it after him; they
scattered like a shrapnel shell. The young feller didn't wait to
close the door. We heard him gallopin' up the board walk like he
was needin' fresh air. We stood stock still for a matter of five
seconds, I reckon; Hadds and me scart to move, and the Majoress
with her brow wrinkled in thought. All of a suddent, with no more
warnin' than a streak of lightnin', she burst out cryin'. 'Oh, oh,
oh!' says she, 'how I have been deceived in men!' Then to relieve
her feelin's she got to work with both hands.

"There was a genuine Sand-hill cloudburst of hair-brushes and
combs, porous plasters, tooth-powder, tooth-brushes, pomade, soap,
Jew's-harps, playin'-cards and the old Boy knows what all. It
struck me then what a waste of time it was for a citizen to get
loaded and tear the linin' out of a saloon; the place where you can
really get the worth of your time and money is a drug store. Hadds
and me made one desp'rate plunge for her through the terrific fire
she kept up. I don't suppose that lady could hit a barn with a
rock, unless she was inside of it, under ordinary conditions; but
I'll bet she didn't miss one out of a possible ten that night. She
caught me under the eye with a mouth-organ, on top of the head with
a jar of tooth-powder, whilest smaller articles flew off'n me in
all directions.

"Hadds took holt of her hands and talked implorin'.

"'Please, ma'am!' says he, 'please? Don't throw things around like
that! Remember they cost money! We can't sell tooth-brushes after
you've strewed the floor with 'em! I ask you please! Please!'

"'Villain!' says she haughtily. 'How dast you put your evil hands
on me?'

"'Hadds,' says I, 'leggo the lady. We pass. Let us retire behind
the prescription counter and bear up like men. There's only one
thing on earth that E. G. W. Scraggs is willin' to admit has him
trimmed to a peak, and you see that same before you now. 'Twas
ever thus since childhood's hour, when my maiden Aunt Susan took
the raisin' of me. Take any form thou wilt but this, and my firm
nerve ain't goin' to tremble; but stacked again this form, my nerve
is floppin' like a hotel wash in a hurricane.'

"So I slung Hadds over my shoulder and we went behind the
prescription counter.

"I tried to distract his mind by tellin' him a funny story.
However, the rip-split-smash outside kind of jumbled three yarns
into one. Besides, Hadds was foamin' so it was all I could do to
keep