lariat from his arms an' throws him loose. But don't try to run no
wife bluff on me; I've been through the wife question with a blazin'
pine-knot in my hand, an' thar's nothin' worth while concealed
tharin.' "'Which I adopts the ainendiricnt,' says Boggs, 'an' on
second thought, I strings my chips with Texas, that this yere Myra's
his mother. I've got the money that says so.' "'At any rate,' says
Tutt, 'from all I sees, I reckons it's the general notion that we
calls this thing a draw. We can't afford to go makin' a preecedent
of hangin' a gent for hoss-stealin' who's only doin' his best to be
present at this Myra's fooneral, whoever she may be. It's a heap
disgustin', however, that we can't open up a talk with this party.
Which I now notes by the address his name is McIntyre.' "An' so it
turns out that in no time, from four gents who's dead set to hang
this dumb man as a boss-thief, we turns into a sympathetic outfit
which is diggin' holes for his escape. It all dovetails in with what
my scientist says this mornin' about them moral epidemics,' an'
things goin' that a-way in waves. For, after all, Myra or no Myra,
this yere dumb man steals that pinto hoss. "However, whether it's
right or wrong, we turns the dumb man free. Not only that, but Boggs
gets out of the saddle an' gives him his pony to pursoo them rambles
with. "'I gives it to him because it's the best pony in the outfit,'
says Boggs, lookin' savage at us, as he puts the bridle in the dumb
gent's hands. 'It can run like a antelope, that pony can; an' that's
why I donates it to this dumb party. Once he's started, even if we-
all changes our moods, he's shore an' safe away for good. Moreover,
a gent whose mother's dyin', can't have too good a hoss. If he don't
step on no more cactus, an' half rides, he's doo to go chargin' into
Casa Grande before they loses Myra, easy.'"