfeellikeabird。Itwillmakehimgayan\'fullofp\'isen，likearattlesnakeinAugust。\'
"Outtother\'arofJohnny\'sstoreispileduponderashedmore\'ntwothousandboxesofaxlegrease。ItwassentintothenationconsignedtoJohnnybysomeill-advisedsportsinNewYork，whofiggersthatbecausetheOsagesasatribeaboundsinwagons，tharmustshorelybeamarketforaxlegrease。That\'swherethemNewYorkpersonsmissesthefordalot。Themsavageshaswagons，troo；buttheynomorethinksofgreasin\'themaxlesthanpaintin\'therunnin\'
gear。Theynevergoesag\'instthataxlegreasegameforsomuchasasinglebox；saidointmentisadrug。Whenhedon\'tdisposeofitnone，Johnnystoresitoutonderashedsometwentyrodsaway，an\'
regyardsitasatotalloss。"\'Axlegrease，\'saysJohnny，\'makesap\'intincivilizationtowhichthesavagehasnotyetclambered，an\'themoptimists，East，whosendsitonyere，shouldhavenevermadenosechbreak。\'
"Mebbyit\'sbecausethisaxlegreasegrowssullenan\'feelsneglectedthata-way；mebbyit\'stheheatsoftwosummersan\'thefrostsoftwowinterswhichsp\'ilesitsdisp\'sition；shoreitisatanyratethatatthetimeI\'mthar，thatonguentseemsfrettedtothecore，an\'isgivin\'forthaprotestin\'fragrancethathasstoodoffacoyotean\'madehimquitatadistanceoftwohundredyards。
YoumightevensayithascausedNacherherse\'ftopausean\'catchherbreath。
"It\'swhentheailin\'Osage，whosemaladyistoodeep-seatedtobereachedbycinnamonorpimento，comesfrontin\'upforathirdpreescription，thattheaxlegreaseideeseizesJohnny。
"\'Father，\'saysJohnny，\'comewithme。Yoursonwillnowsawoffsomebigmedicineonyou；amedicinemeantforfull-blowngentslikeyouan\'me。Come，father，comewithyourson，an\'youshallbecuredinhalfthetimeittakestorunalooponalariat。\'
"Johnnybreaksopenoneoftheaxlegreaseboxes，armsthesavagewithachipforaspoon，an\'exhortshimtocutinonitawholelot。
"Son，theodorsofthemwaresisawful；Kansasbutterisvioletstoit；butitneverfluttersthatOsage。IletakesJohnny\'schipan\'
goestowork，spadin\'thataxlegreaseintohismouth，likeheain\'tgotaminutetolive。Whenhe\'sgotawaywithhalfthebox，hetucksthebalanceonderhisblanketan\'retirestohisteepeewithalookofgratitoodeonhisface。Hishearthasceasedtobebad，an\'themillnesses，whichaforetimehashimonthego，surrenderstothepowersofthisyerenewmedicinelikewillowstothewind。Withthis，hegoescaperin\'outforhiscamp，idlyhummin\'awarsong，sechishisrelief。
"An\'here\'swhereJohnnygetsactiononthataxlegrease。Itshorelyteaches，also，theexcellenceofthemmaxims，\'Castyourbreaduponthewatersan\'you\'llbeonvelvecbeforemanydays。\'Withintwohoursacoupleofthissickbuck\'ssquawscomessidlin\'tiptoJohnnyan\'desiresaxlegrease。It\'squotedatfourbitsabox，an\'
thesquawschangesinfivepesosan\'beatsaretreat，carryin\'awaytenboxes。Thenthefameofthisbig，newmedicinespreads；thataxlegreasebecomesplentypop\'lar。Otherbucksan\'othersquawsshowsup，changesintheirmoney，an\'ismadehappywithaxlegrease。Theyneverhassechatime，themOsagesdon\'t，sincethebattleoftheHoss-shoe。Son，theypacksitoffinblankets，freightsitawayinwagons。Theyturnslooseonareg\'laraxlegreasespree。Inaweekeveryboxissold，an\'thar\'sordersstackeduponFlorer\'sdeskfortwokyar-loadsmore，whichisbein\'hurriedonfromtheEast。EventheInjuns\'agentgetswroughtupaboutit，an\'beginstobellowan\'paw\'roundbywayofcomplimentstoJohnny。
HemakesJohnnyaspeech。
"\'WhichI\'vemadeyourexcellentdiscovery，Mr。Florer，\'saysthisagent，\'thebasisofareporttothegov\'mentatWashin\'ton。IsetsforththemadpassionoftheseyereOsagesforaxlegreaseasacondiment，abeverage，an\'acure。Iexplainsthetriballeanin\'
thatexistsforthatspeshulaxlegreasewhichiscrownedwithyears，an\'ownsastrengthwhichcomesonlyasthecor\'laryofhardexperience。Axlegreaseislikemusican\'soothsthesavagebreast。
Itisoilonthetroubledwatersofaboriginalexistence。Itsfeetisthefeetofpeace。Atthetouchofaxlegreasethehostileabandonsthewarpathan\'surrendershimse\'f。Hewashesoffhispaintan\'becomethwithaxlegreaseasthelambthatbleateth。Thegreatestpossibleuprisin\'couldbequelledwithaconsignmentofaxlegrease。Mr。Florer，Icongratulateyou。Fromahumblestore-
keep，sellin\'soap，herrin\'an\'salthoss，youtakesyourstandfromnowwiththeph\'lanthropistsan\'leadersamongmen。YouhaveconjoinedInjunsan\'axlegrease。Forcenturiesthesavagehasbeenaproblemwhichhasdefiedgov\'ment。Hewilldosonomore。Mr。
Florer，youhavesolvedthesavagewithaxlegrease。\'"
CHAPTERV。
ToothpickJohnson\'sOstracism。
"Yousees，"observedtheOldCattleman，ashemovedintothedeepershade；"youseesthisyereToothpickdisgracesWolfville；that\'showitis。Downsaparty，ToothpickJohnsondoes，an\'nogunonthegent，thesamebein\'outofrooleentire。Nacherally，whilenooneblamesToothpick，whomakestheplaywhatyou-allcalls\'bonyfidis，\'thepublicsorto\'longsforhiseelopement。An\'thatsettlesit；Toothpickhastohuntoutfordifferentstampin\'
grounds。
"ItallcomesfromToothpickbein\'bynacheroneoftheseyereover-
zealouspeople，an\'prematoorelypronethata-way。He\'sborneager，Toothpickis，an\'can\'the\'pitnone。
"You-allhastrackeduponthatbreedofcimmaronplentyfrequentnow。They\'rethekindwhopicksupapokerhand，kyardbykyard，astheycomes。They\'rethatfor\'ard，——thatheadlongtogetouterthepresentan\'intothefooture，theyjestcan\'twaitforthingstohaveachancetohappen。
"\'Whyeverdoyoupullinyourkyardsthata-way？\'IsaystoToothpick，reprovin\'ofhim。\'Whycan\'tyoulet\'emlaytillthehand\'sdealt？\'
"\'WhichI\'mshorelythatlocoedtolookifIain\'tgotthreeacesorsomesech，\'saysToothpick，\'Imustturn\'emuptosee。\'
"\'Well，\'saysI，an\'thesameiswisdomeverytime，\'you-allwouldappearmorelikeadeadcoldsporttolet\'embe，an\'pickupyourwholehandtogether。Likewise，you\'ddisplayamightysightmoresaveyifyoukeepsyoureyesonthedealertillhelaysdownthedeck。You\'dbelessafflictedbydisagreeablesurprisesifyou\'dfreezetothelastidee；an\'you\'dlayupmoneybesides。\'
"Butthat\'sthenotionI\'maimin\'toconvey；Toothpickistooquick。
Hisintellects，itlookslike，isoneternaltip-toetogetinastack。
"\'He\'stoosimooltaneous，isToothpick，\'saysJackMooreonce，whenhiman\'Boggsisdiscoursin\'together，sizin\'upToothpick。\'He\'sthatsimooltaneoushecomesmightynearbein\'awholelottooadjacent。\'
"WhatdoesToothpickdothattimewe-alldisapprovesan\'stampedeshim？It\'saaccidentalkillin\'。
"It\'sseconddrinktimeintheevenin\'，an\'theTucsonstageisin。
Thar\'sapasselofuswhohasropedupourmail，an\'nowwe\'restandin\'\'roundinfrontoftheRedLight，breakin\'intolettersan\'
papers，an\'a-makin\'ofcomments，whenalongwandersapartywho\'sbeenpicnicin\'withthecamp。Asthedealturns，heneverdoesstaylongnohow；neverlongenoughtobecomea\'genial\'quaintancean\'afav\'riteofall。\'
"Thispartywhocomessidlin\'upis，aswehears，latefromRedDog；
an\'doorin\'themfourhourswhereinheconfershissocietyontous，hestaysdrunkhabityooalan\'neverdoeslapseintobein\'soberforasecond。It\'sshoreremark\'ble，now，howallthemRedDogpeoplestaysintox\'catedwhiletheysojournsinWolfville。Neverknowsittofail；an\'Iallows，asas\'lootionthata-way，it\'sowin\'tothesooperiormeritsofournose-paint。It\'sacomplimenttheypaysus。
"However，thisRedDoggent\'sdrinkin\'ishisownaffairs。An\'hisearnestnessaboutlickermayhavebeenhissystem；thenag\'initmaynot；Idon\'tgopryin\'nonetodetermine。Butbein\'he\'splumbdrunk，asyoureadilydiscerns，itkeepsupabarrierag\'ingrowin\'
intimatewiththisparty；an\'ontilToothpickopensonhim，hisintercoursewithWolfvilleisnacherallyonlyformal。
"ThisvisitorfromRedDog——whichRedDogitse\'fisaboutaslow-
flungabunchofcrim\'nalsasevergetsroundedupan\'calledacamp——but，asI\'msayin\'，thistotterin\'wreckImentionscomesstragglin\'up，moreorlesspermiscusan\'vague，an\'，withoutsayin\'
awordormakin\'asign，orevenshakin\'abush，standsaboutlariatdistanceawayan\'star\'satToothpick，blinkin\'hiseyesmightymalevolent。
"Itain\'tnotimewhenthisyerebluffonthepartofthedrinkin\'
RedDoggentattractsToothpick，who\'sbeenskirmishin\'\'roundamonguswherewe\'restandin\'，an\'isatthattimementionin\'Freighter\'sStew，asagoodthingtoeat，toDaveTutt。
"\'Whobeyou-alladmirin\'now？\'asksToothpickoftheRedDogparty，who\'sglarin\'towardshim。It\'sthenInotesthelightsbegintodanceinToothpick\'seyes；withthatimpulsivesperitofhis，he\'sdootobecomeabruptwithourvisitoratthedropofthehat。
"ThatRedDoggentdon\'tmakenoretort，butstandstharwithhiseyespicketedonToothpicklikehe\'sfoundavictim。Toothpickisfidgetin\'onhisfeet，withhisthumbsstuckinhisbelt；whichthislastisabadsymptom，asitleavesagent\'sartilleryeasytoreach。
"Itstrikesmeatthetimethatit\'sevenmoneythar\'sgoin\'tobesomeshootin\'。Idon\'tthennornowknowwhynone。Butthatignoranceiscommonaboutshootin\'s；twotimesinthreenobodyeverdoesknowwhy。
"Ireckonsnowit\'sToothpick\'sfidgetin\'makesmesuspicioushe\'sonthebrinkofrousin\'theo\'casionwithhissix-shooter。Whichifhe\'scoolan\'ca\'m，itwouldnevercometomethata-way；acoolgentneverpullsthefirstgun，leastwaysneverwhenthepretextisfriv\'lousan\'don\'tcomeondertheheadof\'Must\'。
"\'Well。\'savsToothpickag\'in，\'whateverbeyou-allgloatin\'over，I
asks？Or，mebbyyou\'rethinkin\'of\'doptin\'measasonorsomethin\'？\'saysToothpick。
"StillthepartyfromRedDogdon\'tsaynothin\'。AsToothpickceases，however，thisRedDogpersonmakesamove，whichisreasonablequick，forhiship。He\'sgotonalongcoat，an\'whilenogentcansee，thar\'snoneofushasdoubtsbutheisfullydressed，an\'thathe\'ssearchin\'outhisColt\'s。
"That\'swhatToothpickallows；an\'theRedDogparty\'shandain\'ttraveledtwoinchesonderhissurtoot，whenToothpickcutsfreehis\'44，an\'theRedDogpartyhitstheground，facedown，likeakyardjestdealt。
"Yes，he\'sdeadenough；neverdoeskickorflutteronce。It\'sshorelyashotinthecross。
"`Doyou-allnotehowhetriestofillhishandonme？\'asksToothpick，mightycheerful。
"ToothpickstoopsdownfortheRedDogman\'sgun，an\'whatdoyou-
allthink？Hedon\'thavenoweapon，nonewhatever；nothin\'morevig\'rousthanapeacefulflaskofwhiskey，whichthesameisstillallsafeinhisr\'arpocket。
"\'Hewarn\'theeled!\'saysToothpick，straightenin\'upan\'lookin\'atusapol\'getican\'disgusted。
"It\'sjesticetoToothpicktosay，Ineveryetovertakesthatgentwho\'smoreabashedan\'discouragedthanheiswhenhefindsthispersonain\'tpackin\'nogun。Hesurveystheremainderasecond，an\'
says:
"\'Gents，ifeverthelickerforthecampisonToothpickJohnson，it\'snow。Butthar\'sonelastdootytoperformtouchin\'deceased。
It\'sevident，departedisabouttoaskmetodrink。It\'sthisyeremotionhemakesforhiswhiskeywhichImistakesforagunplay。
TharIerrs，an\'stacksupthisRedDogpersonwrong。NowthatI
onderstands，whileacknowledgin\'myfal\'cies，theleastIcandoistorespectdeceased\'slastwishes。Itharfore，"saysToothpick，raisin\'theRedDogparty\'sflask，"complieswithwhat，ifIhadn\'tinterruptedhim，wouldhavebeenhislastrequests。An\'regrettin\'I
don\'tsaveysooner，Idrinkstohim。"
"No，"concludedtheOldCattleman，"asIintimatesatthego-off，Toothpickdon\'tstaylongafterthat。Noonetalksofstringin\'himforwhat\'saplaincaseofbadjedgment，an\'nothin\'more。Butstill，Wolfvilletakesanotionag\'inhim，an\'don\'twanthim\'roundnone。Sohehastofreightout。
"\'Youareallright，Toothpick，speakin\'gen\'ral，\'saysOldManEnright，whenhiman\'DocPeetsan\'JackMoorecomesuponToothpicktonotifyhimit\'stheStranglers\'ideehe\'dbetterpackhiswagonsan\'hitthetrail，"butyoudon\'tholdyoursix-shooterenoughinwhatDocPeetsyerecalls\'abeyance。\'Withoutputtin\'nostainonyourcharacter，it\'srighttosayyouain\'tsedentaryenough，an\'
thatyou-allisaheaptoosoonbesides。Inview，tharfore，ofwhatIstates，an\'ofyoudroppin\'thisyereRedDoggent——notanounceofirononhimatthetime!——whileweexonerates，wedecideswithoutadissentin\'votetosorto\'look\'roundthecampforyouto-morry，sayatsundown，an\'hangyousome，shouldyouthenbepresentyere。
That\'showtheherdisgrazin\'，Toothpick:an\'ifyou\'reouttocommitsooicide，you\'llbepartic\'lartobewithusatthehourI
names。\'"
CHAPTERVI。
TheWolfvilleDailyCoyote。
You-allremembersback，"saidtheOldCattleman，"thatyeretoforeI
su\'gestshowatsomeappropriateepock，Irelatesaboutthecomin\'
ofColonelWilliamGreeneSterettan\'thatadventofWolfville\'sgreatdailypaper，theCoyote。"
Itwaseveningandsharplyinthewakeofdinner。Weweregathereduntoourselvesinmyfriend\'sapartments。InexcellentmoodtohearofColonelSterettandhiscelebratedjournal，Ieagerlyassuredhimthathispromiseinsaidbehalfwasfreshandfragrantinmymemory，andthatItrustedhewouldfindpresentopportunityforitsredemption。Thusencouraged，theoldgentlemanshovedtheboxofcigarstowardsme，pouredagenerousglass，anddisposedhimselftobegin。
"RedDoginasperitofvaincompetition，"observedmyfriend，"startsapaperaboutthesametimeColonelSterettfoundstheCoyote；an\'，son，forawhile，themimprintshasaluridlife!TheRedDogpaperdon\'tlastlongthough；itlacksthemelementsoflongevitywhichtheCoyotepossesses，an\'itain\'trunnin\'manyweeksbeforeitsorto\'rotsdownallatonce，an\'theeditorjumpsthegame。
"It\'severbeenasubjectofdissensionsbetweenColonelSterettan\'
myse\'fastowhereimpartialjesticeshouldlaytheblameofthatRedDogpaper\'sfailure。ColonelSterettchargesitontotheeditor；
butit\'smybeliefs，an\'I\'mj\'inedtharinbyBoggsan\'TexasThompson，thatnoeditorcouldflourishan\'nopapersurviveinsurroundin\'ssoplumbvenomousan\'p\'isenasRedDog。Moreover，I
holdsthatColonelSterett，onintentionalnodoubt，takesaja\'ndicedviewofthatbrotherpublisher。ButIridesaheadofmytale。
