"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。