also straight and high, and owned no perceptible slope; indeed, it seemed
merely a pendant attached to his forehead, and its upper termination was
indefinite, except that somewhere between his eyebrows one felt impelled to
consider it forehead rather than nose. His eyes also were rather long and
narrow, like buttonholes cut to match the mouth. When he grinned his face
appeared to break up into splinters.

He was intensely proud of his name, and his pleasure was almost pathetic
when one pronounced it without curtailment in his presence. His skinniness
was also a matter of pride. And when you realize that he was an
indefatigable gossip, and seemed always to be riding at large, gathering or
imparting trivial news, you should know fairly well Polycarp Jenks.

"I see Man Fleetwood's might' near sober enough to git married," Polycarp
began, coming up to the two and leaning a sharp elbow upon the bar beside
Kent. "By granny, gitting married'd sober anybody! Dinner time he was so
drunk he couldn't find his mouth. I met him up here a little ways just now,
and he was so sober he remembered to pay me that ten I lent him t' other
day--_he-he!_ Open up a bottle of pop, James.

"His girl's been might' near crying her eyes out, 'cause he didn't show
up. Mis' Hawley says she looked like she was due at a funeral 'stid of a
weddin'. 'Clined to be stuck up, accordin' to Mis' Hawley--shied at hearin'
about Walt--_he-he!_ I'll bet there ain't been a transient to that hotel in
the last five year, man or woman, that ain't had to hear about Walt and the
shotgun--Pop's all right on a hot day, you bet!

"She's got two trunks and a fiddle over to the depot--don't see how 'n the
world Man's going to git 'em out to the ranch; they're might' near as big
as claim shacks, both of 'em. Time she gits 'em into Man's shack she'll