though while I'm workin' cattle along the Red River I does carom on
Injuns more or less. Thar's one old hostile I recalls speshul; he's a
fool Injun called Black Feather;--Choctaw, he is. This Black Feather's
weakness is fire-water; he thinks more of it than some folks does of
children.

"Black Feather used to cross over to where Dick Stocton maintains a store
an' licker house on the Upper Hawgthief. Of course, no gent sells these
Injuns licker. It's ag'in the law; an' onless you-all is onusual eager
to make a trip to Fort Smith with a marshal ridin' herd on you doorin'
said visit, impartin' of nosepaint to aborigines is a good thing not to
do. But Black Feather, he'd come over to Dick Stocton's an' linger
'round the bar'ls of Valley Tan, an' take a chance on stealin' a snifter
or two while Stocton's busy.

"At last Stocton gets tired an' allows he'll lay for Black Feather. This
yere Stocton is a mighty reckless sport; he ain't carin' much whatever he
does do; he hates Injuns an' shot guns, an' loves licker, seven-up, an'
sin in any form; them's Stocton's prime characteristics. An' he gets
mighty weary of the whiskey-thievin' Black Feather, an' lays for him.

"One evenin' this aggravatin' Black Feather crosses over an' takes to
ha'ntin' about Dick Stocton's licker room as is his wont. It looks like
Black Feather has already been buyin' whiskey of one of them boot-laig
parties who takes every chance an' goes among the Injuns an' sells 'em
nosepaint on the sly. 'Fore ever he shows up on the Upper Hawgthief that
time, this Black Feather gets nosepaint some'ers an' puts a whole quart
of it away in the shade; an' he shore exhibits symptoms. Which for one
thing he feels about four stories tall!