"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。