out, mebby it's a hundred yards from the Britons, an' rides away.
The Britons, deemin' this bluff as in the line of gifts, capers over
an' possesses themse'fs of the ponies an' leads 'em in. That's the
outside of the store.

"'Well, stranger,' says Dave in reply, takin' of the towerist one
side, 'I ain't aimin' to discourage you none, but you-alls has gone
an' got all tangled up in your lariat.'

"'What for an ontanglement is it?' asks the towerist.

"'Nothin',' says Dave, sorter breakin' it to him easy, 'nothin',
only you've done married your daughter to one of them Injuns.'

"When Dave announces this yere trooth it shore looks like the
Briton's goin' to need whiskey to uphold himse'f. But he
reorganizes, an' Dave explains that the Injuns, when they trails in
with the ponies, is simply shufflin' for a weddin'; they's offerin'
what they-alls calls a 'price' for the woman.

"'An' when you-alls leads in the ponies,' says Dave,'that settles
it. You agrees to deal right thar. To-morrow, now, this yere buck,
whoever he is, will come surgin' in with his relations plumb down to
third cousins; an' he expects you'll be dead ready to feed 'em, an'
wind up the orgy by passin' over the bride.'

"You can bet them reecitals of Dave's is plenty horrible to the
towerist. He allows we must keep it from his daughter; an' then he
puts hip whole outfit in Dave's hands, to get 'em safe onto high
grounds.