taking pictures and writing story things. I didn't pay much
attention to him hiding under his black cloth, 'cause the faro-table
was full of bets, and it's hard to follow the play. Well,
bye-and-bye Wilmer shifted another stack belonging to the Easterner.

"The lad never begged his pardon nor nothin'. His fist just shot out
and landed on the nigh corner of Wilmer's jaw, clean and fair, and
'Single Out' done as pretty a headspin as I ever see--considering
that it was executed in a cuspidore. 'Twas my first insight into the
amenities of football. I'd like to see a whole game of it. They say
it lasts an hour and a half. Of all the cordial, why-how-do-you-do
mule kicks handed down in rhyme and story, that wallop was the
adopted daddy.

"When he struck, I took the end of the bar like a steeplechaser, for
I seen 'Curly' grab at the drawer, and I have aversions to witnessing
gun plays from the front end. The tenderfoot riz up in his chair,
and snatchin' a stack of reds in his off mit, dashed 'em into
'Curly's' face just as he pulled trigger. It spoiled his aim, and
the boy was on to him like a mountain lion, follerin' over the table,
along the line of least resistance.

"It was like takin' a candy sucker from a baby. 'Curly' let go of
that 'six' like he was plumb tired of it, and the kid welted him over
the ear just oncet. Then he turned on the room; and right there my
heart went out to him. He took in the line up at a sweep of his
lamps:

"'Any of you gentlemen got ideas on the subject?' he says, and his
eyes danced like waves in the sunshine.