Wolfville

and finally to the refilling of his cob pipe, "thar ain't the slightest room for cavil but them

d to hear the old man talk, and rightly theorized that the better method

comes a heap near schedoolin' another funeral, with the general public a-contributin' of the corpse.

he's that sly an' furtive in his plays, an' covers his trails so speshul, he nacherally breeds sech suspicions that when the stage begins to be stood up reg'lar once a week, an'

son, an' onfolds a layout an' goes to turnin' faro- bank in the Red Light. No one remarks this partic'lar, which said spectacles is frequent. T

ent people who ain't talkin' much, an' his eye for

calls himse'f the 'Stingin' Lizard,' an' who's been pesterin' 'round Wolfville, mebby, it's a month. This yere Stingin' Liz

an' folks he don't know at all, which palls on disinterested people who has dooties to perform. About once a week this Lizard man goes an' gets the treemers, an' then the camp has to set up with him t

n in peramb'lates this Lizard. Seems like Cherokee, bein' one of them quiet wolves, fools up the Lizard a lot. This Lizard's been hostile an' blood

tin' it up she don't taste right, which not onlikely it don't; but beyond pickin' flaws in his nose- paint thar ain't much to take hold on about him. He's so slim a

ght, whoopin' an' carryin' on by himse'f. Str

wins I wants money sim'lar. Thar's fifty dollars on the king coppered; an' fifty dollars on the eight open. T

ent; but he don't say nothin'. He goes on with the deal, an',

ranglin' to himse'f. But he's gettin' his money up all the time; an' with the fift

ch is a heap onrespectful, ' an' so that a wayfarin' gent may not be misled to ro

use I'm doin' business at the table myse'f at the time, an' keepin' likewise case on the game. `The bridle's plumb off

ow I reckons a thousand-dollar bet would scare this puerile ga

als, but jest the same I tells you what I'll do. Climb right onto the layout, body, soul, an' roll, an' put a figger on your worthless se'f, an' I'll turn you for the whole shootin'-match. You're i

' public-sperited that a-way, in my first frenzy I allows I'll take my gun an' abate it a whole lot. But a ca'mer mood comes on, an' I decides, as not bein' so likely to disturb a peace- lovin' camp, I removes this

ten up your stuff an' get it some'ers. Don't leave it all spraddled over the scene. I turns fo

long as folks is bettin' along in limits, say onder fifty dollars, thar ain't no shootin' likely to ensoo. But whenever a game gets immoderate that a-way, an' the limit's off, an' thi

e ain't sayin' much. He sa'nters over to the bar, an' gets a big drink. Cherokee is rifflin' the deck, but I notes he's got his gray eye on the Stingin' Lizard, an' my respect for him increases rapid. I sees he ain't goin' to

time to time much worthless information thrust upon

kee's manner, the same bein' some insultin', `they teaches the babies two

, 'as reminiscences of your yooth, but wher

y truculent. 'I now announces that this yere game is a skin an' a brace.

back our chairs an' stampedes outen range. As the Lizard m

, he searches out a bowie from som'ers back of his neck. I'm some employed placin' myse'f at the ti

izard more'n lifts his weepon, Cherokee half slashes his gun-hand off at the wrist; an' then, jest as the

tone shows he's half-way mournin' over it, ` than any sport in the Ter

nright an' Doc Peets,

ks it over quiet, an'

n', law-abiding temper of the Wolfville public. This Lizard's a mighty oppressive person, an' a heap obnoxious; an' while I don't like a knife none myse'f as a trail out, an' inclines to distrust a gent w

' up after him none.' "That's about how it stands. Nobody finds fault with Cherokee, an' as he ups an' plants the Stingin' Lizard's remainder the next day, makin' the deal with a stai

o marvel where do we

We're workin' i

ne them angels notes a look of s'prise on the Stingin' Lizard's face as to how he comes to make the trip-Chero

one party, too. He merely prances out in onexpected places with a Winchester; stands up the stage in an onconcerned way, an' then goes through everythin' an' everybody, from mail-bags to passengers, like the grace of heaven through a camp-meetin'. Nacheral, it all creates a heap of disgust. "'If this yere industrious hold-up keeps up his lick,' says Texas Thompson about the third time the stage gets rustled, `an' heads off a few more letters of mine,

' it over, it's noticed mighty soon that, come right to cases, no one knows his record, where he's been

'Whatever would he be shakin' up over in Tucson? His game's yere, an' this

the same system emphatic. An' I says myse'f, not findin' no fault with Boggs tharfor

ts it settled that this faro gent's turnin' them tricks with the stage an' mail-bags, the sooner he's

bring him to us. The signs an' signal-smokes shorely p'ints to this yere Cherokee as our meat; but these things has to be

flapjacks at the O. K. House, an' tell him the committee needs him at the New

is?' he says to Jack Moore. 'Is it th

'ry. It's stage coaches. Thar's a passel of people

thar, an' the way that old lady talks to Enright an' the committee is a shame. She comes over to the s

s on her bib, 'what be you-alls aimin' for to do? Lin

sed of standin' up the stage them times recent

do you? I says this, though; it's a heap sight more likely some drunkard a-

n' right. While she's the loveliest of created things, still sech is the infirmities of her

hang nobody to the windmill ag'in nohow. I has my work to do, an' thar's enough on my hands, feedin' sech swine as you-alls three times a day, without havin' to cut down dead folks outen my

sn't the slightest evidence tharof,' s

's a mighty sight bett

an' that's my fi

eaceful, 'let me in on this. What be you-alls doin' this on?

e; how he's outen camp every time the stage

ee, 'I don't reckon thar's much doubt but yo

,' says Enright. 'Although I'm bound

e hung none this autumn. I ain't got time, gents, for one thing, an' has

y we-alls can't proceed with this yere lynchin' at once. S'pose this Cherokee ain't stood up no stage; h

o Cherokee, not heedin' of Bogg's petulance, 'them sta

hore that time sorter takes advantage an' feeds on him. So he goes browsin' 'round the postmaster all casooal, an' puts questions. Cherokee gets a p'inter about some yearlin' or other in Tucson this Stingin' Lizard sends money to

e Stingin' Lizard pastures the young one on. 'You're all right, Bill,' goes on this Cherokee to the barkeep,' but now I goes back of the box fo

t they camps the boy-who's seven years comin' grass-on the only pulpit-sharp in Tucson. This gospel-spreader

in' to get the young one counter- branded from the Stingin' Lizard's outfit into his, an' given t

w he's much of a preacher neither; for he gives Wolfville one whirl for luck over in the warehouse back of the New York Store, an' I shore hears 'em as makes

who rides herd on the boy all right, an' don't

the play you makes?' says Enright, at the time it's explained t

don't allow to go postin' no notices tharof. But along comes this yere hold-up busines

ylum trips, don't walk in the water so much. Leave your trail so Wolfville sees it, an' then folks ain

ittee to Rucker, when he trails in from Tucson; which he also notifies him to hobble his wife yereafter durin' sessions of this body. She's not