in
camp, he distinguishes himse'f by doin' nothin'. He wrops himse'f in his
blankets, camps down by the fire, while his wife rustles his chuck an'
fills his pipe for him. At first glance, this yere buck-squaw system
might strike a neeophyte as a mighty brootal scheme. Jest the same,
it'll eemerge winner twenty times to the gentleman-lady system's once.
The women folks like it. Which they'll pretend they prefers the
gentleman-lady system, where they sets still an' the gent attends on 'em;
but don't you credit it, none whatever. It's the good old patriarchal,
buck-squaw idee, where the gent does nothin' an' the lady goes prancin'
about like the ministerin' angel which she is, that tickles her to death.
I states ag'in, that it's my notion, Dave who begins with Tucson
Jennie--they bein' man an' wife--on the gentleman-lady system, tharby
hatches cold neglect for himse'f. An' if it ain't for the smooth savey
of Doc Peets, thar's no sport who could foretell the disastrous end.
Dave, himse'f thinks he'd have had eventool to resign his p'sition as
Jennie's husband an' quit.

"Which I've onfolded to you prior of Jennie's gettin' jealous of Dave
touchin' that English towerist female; but this yere last trouble ain't
no likeness nor kin to that. Them gusts of jealousy don't do no harm
nohow; nor last the day. They're like thunder showers; brief an' black
enough, but soon over an' leavin' the world brighter.

"This last attitoode of Jennie towards Dave is one of abandonment an'
onthinkin' indifference that a-way. It begins hard on the fetlocks of
that interestin' event, thrillin' to every proud Wolfville heart, the
birth of Dave's only infant son, Enright Peets Tutt. Which I never does
cross up with no one who deems more of her progeny than Jennie does of
the yoothful Enright Peets. A cow's solicitoode concernin' her calf is
chill regyard compared tharwith. Jennie hangs over Enright Peets like
some dew-jewelled hollyhock over a gyarden fence; you'd think he's a
roast apple; an' I don't reckon now, followin' that child's advent, she
ever sees another thing in Arizona but jest Enright Peets. He's the
whole check-rack--the one bet that wins on the layout of the
possible--an' Jennie proceeds to conduct herse'f accordin'. It's a good
thing mebby for Enright Peets; I won't set camped yere an' say it ain't;
but it's mighty hard on Dave.

"Jennie not only neglects Dave, she turns herse'f loose frequent an'
assails him. If