after that b'ar. Don't forget, gents: my name's Bark, Cynthiana Bark,
pet-named Original Sin, an' thar's a bite goes with the Bark.'

"Havin' conclooded this yere salootatory, Miss Bark, givin' a
coquettish flourish to her winchester, goes trapsein' over to the O.
K. Restauraw, leavin' us--as the story-writer puts it--glooed to the
spot. You see it ain't been yoosual for us to cross up with ladies
who, never waitin' for us to so much as bat an admirin' eye or wag an
adorin' y'ear, opens neegotations by threatenin' to shoot us in two.

"'Thar's a young lady,' says Peets, who's first to ketch his breath,
'that's got what I calls _verve_.'

"'Admittin' which,' observes Enright, some doubtful, havin' been
thrown back on his hocks a whole lot; 'some of you-all young bucks
must none the less have looked at her in a improper way to start her
ghost-dancin' like she does.'

"Enright's eye roves inquirin'ly from Boggs to Texas, an' even takes
in Tutt.

"'Not me!' declar's Texas, plenty fervent; 'not me!--more'n if she's a
she rattlesnake!'

"'As the husband of Tucson Jennie,' observes Tutt, his air some
haughty--which he allers puts on no end of dog whenever he mentions
his fam'ly--'as the husband of Tucson Jennie, an' the ondoubted father
of that public ornament an' blessin', little Enright Peets Tutt, I do
not regyard it as up to me to cl'ar myse'f of no sech charges.'

"'Sam,' says Boggs, his voice reproachful, 'you notes how she makes
invidious compar'sons between me an' that b'ar, an' how she beefs the
b'ar? After which gratooitous slur it's preeposterous to s'ppose I'd
go admirin' her or to takin' any chances.'

"'Then it's you,' says Enright, comin' round on the puny tenderfoot.
'Jack,' he continyoos, appealin' to Jack Moore, who's kettle-tender to
the Stranglers, of which arm of jestice Enright is chief--'Jack, do
you reemark any ontoward looks or leers on the part of this yere
partic'lar prairie dog, calc'lated to alarm a maiden of fastidious
feelin's?'

"'Sir,' breaks in the feeble young tenderfoot, an' all mighty
tremyoolous, 'as shore as my name is Oscar Freelinghuysen I never even
glances at that girl. I ain't so much as present while she's issuin'
her deefiances. I lapses into the Red Light the moment I observes how
she's equipped, an' Black Jack, the barkeep, will ver'fy my words.'

"'All right,' warns Enright, plumb severe, 'you be careful an' conduct
yourself deecorous. Wolfville is a moral camp. Thar