Drinks for the crowd."

"I suppose you have me beat," said Steve, grinning at him
affectionately. "You're such a son-of-a-- when you get down to
work. Well, so long! I got to fix my horse's hoofs."

I had expected that the man would be struck down. He had used to
the Virginian a term of heaviest insult, I thought. I had
marvelled to hear it come so unheralded from Steve's friendly
lips. And now I marvelled still more. Evidently he had meant no
harm by it, and evidently no offence had been taken. Used thus,
this language was plainly complimentary. I had stepped into a
world new to me indeed, and novelties were occurring with scarce
any time to get breath between them. As to where I should sleep,
I had forgotten that problem altogether in my curiosity. What was
the Virginian going to do now? I began to know that the quiet of
this man was volcanic.

"Will you wash first, sir?"

We were at the door of the eating-house, and he set my valise
inside. In my tenderfoot innocence I was looking indoors for the
washing arrangements.

"It's out hyeh, seh," he informed me gravely, but with strong
Southern accent. Internal mirth seemed often to heighten the
local flavor of his speech. There were other times when it had
scarce any special accent or fault in grammar.

A trough was to my right, slippery with soapy water; and hanging