the Beaver Creek. He always a-wantin' me to help him ketch them hosses.
Say, he's got a lot o' sassafiddity, somethin' like that, an' he says
he's goin' to soak some corn in that stuff an' set it out fer hosses.
Says it'll make 'em _loco_, so'st you kin go right up an' rope 'em. Now,
ain't that the d----dest fool thing yet? Say, some o' these pilgrims
that comes out here ain't got sense enough to last over night."

"Battersleigh is fond of horses," said Franklin, "and he's a rider, too."

"That's so," admitted Curly. "He kin ride. You orter see him when he
gits his full outfit on, sword _an_' pistol by his side, uh-huh!"

"He has a horse, then?"

"Has a boss? Has a hoss--has--what? Why, o' course he has a boss. Is
there anybody that ain't got a hoss?"

"Well, I haven't," said Franklin.

"You got this one," said Curly.

"How?" said Frank, puzzled.

"Why, you won him."

"Oh, pshaw!" said Franklin. "Nonsense! I wasn't wrestling for your
horse, only for a ride. Besides, I didn't have any horse put up against
yours. I couldn't lose anything."

"That's so," said Curly. "I hadn't thought of that. Say, you seem like