ls the beads of water come onder my hatband, an'
begins to crowd my gun a leetle for'ard on the belt. I'm walkin' up on
the opp'site side from Yuba who stands watchin' my approach with a
serene mien.

"'"It's the ca'mness of the tiger crouchin' for a spring," thinks I.

"'As I arrives opp'site, Yuba stretches out his hand. "Come on over,"
he sings out.

"'"Which he's assoomin' airs of friendship," I roominates, "to get me
off my gyard."

"'I starts across to Yuba. I'm watchin' like a lynx; an' I'm that
harrowed, if Yuba so much as sneezes or drops his hat or makes a
r'arward move of his hand, I'm doo to open on him. But he stands still
as a hill an' nothin' more menacin' than grins. As I comes clost he
offers his hand. It's prior to my shootin' quick an' ackerate with my
left hand, so I don't give Yuba my right, holdin' the same in reserve
for emergencies an' in case thar's a change of weather. But Yuba, who
can see it's fear that a-way, is too p'lite to make comments. He
shakes my left hand with well-bred enthoosiasm an' turns an' heads the
way into the Oriental.

"'As we fronts the bar an' demands nosepaint Yuba gives up his arms;
an' full of a jocund lightheartedness as I realises that I ain't marked
for instant slaughter I likewise yields up mine. We then has four
drinks in happy an' successful alternation, an' next we seeks a table
an' subsides into seven-up.

"'"Then thar ain't goin' to be no dooel between us?" I says to Yuba.
It's at a moment when he's turned jack an' I figgers he'll be more soft
an' leenient. "It's to be a evenin' of friendly peace?"

"'"An' why not?" says Yuba. "I've shore took all the skelps that's
comin' to me; an' as for you-all, you're young an' my counsel is to
never begin. That pooerile spat we has don't count. I'm drinkin' at
the time, an' I don't reckon now you attaches importance to what a gent
says when he's in licker?"

"'"Not to what he says," I replies; "but I does to what he shoots. I
looks with gravity on the gun-plays of any gent, an' the drunker he is
the more ser'ous I regyards the eepisode."

"'"Well, she's a thing of the past now," explains Yuba, "an' this
evenin' you're as pop'lar with me as a demijohn at a camp-meetin'."

"'Both our bosoms so wells with joy, settin' thar as we do in a
atmosphere of onexpected yet perfect fraternalism an' complete peace,
that Yuba an' me drinks a whole lot. It gets so, final, I refooses to
return to my own camp;