yuh
they would--" Gunshot wounds, contrary to the tales of certain
sentimentalists, do not appreciably sweeten, or even change, a man's
disposition. Happy Jack with a bullet hole through one side of him was
still Happy Jack.

"Aw, quit your beefin'," Big Medicine advised gruffly. "A feller with
a hole in his lung yuh could throw a calf through sideways ain't got no
business statin' his views on nothin', by cripes!"

"Aw gwan. I thought you said--it didn't amount t' nothin'," Happy
reminded him, anxiety stealing into his face.

"Well, it don't. May lay yuh up a day or two; wouldn't be su'prised if
yuh had to stay on the bed-ground two or three meals. But look at Slim,
here. Shot through the leg--shattered a bone, by cripes!--las' night,
only; and here he's makin' a hand and ridin' and cussin' same as any of
us t'day. We ain't goin' to let yuh grouch around, that's all. We claim
we got a vacation comm' to us; you're shot up, now, and that's fun
enough for one man, without throwin' it into the whole bunch. Why, a
little nick like that ain't nothin'; nothin' a-tall. Why, I've been
shot right through here, by cripes"--Big Medicine laid an impressive
finger-tip on the top button of his trousers--"and it come out back
here"--he whirled and showed his thumb against the small of his
back--"and I never laid off but that day and part uh the next. I was
sore," he admitted, goggling Happy Jack earnestly, "but I kep' a-goin'.
I was right in fall roundup, an' I had to. A man can't lay down an' cry,
by cripes, jes' because he gets pinked a little--"

"Aw, that's jest because--it ain't you. I betche you'd lay 'em
down--jest like other folks, if yuh got shot--through the lungs. That
ain't no--joke, lemme tell yuh!" Happy Jack was beginning to show
considerable spirit for a wounded man. So much spirit that Andy Green,
who had seen men stricken down with various ills, read fever signs in
the countenance and in the voice of Happy, and led Big Medicine somewhat
peremptorily out of ear-shot.

"Ain't you got any sense?" he inquired with fine candor. "What do you
want to throw it into him like that, for? You may not think so, but he's
pretty bad off--if you ask me."

Big Medicine's pale eyes turned commiseratingly toward Happy Jack. "I
know he is; I ain't no fool. I was jest tryin' to cheer 'im up a little.
He was beginnin' to look like he was gittin' scared about it; I reckon
maybe I made a break, sayin' what I did about it, so I jest