likely means" Age before beauty,"the Mexicans makes Willis an' me
stand back while the four others searches one after the other into
the bag for his bean. "`Tate goes first an' wins a white bean.
"`Then a shiftless, no-account party whom we-alls calls "Chicken
Bill" reaches in. I shorely hopes, seein' it's bound to be somebody,
that this Chicken Bill acquires the black bean. But luck's ag'in us;
Chicken Bill backs off with a white bean. "`When the third gent
turns out a white bean the shadow begins to fall across Jim Willis
an' me. I looks at Jim; an' I gives it to you straight when I says
that I ain't at that time thinkin' of myse'f so much as about Jim.
To see this yere deal, black as midnight, closin' in on Jim, is
what's hurtin'; it don't somehow occur to me I'm likewise up ag'in
the iron my se'f. "`"Looks like this yere amiable deevice is out to
run its brand onto one of us,"says Jim to me; an' I looks at him.
"`An' then, as the fourth finds a white bean in the bag, an' draws a
deep sigh an' stands back, Jim says: "Well, Sam, it's up to us."
Then Jim looks at me keen an' steady a whole lot, an' the Mexicans,
bein' rather pleased with the situation, ain't goadin' of us to
hurry up none.

"`When it's to Jim an' me they selects me out as the one to pull for
the next bean. Jim's still lookin' at me hard, an' I sees the water
in his eye.'

"`"Let me have your draw, Sam," he says.

"`"Shore,"I replies, standin' a step off from the bag." It's yours
too quick."

"` But the Mexicans don't see it that a-way. It's my turn an' my