nare you're settin' for this innocent child? Do you-all want her to
blow her head plumb off?'

"'But, Texas,' Boggs expostyoolates, 'thar ain't a chance. How's
she goin' to cock that gun, an' the mainspring fifteen pounds
resistance?'

"'But she might drop it.'

"'Which, if she does, it can't go off none; I sets the hammer between
two shells on purpose.'

"'Whoever's bringin' up this yere baby, you or me?' Texas deemands, as
he tosses Boggs his gun. 'Please don't pass her no more artillery. If
it's got to whar her existence is goin' to be a failure onless she's
foolin' with a gun, I as her uncle preefers to furnish said hardware
myse'f.'

"Shore, Boggs stands it, it's so evident Texas is onhinged.

"'An' if you look at it straight it ain't no wonder, neither,' says
Boggs, who's mighty forgivin' that a-way. 'It's apples to ashes if you
was to suddenly up an' enrich any of us with a niece like Annalinda,
we-all in goin' crazy over her 'd give Texas kyards an' spades.'

"Texas, who's always readin' medicine books, likes to go bulgin'
'round eloocidatin' about measles an' scarlet fever an' whoopin'
cough, an' what other maladies is allers layin' in wait to bushwhack
infancy. At sech moments he's plenty speecious an' foxy, so's to trap
us into deebates with him. Mebby it'll be about the mumps, an' what's
to be done; an' then, after he gets us goin', he'll r'ar back the
actchooal image of insult an' floor us with 'Mother Shrewsbury.' It
ain't no overstatin' a sityooation to say he pursoos these yere
tactics ontil he's the admitted pest of the camp, an' thar ain't one
of us but would sooner see a passel of Apaches comin' than him. He
can't confab two minutes about Annalinda but he grows so insultin' you
simply has to hold onto your manhood by the scruff of the neck not to
go for him.

"Even Enright ain't exempt. It comes out casyooally one evenin', as
Texas goes layin' down the law about how he's r'arin' Annalinda, that
Enright's mother was wont to sooth an' engage his infantile hours with
a sugar-rag an' a string of spools. Which you should have shore seen
Texas look at him! Not with reespect, mind you; not like he's heard
anything worth while or interestin'. But like he's sayin' to himse'f,
'An' you sets thar offerin' yourse'f as a argyooment in favor of
sugar-rags an' strings of spools! On the back of sech a warnin' you
don't figger none I'll go givin' sugar-rags an' strings of spools to
Annalinda, do you?' While