the red surging back in his face and his hand instinctively going to
his gun.

"No, you won't," said Dan Anderson. "Do you want to bust up your
marriage with the girl from Kansas?"

"Sho'!" said Curly, and fell thoughtful. "This looks bad," said he;
"mighty bad." He sat down and began to think. I do not doubt that Dan
Anderson at that moment was a disgrace to his profession, though later
he honored it. He winked at me.

"Don't you tamper with my client," said he; and then resumed to Curly;
"What you need is a lawyer. You've got to have legal advice. It
happens that the full bar of Heart's Desire is now present talking to
you. Take your pick. I've got a mighty good idea which is the best
lawyer of this bar, but I wouldn't tell you for the world that I'm the
one. Take your pick. Here's the whole legal works of the town, us
two. Try the Learned Counsel on my right."

"Law!" said Curly. "Why--law--lawyers! Then who--say, now, I'll
_pay_ for the pig. I didn't mean nothing, no way."

Then Dan Anderson rose to certain heights. "You can't settle it that
way," said he. "That's too easy. Oh, you can pay for the _pig_ easy
enough; but how about the majesty of the law? Where is the peace and
dignity of the commonwealth to come in? This is criminal. Nope, you
choose. You need a lawyer."

"You--you-all got me _locoed_," said Curly, nervously. "Law! Why, I
don't want no law. There ain't never been no co'te set here. Down to