er grief or bushwhack anything but smiles on her face, or
mightly likely it'll stop his clock right thar. "Can't nothin' be done
for Dave?" she asks. "Nothin'," I replies, "except be tender an' lovin'
an' make Dave's last days as pleasant an' easy as you can. We must jump
in an' smooth the path to his totterin' moccasins with gentleness an'
love," I says, "an' be ready, when the blow does fall, to b'ar it with
what fortitoode we may." That's all I tells her. However, it looks like
it's becomin' a case of overplay in one partic'lar; our pore young
namesake, Enright Peets, is himse'f gettin' a trifle the worst of it, an'
I'm figgerin' that to-morry, mebby, I'll look that infant over, an'
vouchsafe the news thar's something mighty grievous the matter with his
lungs.'"

CHAPTER XII.

Bill Connors of the Osages.

"Nacherally, if you-all is frettin' to hear about Injuns," observed the
Old Cattleman in reply to my latest request, "I better onfold how Osage
Bill Connors gets his wife. Not that thar's trouble in roundin' up this
squaw; none whatever. She comes easy; all the same said tale elab'rates
some of them savage customs you're so cur'ous concernin'."

My companion arose and kicked together the logs in the fireplace. This
fireplace was one of the great room's comforts as well as ornaments. The
logs leaped into much accession of flame, and crackled into sparks, and
these went gossiping up the mighty chimney, their little fiery voices
making a low, soft roaring like the talk of bees.

"This chimley draws plenty successful," commented my friend. "Which it
almost breaks even with a chimley I constructs once in my log camp on the
Upper Red. That Red River floo is a wonder! Draw? Son, it could draw
four kyards an' make a flush. But that camp of mine on the Upper Red is
over eight thousand foot above the sea as I'm informed by a passel of
surveyor sports who comes romancin' through the hills with a spyglass on
three pegs; an' high altitoods allers proves a heap exileratin' to a fire.

"But speakin' of Bill Connors: In Wolfville--which them days is the only
part of my c'reer whereof I'm proud an' reviews with onmixed
satisfaction--Doc Peets is, like you, inquis'tive touchin' Injuns. Peets
puts it up that some day he's doo to write books about 'em. Which in off
hours, an' when we-all is more or less at leesure over our Valley Tan,
Peets frequent comes explorin' 'round for details. Shore, I imparts all