his right arm in beneath that edifice
an' up-ends the entire shebang, same as his old mother would a log when
she's grub-huntin' in the hills. Bowlaigs is pickin' up the dollar
when the Major comes swarmin' 'round the ruins of his outfit, a bowie
in his hand, an' him fairly locoed with rage.

"Shore, thar's a fight, an' the Major gets the knife plumb to
Bowlaigs's honest heart with the first motion. But Bowlaigs quits
game; he turns with a warwhoop an' confers on the Major a swat that
would have broke the back of a bronco; an' then he dies with his teeth
in the Major's neck.

"The Major only lives a half hour after we gets thar. An' it's to his
credit that he makes a statement exoneratin' Bowlaigs. 'I don't want
you-all gents,' says the Major, 'to go deemin' hard of this innocent
b'ar, for whatever fault thar is, is mine. Since Texas Thompson picks
up that dollar, this thing is made plain. What I takes for gratooitous
wickedness on Bowlaigs' part is nothin' but his efforts to execoote my
desires. Pore Bowlaigs! it embitters my last moments as I pictures
what must have been his opinions of me when I lams loose at him with
that knife! Bury us in one grave, gents; it'll save trouble an' show
besides that thar's no hard feelin's between me an' Bowlaigs over
what--an' give it the worst name--ain't nothin' but a onfortunate
mistake.'"

CHAPTER XVI.

Toad Allen's Elopement.

"Four days after that pinfeather person," remarked the Old Cattleman,
while refilling his pipe, "four days after that pinfeather person gains
Old Man Enright's consent to make use of Wolfville as a pivotal p'int
in a elopement, him an' his loved one comes bulgin' into camp. They
floats over in one of these yere mountain waggons, what some folks
calls a 'buckboard'; the pinfeather person's drivin'. Between him an'
his intended--all three settin' on the one seat--perches a preacher
gent, who it's plain from the look in his eyes is held in a sort o'
captivity that a-way. What nacherally bolsters up this theory is that
the maiden's got a six-shooter in her lap.

"'Which if thar's a wearied hectored gent in Arizona,' observes the
pinfeather party, as he descends outen the buckboard at the corral an'
tosses the reins to a hoss-hustler, 'you-all can come weavin' up an'
chance a yellow stack that I'm shore that gent.'

"The preacher sharp, who's about as young an' new as the pinfeather
party, looks like he yoonites with him in them views