第22章

"The sun's jest gettin' over the hills to the east, an', as it strikes him, he's shore a fash'nable lookin' Injun.He ain't got nothin' on but a war-bunnit an' a coat of paint.The rest of his trousseau he confines to his Winchester an' belt.He's on his war-pony, an' the bronco's stripped as bare as this Black Dog is; not a strap from muzzle to tail.This bridegroom Injun's tied its mane full of ribbons, an' throws a red blanket across his pony's withers for general effects.Take it all over, he's a nifty-lookin' savage.

"So far as the dooel goes, Dave ain't runnin' no resk.He stands thar on the ground an' keeps his hoss between him an' this yere Black Dog.It's a play which forces the bridegroom's hand, too.He's due, bein' Injun, to go cirelin' Dave an' do his shootin' on the canter.

"An' that's what this weak-minded savage does.He breaks into a lope an' goes sailin' 'round Dave like a hawk.Durin' them exercises he lays over on the shoulder of his hoss an' bangs away from onder its neck with one hand, permiscus.

"This is mere frivolity.Thar ain't no white gent who could shoot none onder sech conditions; an' Injuns can't shoot nohow.They don't savey a hind sight.An', as I remarks, if Dave's hit any, it's goin'

to shorely be an accident, an' accidents don't happen none in Arizona; leastwise not with guns.

'Mebby this Black Dog's banged away three times, when Dave, who's been followin' of him, through the sights for thirty seconds, onhooks his rifle, an' the deal comes to a full stop.Dave's shootin' a Sharp's, with a hundred an' twenty grains of powder, an'

the way he sends a bullet plumb through that war-pony an' this yere Black Dog, who's hangin' on its off side, don't bother him a bit.

The pony an' the Black Dog goes over on their heads.

"Dave rides in, an' brings the blanket an' war-bunnit.Even then, the female towerist, which is the object of the meetin', don't seem informed none of the course of events.The fact is, she never does acquire the rights of it till we-alls is two days back on the return trail.

"Thar's no more bother.Injuns is partic'lar people, that a-way, about etiquette as they saveys it, an' followin' Dave's downin' this Black Dog they ain't makin' a moan or a move.They takes it plenty solemn an' mute, an' goes to layin' out the Black Dog's obsequies without no more notice of us.It's a squar deal; they sees that; an'

they ain't filin' no objections.As for our end of the game, we moves out for Wolfville, makin' no idle delays whatever.

"Goin' in, Dave, after thinkin' some, su'gests to me that it's likely to be a heap good story not to tell Tucson Jennie.

"'Females is illogical, that a-way,' says Dave, 'an' I ain't goin'

to have time to eddicate Jennie to a proper view of this yere.So Ireckons it's goin' to be a crafty play not to tell her.'

"The Britons has been gone two weeks when Tucson Jennie learns the story.Them towerists is plumb weary of Arizona when we trails into Wolfville, an' don't seem to tarry a second before they lines out for Tucson.

"'They jest hits a high place or two,' says Jack Moore, after he hears of them designs of the Black Dog, 'an' they'll be 'way yonder out of the country.I don't reckon none of 'em'll ever come back soon, neither.'

"But it's the towerist woman makes the trouble from start to finish.

It's a letter from her which she writes back to Dave, allowin'

she'll thank him some more as her preserver, that brings the news to Jennie.Tucson Jennie gets this missive, an' ups an' rifles an'

reads it to herse'f a whole lot.It's then Tucson Jennie gives it out cold, Dave is breakin' her heart, an' tharupon prances 'round for her shaker an' goes over to Missis Rucker's.

"The whole camp knows the story in an hour, an' while we-ails sympathizes with Dave of course, no one's blamin' Tucson Jennie.

She's a female, an' onresponsible, for one thing; an' then, ag'in Dave's a heap onlikely to stand any condemnations of his wife.

"'She's as good a woman as ever wears a moccasin,' says Dave, while he's recoverin' of his sperits at the Red Light bar.

"An' we-alls allows she shorely is; an' then everybody looks pensive an' sincere that a-way, so's not to harrow Dave none an' make his burdens more.

"'But whatever can I do to fetch her back to camp?' asks Dave, appealin' to Enright mighty wretched.'I goes plumb locoed if this yere keeps on.'

"'My notion is, we-alls better put Missis Rucker in to play the hand,' says Enright.'Missis Rucker's a female, an' is shorely due to know what kyards to draw.But this oughter be a lesson to you, Dave, not to go romancin' 'round with strange women no more.'

"'It's a forced play, I tells you,' says Dave.'Them Injuns has us treed.It's a case of fight or give up that she-towerist, so what was I to do?'

"`Well,' says Enright, some severe,' you might at least have consulted with this yere towerist woman some.But you don't.You simply gets a gun an' goes trackin' 'round in her destinies, an'