form of humiliation or discomfort.

"Silas," he said wearily, "this is a rotten corncrib. It's sprained
and spavined and Lord knows what. It's full of bugs and ants and
spiders and dust and passé corncobs and it's architecturally incorrect,
but if you and the marshal will hike off somewhere else and brag about
his badge, I'll buy it. I've got to sleep."

Speechless, Silas stared through the slats and continued to stare until
his stupefied face became a source of irritation. Kenny lost his
temper. He raised his voice.

"You petrified lout! I said I'd buy it."

The marshal, whose bravery seemed less in evidence than his badge,
summoned Silas to a point of safety. They conferred in a murmur.
Kenny viciously killed a spider and strained his ears in vain to hear
the purport of the consultation.

After an interval of heated debate Silas returned and with an air of
scepticism demanded twenty-five dollars. When Kenny, who never
questioned the price of anything, argued the point from motives of pure
antagonism, he called the marshal. The marshal was conservative. He
dallied with the need of coming. Kenny took advantage of a dispute
among the enemy to count out the bills in concessional disgust and
shove them through the slats. Silas, turning, brushed them with his
nose and leaped back in terror. Then his hand shot upwards in an
avaricious clutch. The amazed pair counted the bills and departed,
ever after confusing Kenny's identity with that of a famous lunatic
addicted to escapes.