talker, but in his way he's a mighty gregar'ous gent. About some
things he's game as hornets, Cherokee is; but his nerve fails him
when it comes to seein' other people suffer. He can stand bad luck
himse'f, an' never turn a ha'r; but no one else's bad luck.

"It ain't once a week, but it's every day, when this yere gray-eyed
sport is robbin' his roll for somebody who's settin' in ag'inst
disaster. Fact; Cherokee's a heap weak that a-way.

"Of course, turnin' faro, Cherokee knows who has money an' who needs
it; keeps tab, so to speak, on the fluctooations of the camp's
finances closer'n anybody. The riches an' the poverty of Wolfville
is sort o' exposin' itse'f 'round onder his nose; it's a open book
to him; an' the knowledge of who's flat, or who's flush, is thrust
onto him continyoous. As I says, bein' some sentimental about them
hard ships of others, the information costs Cherokee hard onto a
diurnal stack or two.

"'Which you're too impulsive a whole lot,' I argues onct when a
profligate he's staked, an' who reports himse'f as jumpin' sideways
for grub previous, goes careerin' over to the dance hall with them
alms he's wrung, an' proceeds on a debauch. 'You oughter not allow
them ornery folks to do you. If you'd cultivate the habit of lettin'
every gent go a-foot till he can buy a hoss, you'd clean up for a
heap more at the end of the week. Now this ingrate whose hand you
stiffens ain't buyin' nothin' but nose-paint tharwith.'

"'Which the same plants no regrets with me,' says Cherokee, all
careless an' indifferent. 'If this person is sufferin' for whiskey
worse'n he's sufferin' for bread, let him loose with the whiskey.