thing that ever enters the head of a well-broken horse.

"To see how many's on my side. Here's Miss Tuck, anyway; an'
Colonel Tweezy yonder's neutral; an' Judge Marcus, an' I guess the
Reverend [the yellow horse meant the Deacon] might see that I had
my rights. He's the likeliest-lookin' Trotter I've ever set eyes
on. Pshaw. Boys. You ain't goin' to pound me, be you? Why,
we've gone round in pasture, all colts together, this month o'
Sundays, hain't we, as friendly as could be. There ain't a horse
alive I don't care who he is - has a higher opinion o' you, Mr.
Rod, than I have. Let's do it fair an' true an' above the exe.
Let's count noses same's they do in Kansas." Here he dropped his
voice a little and turned to Marcus: "Say, Judge, there's some green
food I know, back o' the brook, no one hain't touched yet. After
this little fracas is fixed up, you an' me'll make up a party an'
'tend to it.

Marcus did not answer for a long time, then he said: "There's a
pup up to the haouse 'bout eight weeks old. He'll yap till he gits
a lickin', an' when he sees it comin' he lies on his back, an'
yowls. But he don't go through no cirkituous nose-countin' first.
I've seen a noo light sence Rod spoke. You'll better stand up to
what's served. I'm goin' to philosophise all over your carcass."

I'm goin' to do yer up in brown paper," said Muldoon. "I can fit
you on apologies."

"Hold on. Ef we all biffed you now, these same men you've been so
dead anxious to kill 'u'd call us off. 'Guess we'll wait till they
go back to the haouse, an' you'll have time to think cool an' quiet,"