rom the jump, gets dissatisfied about
Mike's ha'r, which he w'ars a foot long same as all artists. Which a
gent can't be no painter onless he's got ha'r like a cow pony. The
sorehead party marches up an' down by the table whar Mike an' the
freighter is swappin' lies, schemin' as to how he's goin' to make a
warlike hook-up with Mike. After a spell he thinks he sees his way
through, an' rounds to an' growls.

"'What's that? Does one of your onparalleled tarrapins say something
deerog'tory about George Washin'ton?'

"Both the freighter an' Mike looks up some amazed, but pleads not
guilty. They ain't, they says, even thinkin' of Washin'ton.

"'Which I begs your parding,' returns Sorehead, snortin' mighty
haughty an' elab'rate; 'I fancies I hears some one make some
onbecomin' remark about Washin'ton. Mighty likely it's that licker I
drinkt last night.'

"Two minutes later he halts ag'in.

"'It ain't possible I'm mistook this time. An' at that I don't
precisely ketch what you offensive ground-owls is observin' about
Thomas Jefferson?'

"Mike an' the Lordsburg freighter insists vehement that thar's been no
alloosion to Jefferson, none whatever.

"'Parding!' Sorehead snorts; 'ag'in I asks parding! As former, I finds
I'm barkin' at a bunch of leaves. My y'ear deeceives me into thinkin'
that you two fool ground-owls is indulgin' in reecrim'nations ag'inst
Thomas Jefferson.'

"It's the third time, an' Sorehead's back, neck bowed an' fingers
workin'.

"'Now thar's no error! Which one of you cheap prairie dogs makes that
low-flung statement about old Andy Jackson? Let him speak up, an' I'll
give him a hundred dollars before devourin' his heart.'

"'No one mentions Jackson,' says Mike, who's becomin' frightened an'
fretted; 'whatever's the idee of any one talkin' about Jackson,
anyhow?'

"'Oh, ho! Perhaps, my bold galoot, you think old Andy ain't worth
talkin' about!'

"Sayin' which, that sorehead malcontent reaches for Mike, an' the two
go sailin' 'round the room permiscus. Sorehead picks Mike up, an'
sweeps a cord or two of glasswar' off the bar with him. Then he
employs him in bringin' down a picture from the wall. After which he
nacherally tosses him hither an' yon in the most irrel'vant way.

"Sorehead has jest reached up with Mike, an' smashed a chandelier
carryin' fourteen coal-oil lamps, when in t'ars the Lightnin' Bug,
white an' frothin'. The Bug don't waste no time lookin' for holds, but
casyooally, yet n